Mary M. (emeraldfire) -
The year is 1966, a time of innocence, possibility, and freedom. And for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, the country, and one woman making her way in a changing world, nothing will ever be the same.
After an airless childhood in Savannah, Maureen 'Smoky' O'Donnell arrives in Atlanta, a naive young woman, dazzled and chastened by this hectic young city on the rise. Even though Smoky has to literally earn her wings as a female reporter on the staff of the male-dominated magazine, she gains membership into an intimate family of dedicated staff members headed by Matt Comfort, a flamboyant and charismatic editor who is known everywhere in the city. Her new job as a writer with the city's Downtown magazine introduces her to many unforgettable people and propels her into the center of momentous events that will irrevocably alter her heart, her career, and her world.
More than any of her previous novels, Downtown mirrors the facts of Anne Rivers Siddons' own life. She got her start as a writer for Atlanta magazine - one of America's first city magazines. Atlanta magazine was founded by Jim Townsend - a revered mentor to an entire generation of writers. The magazine was just coming to life during the exciting decade of the '60s, when Atlanta was emerging as a political center for the civil rights movement and redefining itself as the metropolis of the future. Downtown captures the energy of the city at this amazing turning point in history.
While I did enjoy this book very much, I found that it started off sort of slow for me. Although, it picked up immensely about halfway through the story and I was really drawn into the plot. However, to be totally honest, I thought that the book was about 100 to 150 pages longer than it needed to be. Overall though, Downtown was really good and I give it an A!
After an airless childhood in Savannah, Maureen 'Smoky' O'Donnell arrives in Atlanta, a naive young woman, dazzled and chastened by this hectic young city on the rise. Even though Smoky has to literally earn her wings as a female reporter on the staff of the male-dominated magazine, she gains membership into an intimate family of dedicated staff members headed by Matt Comfort, a flamboyant and charismatic editor who is known everywhere in the city. Her new job as a writer with the city's Downtown magazine introduces her to many unforgettable people and propels her into the center of momentous events that will irrevocably alter her heart, her career, and her world.
More than any of her previous novels, Downtown mirrors the facts of Anne Rivers Siddons' own life. She got her start as a writer for Atlanta magazine - one of America's first city magazines. Atlanta magazine was founded by Jim Townsend - a revered mentor to an entire generation of writers. The magazine was just coming to life during the exciting decade of the '60s, when Atlanta was emerging as a political center for the civil rights movement and redefining itself as the metropolis of the future. Downtown captures the energy of the city at this amazing turning point in history.
While I did enjoy this book very much, I found that it started off sort of slow for me. Although, it picked up immensely about halfway through the story and I was really drawn into the plot. However, to be totally honest, I thought that the book was about 100 to 150 pages longer than it needed to be. Overall though, Downtown was really good and I give it an A!
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