Historical Romance swirls with color and passion in Tiffany
Girl by Deeanne Gist just as vibrant as the pattern in a real Tiffany Lamp. In
flashback, our story lays the groundwork for us to meet and understand the motivation
behind the main characters. There is something tender, poignant and very real
about them. Something that reminds us of the things we struggle with or fear
might happen to ourselves like loss of job, an accident that might hurt someone
we love, embarrassing moments, getting swindled, being naïve and gullible.
Flossie Jayne yearns to go to college to study art. An only
child, her parents have spoiled her and given her most anything she has wanted;
but now her life is about to change. She jumps at a temporary opportunity to
work for Mr. Tiffany on his Chapel Display for the Chicago World’s Fair and
moves out to a boarding house on her own so that she can keep her earnings. We all need to mature and gain experience but that is so often painful as Flossie discovers.
At the Boarding House where Flossie finds a room we meet her
fellow tenants among them, Reeve Wilder, a newspaper reporter. Reeve prefers
his daily routine and minding his own business to Flossie’s bubbly personality
and penchant to stir things up.
Ms. Gist’s novel carries us into the late 1800’s as women
are challenging the culture by leaving traditional roles and becoming "new women"
taking charge of their futures and destinies in what has been predominantly a
man’s world. Her descriptions of the art, early photographic technique, architecture, and stain glass production are
detailed. We experience, first hand, life in a boarding house, travel on trolley
cars with disrespectful men known as “bustle pinchers”, and the daily struggles young women dealt with in late nineteenth century life.
Reeve irritated me, at first, because he
seemed so heartless and cruel to Flossie. Then, later he seems to mature and
accept her flaws as strengths, after all; and finally recognizes the way she
tried to draw him out as making him better in the long run. He helps Flossie to grow and mature out of
her naivety as he points out her error in trusting everyone and her
inexperience in the ways of the world. He tries to protect her even as he
strives to remain aloof.
Tiffany Girl reveals that true love takes
our worst parts and makes us better and our best parts and makes us shine. That
two people are merely two parts of a puzzle that fit. We can relate to Flossie
because we all desire to belong, to be wanted. Some of us can relate to Reeve
because we suffer from loneliness and self-imposed isolation.
You’ll cry when Reeve lets go and reaches
out for family and you’ll laugh with Flossie at Reeve’s reason for falling in
love with her. But most of all, you’ll feel the sweet exquisite tension
undulating between them while doing the waltz steps for Mr. Holiday’s
phenakistoscope. This is one of the most romantic scenes ever.
Tiffany Girl is a complex story revolving
around two intricate characters. What happens is what can happen to all us when
we are striving to grow and learn and live and love in a world full
of harsh reality. Can Reeve and Flossie find the piece of the puzzle that fits
them together? Can they find forgiveness for themselves and each other and
learn to accept what they cannot change and accept that some change can be for
the better? Home and family are ultimately what is important to both hero and
heroine regardless of how they view themselves and how they blend or don't
blend with the culture of their day.
I can’t say enough about this Five out of
Five star novel—A must Read—A must for your keeper shelf. I received this book
from the author’s publisher for an honest review and it is all that!
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