The Lions of Fifth Avenue, by Fiona Davis

 

Characters
1913, 1914, 1918	1993
Laura Lyons Jack – husband, library superintendent, author Harry – son Pearl – daughter   Lions – Leo Astor and Leo Lenox   Mr. Anderson – library director   Mr. Gaillard – library detective   Thefts: Leaves of Grass – first edition Tamerlane, by Poe Two other books   Columbia Journalism School Professor Wakeman – advisor, plagiarized work   Miss Quinn – Laura’s secretary starting in 1935   Dr. Amelia Potter   Heterodoxy Club   Red Paddy – boy Harry skipping school with, steals and resells valuable books   Max Eastman – editor of “The Masses,” publish Laura’s articles giving her full editorial control	Sadie Donovan – works in library on Berg Collection Exhibit “Evergreen” Pearl – mother   Lonnie – brother, doctor LuAnn – wife Valentina – daughter Robin - nanny   Lions – Patience and Fortitude   Dr. Humphrey Hooper – library director Claude – works at library with Sadie Marlene Jenkinson – Berg Collection curator, took post in Boston Mr. Babenko – Binding and Processing Dept.   Thefts: Virginia Woolf diary – last one before death The Scarlett Letter – first edition Title page from The First Folios, by Shakespeare Jane Eyre – one volume of three   Nick Adriano – consultant about thefts   Mrs. Hillary Quinn – Laura’s former secretary, burned Laura’s papers as directed   Mr. Jones-Ebbing – library board of directors   Harry Lyons

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from paperback edition.

Laura’s story:

1.       Did you think it was a good idea for Laura to write the story about the Heterodoxy Club for a school assignment?  Did you have a premonition about what would happen?   Should Laura have been wiser? She knew that he had stolen ideas from other students (page 234).

2.       Was it partly Laura’s fault that Harry had skipped school for two months and she did not know?

3.       Given the time period, 1913-1914, was it unrealistic for Laura to think she would be able to have her own interests and career? 

4.       Did you understand why Harry burned Jack’s manuscript?  He saw Jack grab Laura’s arm and her saying it hurt, and also her telling him, “You love that book more than any of us.  Even when Harry was sick, you still crept away to edit” (page 277).

5.       Four years after Jack’s death Laura, found Harry.  He did not know that his father was dead or what happened. When Laura asked him to come home with her, he said “I have no home” (page 318).  Was there anything she could have done or said to change his decision?

6.       How well did the author present the relationship between Amelia Potter and Laura?   Was that a little progressive for the times or just right?  What did it add to Laura’s character development?

7.       When you read the last section of Laura’ story, chapter 26, did you want to know more?

8.       Why do you think Laura had her secretary, Miss Quinn, burn all of her papers when she died?   Do you think Miss Quinn should have followed her wishes?

Sadie’s story:

9.       Do you think Sadie should have told the others at the library and Nick about her family’s past and how she was connected to the library?

10.   Did Harry’s story after the trial help you understand his actions any better?  He told Sadie, “Red Paddy – the gang leader – threatened my family if I stopped stealing books for him” (page 347). 

11.   Were you surprised with the connection between Robin and Harry?   When he had turned his life around, why do you think he teamed up with her and shared all the information about how to get around the safe guards in the library?

12.   Sadie realized “she was more willing to forgive her uncle than Robin, even though they had both done terrible things.  Yet Harry had tried to atone for his actions by fostering a love of reading in customers and kids from tough circumstances, while Robin allowed reading to bring joy to her life, and then embarked on a crime spree that would take that love away from others” (page 349).  Do you understand her reasoning and do you think she was correct?   Would others agree with her?

Both stories:

13.   Before reading this in the story, did you know how valuable manuscripts were protected and kept safe while still allowing access to them?

14.   Did you enjoy one part of the book more than the other?  Why?

15.   How was your reading experience?  Did you like the format of switching back and forth between the two stories?

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