The Barbizon tells the story of a hotel’s fascinating history, from its conception and the tenement laws that lead to its design in the 1920s through its end as condominiums. The story focuses on the hotel’s impact on the women who walked through its halls and chronicles changes in the outside world around women’s rights and societal expectations. Famous guests who passed through the doors are a prime focus with names such as Titanic survivor Molly Brown, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, authors Sylvia Plath and Meg Wolitzer, movie star Rita Hayworth and so many more.
I recommend this title to anyone who loves nonfiction, the guests who graced the halls of the Barbizon and those who are hoping for something to go back in time.
Tiffany White is a librarian at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury.
Find more to read at washcolib.org.
