Publisher:
New York, NY : Simon & Schuster, [2021]

Includes a publisher's handwritten note.

Summary:


"The Barbizon tells the story of New York's most glamorous women-only
hotel, and the women-both famous and ordinary-who passed through its
doors. World War I had liberated women from home and hearth, setting
them on the path to political enfranchisement and gainful employment.
Arriving in New York to work in the dazzling new skyscrapers, they did
not want to stay in uncomfortable boarding houses; they wanted what
men already had-exclusive residential hotels that catered to their
needs, with daily maid service, cultural programs, workout rooms, and
private dining. The Barbizon would become the most famous residential
hotel of them all, welcoming everyone from aspiring actresses, dancers,
and fashion models to seamstresses, secretaries, and nurses. The
Barbizon's residents read like a who's who: Titanic survivor Molly
Brown; actresses Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford, Grace Kelly, Tippi
Hedron, Liza Minelli, Ali McGraw, Jaclyn Smith, and Phylicia Rashad;
writers Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, Diane Johnson, Gael Greene, and Meg
Wolitzer; and so many more. But before they were household names, they
were among the young women arriving at the Barbizon with a suitcase, and
hope. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, The Barbizon
weaves together a tale that has, until now, never been told. It is an
epic story of women's ambition in the 20th century. The Barbizon Hotel
offered its residents a room of their own and air to breathe, unfettered
from family obligations and expectations. It gave women a chance to
remake themselves however they pleased. No place had existed like it
before, or has since"--