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Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 6,862 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Against the unforgettable backdrop of New York near the turn of the twentieth century, from the Gilded Age world of formal balls and opera to the immigrant poverty of the Lower East Side, bestselling author Susan Vreeland again breathes life into a work of art in this extraordinary novel, which brings a woman once lost in the shadows into vivid color. It’s 1893, and at the Chicago World’s Fair, Louis Comfort Tiffany makes his debut with a luminous exhibition of innovative stained-glass windows, which he hopes will honor his family business and earn him a place on the international artistic stage. But behind the scenes in his New York studio is the freethinking Clara Driscoll, head of his women’s division. Publicly unrecognized by Tiffany, Clara conceives of and designs nearly all of the iconic leaded-glass lamps for which he is long remembered. Clara struggles with her desire for artistic recognition and the seemingly insurmountable challenges that she faces as a professional woman, which ultimately force her to protest against the company she has worked so hard to cultivate. She also yearns for love and companionship, and is devoted in different ways to five men, including Tiffany, who enforces to a strict policy: he does not hire married women, and any who do marry while under his employ must resign immediately. Eventually, like many women, Clara must decide what makes her happiest—the professional world of her hands or the personal world of her heart.
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"I've always loved items made of stained glass which of course led me to Tiffany's works. Having seen some of his company's windows in local churches, I found the descriptions of how they were made interesting. I had known that he himself did not make all the items, but I did not realize how large his company was and how many people he employed. Clara was a bit ahead of her times as the head of one of Tiffany's departments, the only department of women in the company. This time in history was not particularly kind to working women, and Tiffany wouldn't employ any married women, which is why Clara had left, and when widowed returned to work. She has come into her own as a designer and designed and worked on the lamps produced at this time. The book presents the lampshades as one of her ideas pitched to Tiffany, but history cannot confirm that as fact. Also her love life is on hold, she seems to be in love with Tiffany, and doesn't want to marry Bernard because she will then have to leave her work. As the company has been operating in the red, specialty items will not be produced and Clara won't be able to design, so it looks like she'll have to leave anyway. It's a good read!"
— Kate (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Selected for the January 2011 Indie Next List
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
Clara and Mr. Tiffany Listener Reviews
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" it was a slow read for me, but only because of the detail. it was interesting and i enjoyed it. "
— Ellyn, 2/4/2014 -
" I have always enjoyed Susan Vreeland's books but this one was not as gripping as her others. Still a good read. "
— Dee, 1/29/2014 -
" I very much enjoyed this book. It's well written but also informative about the struggles women have had being recognized for their creative talent and being fairly compensated for their work. "
— Afton, 1/15/2014 -
" Okay, I am giving it 5 stars! Clara was a feminist ahead of her time and I loved her sassy style. What a great book that really brought turn-of-the-century New York City alive. Great historical fiction with a super protagonist. "
— Megan, 1/14/2014 -
" I love this author! 4.5 stars, really. "
— Emiline, 1/11/2014 -
" Fascinating look at how women played a role in the artistic success of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Also a glimpse of the beginning's of the women's labor movement in NYC around the turn of the last century. Lots of research went into this historical fiction. "
— Margie, 1/5/2014 -
" I listened to the audiobook "
— Lauretta, 11/12/2013 -
" I tried. I just couldn't waste any more time with it. I liked the premise and the idea of what the potential of the story could be. The writing was just so flat that it did not keep my interest at all. "
— Redheadjen, 3/8/2013 -
" Loved the personal stories, but went into a little too much detail on the art behind the windows. Not my favorite Vreeland book. "
— Sarah, 6/2/2012 -
" I give this 3 1/2 stars. I had such high hopes for this one, but there was just something about it that didn't sit right for me. It was a very interesting read, though. I loved learning about the glass and getting a feel for the time period. "
— Tiffany, 1/13/2012 -
" I thought this book was really boring. "
— Vicki, 11/27/2011 -
" I read this book for a book club. I found it interesting to learn about Tiffany process of Stained Glass windows and lamps during the turn of the century in New York. Good portrayal of women's lives and restrictions/rights working in manufacturing at that time. "
— Chris, 9/14/2011 -
" Loved the historical information about the labor movement and women's place in it. I took a stained glass class several years ago- really enjoyed learning more about that industry. "
— Jan, 7/14/2011 -
" Historical Fiction. What I enjoy about reading. I knew very little about Tiffany Lamps except that I would like one. I will look at all Tiffany Lamps and stainglass with a new watchful eye. "
— Jo, 5/30/2011 -
" I love stained glass, and the process, especially Tiffany. It was a nice read. Not astounding language but and interesting story. I'm very interested now if finding out what the REAL story of Clara is. I wish I was still in New York so I could go see the Tiffany glass with her in mind. "
— Brecken, 5/23/2011 -
" <br/> she is a great writer. and if i ever want to build and run a factory,studio for making mosaic glass windows, lamp shades and other products , this is the perfect manual for doing so-too much precise detail, too little story. i am reading and enjoying more her short stories from LIFE STUDIES. "
— Joe, 5/20/2011 -
" kind of a women"s lib focus -interesting description of life in NYC in that era. More information on making the tiffany lamps than I needed.... "
— Pjgould, 5/19/2011 -
" A nice piece of historical fiction. I liked it a lot. "
— Joyce, 5/18/2011 -
" I thought this book was really boring. "
— Vicki, 5/18/2011 -
" I think this was more of a 3.5, but that's not possible here... "
— Cyndi, 5/17/2011 -
" This book was very intriguing. It deals with several issues. Women in the workplace in the 1900's and the inequities. The artistic abilities of women and their willingness to produce beautiful things knowing full well that they would not get the credit. "
— Maxine, 5/13/2011 -
" Entertaining, but I didn't love it as much as others I've read recently (and perhaps that's not a fair comparison). The author clearly put a lot of work into capturing turn of the century New York, and the fact that much is derived from Clara's actual letters is fascinating. "
— Mark, 5/9/2011
About Susan Vreeland
Susan Vreeland is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including Luncheon of the Boating Party, Life Studies, The Passion of Artemisia, The Forest Lover, and Girl in Hyacinth Blue. She lives in San Diego.
About Kimberly Farr
Kimberly Farr is an actress and winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration. She has appeared on Broadway and at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Roundabout Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, and the American Place. She created the role of “Eve” in Arthur Miller’s first and only musical, Up from Paradise, which was directed by the author. She appeared with Vanessa Redgrave in the Broadway production of The Lady from the Sea and has acted in regional theaters across the country, including a performance in the original production of The 1940’s Radio Hour at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage.