August 2017

THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis is set in The Dakota, the iconic luxury apartment building in New York. (You may recall that John Lennon was shot outside The Dakota where he and Yoko Ono lived.) I forgot how when it was constructed it was far from the developed part of the city --- the building was a true outlier, and people wondered if it would be filled --- which was interesting to imagine, as right now I feel like a rabid overdevelopment of the city is underway with new tall towers climbing into the sky almost daily. I thoroughly enjoyed the look back with details on the architecture and amenities provided to the residents. Care was given to every detail to ensure that the property was at the top of its game.

Sara Smythe comes to The Dakota in 1884 after a chance meeting with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the building, when he was in London. She is brought to New York to become the manager of the apartment building where she tends to the needs of the wealthy residents, as a cross between a lead housekeeper and a concierge.

As she did in her debut novel, THE DOLLHOUSE, where she looked at the history of the Barbizon Hotel, there are characters from two time periods. The second is Bailey Camden, and her story is set in 1985, a century later. She’s just out of rehab and struggling to get herself back on track. She’s been offered the opportunity to oversee the renovation of her cousin Melinda’s Dakota apartment. Melinda is related to Camden; she’s his biological great-granddaughter, set to inherit his fortune. Bailey has ties to Camden as well, as her grandfather was a ward of Camden’s, but she is not destined to see his fortune.

Melinda’s vision goes against the grain of preserving the history of the building, which feels wrong to Bailey, who loves the details of the place. At the same time, she is unraveling things about Camden that could change the tide for Melinda.

I love architecture, historical detail and peeks into old New York. THE ADDRESS ties all those together. I am wondering what iconic building Fiona will look at next!