The Magnolia Palace by Fiona DavisMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This historical fiction novel of the Frick Collection is told in dual timelines in alternating chapters. In 1919 the Frick family - Henry Clay Frick, wife Adelaide, and daughter Helen Clay Frick - is in residence with all their servants. Lillian Carter, also known as Angelica, is a model and muse for many sculptures in New York City. She takes a job as Miss Helen's private secretary, and helps her start the Frick Art Reference / Research Library adjacent to the mansion.
In 1966 Veronica Web is a model from England who snagged a job with Vogue in the Frick Collection. She is stranded in the house in the middle of a snowstorm after the other models and photographers have left. Joshua is a part-time Frick archivist and provides her with his extensive knowledge of the family and the house.
Both women are very young (early 20's) and make some immature and bad decisions due to their circumstances. In spite of this, I embraced both timelines and the characters, especially Joshua.
The Frick family and house figure prominently in both storylines - the marvelous art work, sculptures, paintings, lavish furnishings, etc. This book was extensively researched by the author, as is true with all of her novels. In her Author's Note, she gives more history and background on the real-life character of Lillian, along with a great bibliography and reading recommendations. I initially wanted to read this book to find out more about the Frick Collection in New York City. I visited this museum in May 2025, soon after it reopened after a long renovation from 2021-2025.
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