Book Club Friday: The Red Leather Diary

This week I'm sharing...

From GoodReads:

Rescued from a Dumpster on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a discarded diary brings to life the glamorous, forgotten world of an extraordinary young woman.

For more than half a century, the red leather diary lay silent, languishing inside a steamer trunk, its worn cover crumbling into little flakes. When a cleaning sweep of a New York City apartment building brings this lost treasure to light, both the diary and its owner are given a second life...

My Thoughts:

I wanted to like this book, I really did. It had a great premise: 1930's diary found in dumpster! How interesting! But sadly it was a let down. I would have preferred if it was just Florence's own words; like her actual diary. Another suggestion? Add Florence's own voice, looking back on specific entries to give background on what else was going on during that time. I did not need Lily's "input" or her perception of the times. She wasn't even alive yet. And, I found her writing boring and disconnected. Couldn't they (editors?)  put the journal entries in order? That would have made it easier to follow Florence's relationships with different people. This whole book flipped through time so much, it was hard to keep track what was happening when. Also, Lily met  Florence, and still didn't delve deeper into or ask about any of the issues raised in the book. 

However, I didn't like Florence either. She is an uppity, prissy.... floozy! All she does is go to shows, go shopping, and talk about her expensive school and how much money she has. Bor-ing! I guess it gave some insight as to how the better half lived in that era, but I didn't find it very interesting. There was a major stock market crash, and besides announcing to her class that "we're broke!" it didn't seem to have any impact on her life. And she was so mean to her "friends" and "lovers,"  and even her parents! I gave this book 2 stars.

Florence and Lily

What are you reading lately?