The Manhattan Girls: A Novel of Dorothy Parker and Her Friends by Gill Paul (HarperCollins, 2022). Audiobook read by Lisa Flanagan. If you’ve been reading this newsletter since the beginning, or even if you’ve just visited the About page, you have some inkling of how I feel about Dorothy Parker, because you know that Dear, Strange Things gets its name from one of her quotes. As a writer, Parker has been an inspiration to me since the first time I read her short piece “The Waltz” in a college textbook. Her voice is unforgettable—fresh, frank, and intimate, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes achingly raw beneath the polished prose. I’ve learned more about writing from reading her work than I ever learned from any writer’s guide.
I found your review spot on--the characters were interesting and as an avid reader of The New Yorker for many years, the back story was enlightening. But you also nailed the negative elements well--especially about the Winifred romance--it felt like "Oh, I must include a same-sex romance so this will be it even though there is nothing to support this choice"--and Peggy's 21st century expressions. But all in all I enjoyed the book and will look for more books by Gill Paul.
I found your review spot on--the characters were interesting and as an avid reader of The New Yorker for many years, the back story was enlightening. But you also nailed the negative elements well--especially about the Winifred romance--it felt like "Oh, I must include a same-sex romance so this will be it even though there is nothing to support this choice"--and Peggy's 21st century expressions. But all in all I enjoyed the book and will look for more books by Gill Paul.