“A world straight from the pages of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. . . . An extraordinary story about coming of age, following your dreams and discovering (or rediscovering) who you are, were and want to be.” — Parade
Rescued from a Dumpster on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a discarded diary brings to life the glamorous, forgotten world of an extraordinary young woman
Opening the tarnished brass lock of a red leather diary found in the basement of a New York City apartment building, New York Times writer Lily Koppel embarked on a journey into the past. Compelled by the hopes and heartaches captured in the pages, Koppel set out to find the diary’s owner, a 90-year old woman named Florence. Eventually reunited with her diary, Florence ventured back to the girl she once was, rediscovering a lost self that burned with artistic fervor.
Joining intimate interviews with original diary entries, The Red Leather Diary is an evocative and entrancing work that recreates the romance and glitter, sophistication and promise, of 1930s New York, bringing to life the true story of a precocious young woman who dared to follow her dreams.
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"I have really enjoyed reading this book. Not only is the story behind the story fascinating, but the story that the book tells was quite intriguing to me. I think Lily Koppel has done a masterful job at taking the research that she has done on New York during the 1930's and creating a wonderful setting for the life and times of the girl who originally kept the journal. I like the sense of adventure that both Lily and Frances show: Lily in pursuing the story she felt must be told, and Frances in living such a remarkable youth."
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Sally (5 out of 5 stars)