Times were changing, but the Gilded Age of New York was filled with rules and endless limitations for women of almost every station in life. When Daisy Harriman, a member of society, was denied a room at the Waldorf Astoria because she would be coming alone she was shocked. In response to this, she sought to create the first women's club in Manhattan. It would be a place where unaccompanied women could stay overnight, socialize and dine with their friends and find ways to support their causes. Stanford White, perhaps the most famous architect in New York, was hired. Elsie de Wolfe knew her acting career was going nowhere, but she had other talents which included an eye for design. When White offered her the opportunity to design the interior she was immediately on board. To assist her White sent his new hire, Nora Bromely, a draftswoman.
While several of the characters in THE COLONY CLUB, a work of historical fiction by Shelley Noble, were actual people, Nora is not. She is a fascinating character in that she is so different from Daisy and Elsie. She had neither the wealth nor the access to the arts the other women had, but she had talent and dreams, too. She was determined to become an architect even though the odds were against her.
In THE COLONY CLUB, the author skillfully brings the women together as they work towards a common goal to create a special place. Vividly brought to life are both the time and setting of the story with special attention paid to the restrictions the women faced and how they coped and found ways to move forward.
THE COLONY CLUB is a story about determination and the commitment to make life better for those who have the least. The history of the Colony Club is both fascinating and inspiring. Highly recommended.
From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble comes a thrilling historical novel about the inception of the Colony Club, the first women’s club of its kind, set against the dazzling backdrop of Gilded Age New York.
When young Gilded Age society matron Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she takes matters into her own hands. She establishes the Colony Club, the first women’s club in Manhattan, where visiting women can stay overnight and dine with their friends; where they can discuss new ideas, take on social issues, and make their voices heard. She hires the most sought-after architect in New York, Stanford White, to design the clubhouse.
As “the best dressed actress on the Rialto” Elsie de Wolfe has an eye for décor, but her career is stagnating. So when White asks her to design the clubhouse interiors, she jumps at the chance and the opportunity to add a woman’s touch. He promises to send her an assistant, a young woman he’s hired as a draftsman.
Raised in the Lower East Side tenements, Nora Bromely is determined to become an architect in spite of hostility and sabotage from her male colleagues. She is disappointed and angry when White “foists” her off on this new women’s club project.
But when White is murdered and the ensuing Trial of the Century discloses the architect’s scandalous personal life, fearful backers begin to withdraw their support. It’s questionable whether the club will survive long enough to open.
Daisy, Elsie, and Nora have nothing in common but their determination to carry on. But to do so, they must overcome not only society’s mores but their own prejudices about women, wealth, and each other. Together they strive to transform Daisy’s dream of the Colony Club into a reality, a place that will nurture social justice and ensure the work of the women who earned the nickname “Mink Brigade” far into the future.
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