Book Beginnings: The Dollhouse

The Dollhouse, by Fiona Davis (Dutton, August 2016). These are the book's first lines:

New York City, 2016 

She'd forgotten the onions.
After all of the preparation, the lists, the running out of work early to finish shopping and buy everything she needed for their special dinner, Rose had forgotten a key risotto ingredient.

About the Book:

"Fiona Davis’s stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City’s glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side-by-side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success in the 1950s, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon’s glitzy past."

Initial Thoughts:

Well, I have several thoughts.

First -- Been there. This sounds exactly like something I'd do -- except I always have onions on hand. I'd probably forget the rice.

Also -- This was an ARC; I've had it on the "up next" list for a couple of months now, and feel very guilty about that. So I've moved it up to the top of the pile.

And -- I remember reading about the Barbizon Hotel in women's magazines when I was a teenager, but that would have been a bit later than the period the book is set in. Close enough to catch my interest, though.

Finally -- I love risotto! But I would never attempt cooking it. Especially not for a "special dinner."

Oh, and one more -- don't you just love that outfit she's wearing on the cover?

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.