The Way of Beauty is Camille Di Maio's third book in as many years. Continuing in the vein of historical fiction, much like The Memory of Us with prewar Liverpool, and Before the Rain Falls with 1940s south Texas, The Way of Beauty explores New York City in a time when trains were the preferred way to travel, and the World Wars were gearing up to claim the lives of millions. The Situation: It is the early 1900s in New York City, and Vera Keller has received the shock of her life. Angelo Bellavia, the son of Italian immigrants and the man Vera had convinced herself she was destined to be with, has just introduced her to his new fiancee. To make matters even worse, Pearl Pilkington is not only beautiful and rich, but also gracious, driven, sweet, and committed to getting women in the US the right to vote. Despite being in love with a man she cannot have, Vera agrees to being employed by Pearl to take care of her son from a previous marriage. Fast forwards half a century later, and Vera's daughter Alice is now able to reap the benefits of what women like Pearl fought for. While already attending college classes, Alice has dreams of seeing the world, while her mother is content to not go far beyond the Hudson River. For both women, New York's Penn Station seems to remain at the center of their lives and is the scene of so many of their own crucial moments.
The Problem: Even though Vera is insistent on holding her feelings for Angelo at bay, she finds it nearly impossible not to envision what it would be like if she were his wife. Making things harder is Pearl's near-constant absence as she works with her fellow suffragettes, and Vera absolutely adores William, Pearl's son. And it would seem that Angelo may be finally seeing Vera as the woman she has become. A generation later, and it appears that Alice is caught in her own romantic predicament as she has fallen for two men. One is passionate, but a mystery. And the other is safe and warm, but comes from an entirely different world from the one Alice is used to. While she believes she loves both men, the futures they would each provide could not be more different. What is immediately obvious is that she must make a decision before she loses them both.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in New York City, mostly in and around the old Penn Station before it was demolished and became what is now Madison Square Garden. Beginning in 1900, the story starts with Vera Keller, daughter of German immigrants struggling to make it in the land of opportunity. As her story progresses, her relationship with Angelo becomes more complicated, while her friendship with Pearl only gets stronger (further complicating the issue with Angelo). As her father is one of the many men who worked to build Penn Station and the train tunnels that run through it, Vera has a certain amount of love and awe and pride for the old structure, as well as the train system as a whole. Alice adores her grandfather and knows how hard he worked, and what he suffered as a consequence, to make Penn Station possible, so she shares her mother's love for the building. But as Alice gets older, it becomes clear that cars and planes are becoming the way of the future, and trains are quickly declining in popularity. Ending with the destruction of the old Penn Station, it is the story of two women who make decisions, have regrets, and see the times change in amazing ways, all against the backdrop of New York City.
My Verdict: Though New York City is a common enough setting, the focus on Penn Station specifically was actually quite lovely. YA author John Green once said that something about trains makes you naturally feel nostalgic, and that is absolutely true, and I was not even alive to experience them at the height of their popularity in this country. I connected with Di Maio's choice of background and point in history, but I had a difficult time connecting with the character's and their stories. Honestly, I found them to be boring as well as tiresome, and the chemistry between all intended romantic partners was hard to believe. I can appreciate the early focus on the Women's Suffrage Movement, but even that at times did not seem to fit. It is clear that DiMaio has a love of history, and in this book, the old Penn Station shines as the focus. Given the setting and subject, I really hoped for more from this book, but all the parts just did not come together for me.
Favorite Moment: When Pearl unexpectedly comes to Vera's aid during a difficult moment with the latter's ailing father.
Favorite Character: William was a lovely boy who grew up to be a lovely man. As a boy he was naturally attached to Vera, the woman who took care of him the most. And even though he was taken from her at a fairly young age, he uses his incredible resources to track her down when he gets older.
Recommended Reading: The Memory of Us still remains as my favorite of Di Maio's novels.
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