Author Edition
February 29, 2020
Dear lovely readers,
Today is another fabulous day on the blog. It is the fourth week of the Dear Mr. Hemingway Guest Writer~Author Edition series. I am so thrilled to tell you about today’s author, Fiona Davis. Let me first start off by saying that Fiona is the National Best Selling author of The Dollhouse (Dutton), The Address (Dutton), The Masterpiece (Dutton), and most recently, The Chelsea Girls (Dutton). Whether she takes you through Grand Central Terminal, the Chelsea Hotel, a famous New York residence, or the glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, New York City is the heartbeat of her stories. Her books are filled to the brim with vibrant characters, stunning time periods, and very satisfying storylines. With sprinkles of glamour, hints of mystery, and a dollop of dazzle, Fiona’s books will not disappoint you. Be on the lookout for her upcoming historical fiction novel staring the iconic New York Public Library. The Lion’s of Fifth Avenue (Dutton) hits book stores in July 2020 🤗🤗🤗.
Before you read what Fiona has written to Mr. H., I want to thank her for participating in this project. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that she took time out of her very busy schedule to contribute to this Blog. I personally enjoy getting to know my favorite authors and what books they enjoy when they are not writing their own. Who doesn’t love a great book recommendation from a magnificent author!!!!!!!
I hope you enjoy Fiona’s letter. It is a good one!
Happy Reading Friends,
Kelly
P.S. Did you know that before Fiona Davis began her writing career, she was an actress off-Broadway, in regional theaters, and on BROADWAY 😮😮😮!!! The cool factor here is pretty high.
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Dear Mr. Hemingway,
What if you learned as a child that you were descended from a long line of witches, and had powers to envision the future? That’s how Augusten Burroughs’s memoir begins when as a young boy on a school bus he experiences a dark premonition about his grandmother. He arrives home just as his mother is getting the news that the grandmother has been in a car accident (luckily, she recovers). Augusten has a gift, explains his mother, just as she does, and as did many of their ancestors.
But Toil & Trouble is more than a witching tale, it’s also a love story about the relationship between Augusten and his agent/husband Christopher, as they move out of the city and settle in an ancient house where Augusten is certain that the towering maple tree in the front yard is out to get him (he’s not wrong). It’s a beautiful story of two men maneuvering through sickness and health, all while raising a trio of oversized dogs and putting down roots in the community. It’s about Eddie – a handyman who is as personally offensive as he is good as his job – and who winds up unexpectedly becoming one of Augusten’s favorite people.
One of the reasons I connected so strongly with this book was that I’d recently made a similar purchase, and was struck by the ways a house becomes almost like another member of the family. My home also has its own special quirks and demands and every so often groans like the Dowager from Downton Abbey after she’s had too much sherry. Is it a ghost from its past life as a farmhouse? Or just normal settling? Either way, I’m not going anywhere.
Toil & Trouble reminded me to listen to my intuition and made me laugh out loud with Burroughs’s twisted turns of phrase. The ending is astonishing, wrapping up the themes and plotlines with breathless abandon. This memoir won’t disappoint.
Yours in spirit,
Fiona
P.S. To find out why I have such an affinity with buildings, check out my latest novel, The Chelsea Girls, which is set in New York’s iconic Chelsea Hotel.
