Reading: THE CHELSEA GIRLS - Fiona Davis

This was my first time reading bestselling novelist Davis (The Address, The Dollhouse), known for centering complex fictional stories around iconic addresses or buildings - her newest novel wonderfully showcasing the infamous bohemian haven for artists known as The Chelsea Hotel in New York City. The Chelsea Girls opens with Hazel's arrival in Naples, Italy in what would be the final months of WWII. A young woman from a theatrical family trying to find her own place in the theater, Hazel has joined the USO tour to escape the understudy hell she found herself trapped in, in New York - and soon meets the loud, flamboyant leader of her small theatrical group of USO ladies, Maxine. Hazel resents Maxine at first, even while sort of envying the woman her boldness and seeming lack of fear, and the two become friends, Maxine soon regaling the more naive Hazel with tales of her stay at The Chelsea Hotel back in her own New York days, making the place sound almost magical to the girl. Flash-forward to post-war New York in 1950, and though Maxine has ventured to California Hazel finds herself a little smothered by the memory of her more outgoing, talented older brother - killed during the war - via her mother, who always favored Ben. After an argument with mom, Hazel decides to break away for a few days' reprieve, remembering Maxine's story of the infamous Chelsea - and indeed, Hazel's arrival there, the reader's introduction to the hotel, is so beautifully written the hotel becomes a character in the novel, as well. It's no wonder that, even though Hazel does make up with her mother, she remains where she is, calling The Chelsea her new home even as the hotel seems to direct Hazel- at last - to her real passion: writing. But things are not entirely at peace in New York - in America - as Senator Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt for communist sympathizers grows in momentum from Los Angeles, eventually heading east as Hazel's hard work pays off in her play's mounting of a Broadway production ... just as Maxine, now a fairly famous film star from Hollywood, arrives back in New York and into Hazel's life as its potential star. Much of The Chelsea Girls deals with the blacklist and its aftermath; the lives, careers, and artistic works destroyed by the winds of fear-mongering and hate in the wake of the red scare. And while my own love for New York made the city and The Chelsea leap from nearly every page in this well-written novel, I just couldn't seem to emotionally connect with either Maxine, or especially Hazel, on a level necessary to be fully engaged in the story - which, I think, is why I was unable to fully suspend disbelief enough for certain twists and turns in the plot that (at least initially) seemed too convenient or unrealistic. As the story builds toward its climax, however, I was able to "buy into" the plot points a lot more (thanks to Davis's strong writing skills), by the end coming to a better understanding of the complexities of the friendship between Hazel and Maxine - but still wish I'd felt more bonded to either/both of these women, who for me never fully leapt to living, breathing life off the page. A wonderfully-written, meticulously-researched novel - also a worthy homage to New York City theater and The Chelsea itself - where maybe some more backstory, or time spent with Hazel and Maxine in their earlier years, might have left me more emotionally invested in their story.  3/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.