5 Fabulous Minutes With: Fiona Davis
Talking about her latest novel The Spectacular.
When I first read Fiona Davis’s novel The Dollhouse several years ago, I immediately wanted to write my own work of historical fiction. The novel was set in the 1950s — my favorite time period — and it followed a small town girl with big city dreams living at the fascinating Barbizon Hotel for Women in NYC. Not only did the main character Darby capture my heart, but so have many of Fiona’s characters since. If you haven’t read The Masterpiece, a novel set in the glamorous lost art school of Grand Central Terminal, it IS a masterpiece. The Lions of Fifth Avenue is another favorite!
Today, her new novel The Spectacular comes out, and as author Kate Quinn says, “It dazzles from start to finish.” Set at Radio City Music Hall at mid-century, the story follows a frustrated suburban housewife named Marion who tries out for the Rockettes on a whim — and lands a spot on the famous kick line. But she’s taking the stage just as a series of bombings are terrorizing the city (based on real life events), and Marion begins to work with police to try to catch the bomber. What a page-turner!
Fiona stopped by to talk about the new book with us! See the Q & A below. (Also, can I just quickly say that Fiona is an incredibly KIND and GENEROUS author who has been so supportive of me and my books over the last couple of years!) Thank you, Fiona! xo Now let’s launch into the questions:
What is the most fascinating thing you learned about Radio City Music Hall in your research?
I was surprised to learn how tough it is to be a Rockette, doing four shows a day (this was in the 1950s, when the book is set), which means 600 kicks per day, for three or four weeks straight before finally getting a week off. But having to work so hard meant the dancers really bonded, and I loved hearing from the Rockettes I interviewed about how much they treasured their time on the Radio City Music Hall stage, and the life-long friends they made while dancing there.
Which part of the book was most challenging to write and why?
The hardest part was writing about being a dancer, which is way out of my wheelhouse. But I was lucky enough to interview a dozen women about their careers in dance, and they all spoke so eloquently about the challenges and joys that it made it easy for me to transfer that onto the page.
How does this novel differ from your previous ones when it comes to character, story arc, etc.
This story has some romance and mystery, which all of my books do, but it also has a bit of a thriller element to it, as my main character, Marion, gets caught up in the hunt for a madman who's been setting bombs in iconic New York City buildings (based on the real-life Mad Bomber of that era).
From Brooke: A thriller, too! I can’t wait to see how you pulled that off. It’s so fascinating to think that there was a Mad Bomber (!!) — reminds me of the way “the sniper” terrorized the DC area years ago.
If you could pinpoint one scene in the book that you think is most interesting/exciting/intriguing to read, which would it be -- and a quick why?
I would say the audition scene, where Marion has to really dig deep in order to land the job. And that's just the start of her journey!
From Brooke: I can’t even imagine auditioning to be a Rockette back then. You weren’t exactly judged for your intellect. Standing there you must feel so self-conscious and under the microscope even if it’s your dream to be in the show. I’m excited to see how you dug into her character at that moment.
Thanks so much for coming by! Stay tuned for interviews with more fabulous authors. Also, which of Fiona Davis’s books have you enjoyed most?
I read and loved The Address and can't wait to read The Spectacular. It sounds, well...spectacular. :-)