Recommend books City of Girls: A Novel

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City of Girls: A Novel

★★★★

Elizabeth Gilbert・・Ended

Updated: April 7, 2020

Content length: 496 pages

language: English

Source: amazon

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Nvpin (female-oriented) novels Literary Fiction Ended

"Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are." Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love. In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves - and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest. Now eighty-nine years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life - and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it. "At some point in a woman's life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time," she muses. "After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is." Written with a powerful wisdom about human desire and connection, City of Girls is a love story like no other.

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📚 Why We Recommend It

Elizabeth Gilbert—bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love—returns to fiction with a glittering, heartfelt love letter to 1940s New York City’s theater world. City of Girls isn’t just a story; it’s a vibrant journey through youth, mistake, and self-discovery, told by 89-year-old Vivian Morris as she reflects on her wild, unapologetic past.

Kicked out of Vassar for being “unfocused,” Vivian finds herself in Manhattan with her aunt, who runs the quirky Lily Playhouse. There, she meets a cast of unforgettable characters—showgirls, charmers, and dreamers—who pull her into a world of glamour, joy, and occasional scandal. When a personal misstep upends her new life, Vivian learns a powerful lesson: life is too short to hide who you are or deny yourself pleasure.

Gilbert’s writing is rich with sensory detail—you’ll almost smell the theater’s old curtains and taste the cocktails shared after shows—while her exploration of female freedom and self-acceptance feels timeless. As Vivian puts it, “At some point in a woman's life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is.” For anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider, or wondered if “good” has to mean “perfect,” this book is a warm, witty, and spellbinding must-read.