The Manhattan Girls: A Novel of Dorothy Parker and Her Friends

Written by Gill Paul

Narrated by Lisa Flanagan

It’s a 1920s version of Sex and the City, as Dorothy Parker—one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen—and her three friends navigate life, love, and careers in New York City. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis, Beatriz Williams, and Renée Rosen.

NEW YORK CITY 1921: The war is over, fashions are daring, and bootleg liquor is abundant. Here four extraordinary women form a bridge group that grows into a firm friendship.

Dorothy Parker: renowned wit, member of the Algonquin Round Table, and more fragile than she seems. Jane Grant: first female reporter for the New York Times, and determined to launch a new magazine she calls The New Yorker. Winifred Lenihan: beautiful and talented Broadway actress, a casting-couch target. And Peggy Leech: magazine assistant by day, brilliant novelist by night. 

Their romances flourish and falter while their goals sometimes seem impossible to reach and their friendship deepens against the backdrop of turbulent New York City, where new speakeasies open and close, jazz music flows through the air, and bathtub gin fills their glasses. 

They gossip, they comfort each other, and they offer support through the setbacks. But their biggest challenge is keeping their dear friend Dottie safe from herself.

In this brilliant new novel from the bestselling and acclaimed author of Jackie and Maria and The Secret Wife, readers will fall right into Jazz Age New York and into the inner lives of these groundbreaking, influential women.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063161771

Gill Paul

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a book-club favourite worldwide. She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects. She lives in London and swims year-round in a wild pond.

Reviews for The Manhattan Girls

[micareads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in the 1920s, four women develop a friendship that will see them through some of their worst and best times. Dottie Parker is known for her sarcasm and biting wit and believes herself to be strong and untouchable but discovers that is not the case when her husband decides they need some time apart and she falls head over heels in love with a playboy. As her world falls apart, she depends on her friendships with Jane Grant, the first female journalist for the New York Times, Winifred Lenihan, a Broadway actress, and Peggy Leach, an award-winning novelist. During this story, each woman goes through their own traumas and achievements and learns that sometimes friends are the only people you can count on. Gill Paul's books always take me on an adventure. They are nice slow burns for me because each character has their own detailed storyline. Dorothy Parker was the only one of the women in this book that I had heard of and I found her story to be extremely sad and heartbreaking. The other women I had not heard of looked forward to learning more about their stories. This book tells a beautiful story about life and the value of friendship.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Four things I am wiser to know: idleness, sorrow, a friend and a foe.” -Dorothy ParkerThe Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul is based on four well known women of 1920’s New York City; Dorothy Parker, a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a poet and writer known for her sharp wit; Jane Grant, reporter and cofounder of the The New Yorker magazine; broadway actress Winifred Lenihan; and novelist Peggy Leech; and tells the story of the friendship that sustained them during a particular period of their lives.When the men of the Algonquin Round Table decide to form a Saturday night poker club, Jane Grant suggests some of the women instead meet for Bridge, inviting Dottie, Peggy and Winnie to join her. The game, hosted round robin style, quickly becomes a lifeline for the four women as they exchange confidences, hopes, failures and hardships, and provide each other with encouragement and support when it’s needed. From what I’m able to tell, Paul draws heavily on public records and other factual sources that inform the characters personality’s and events in the novel. While the line between fact and fiction is blurred, Gill’s portrayal of these women, and their relationships, feels genuine. Though this is very much a character driven novel as the friends face challenges in their personal and professional lives, Gill touches on several serious issues that affect the women, including sexism, self-harm, domestic violence, sexual assault, abortion, gambling, and alcoholism.Gill ably conveys the spirit of the Roaring Twenties in New York City, capturing the hedonism among the ‘arts’ crowd, epitomised by the notorious members of the Algonquin Round Table, and the changes in society brought about by the end of WWI, the introduction of Prohibition, and the increasing opportunities for women.Well-written, I enjoyed The Manhattan Girls as a story that explores friendship, loyalty and ambition, and as a glimpse into the private lives of four women whose influence on the arts lingers a century later.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book, but I struggled a bit to get through certain parts of this novel - Dorothy or Dottie Parker attempts suicide twice and struggles with depression throughout. Still, she makes it through with a little help from her friends - Jane (who helps start The New Yorker magazine with her husband Harold), Peggy (novelist), and Winifred (actress). All of these women have remarkable careers in 1920s New York and a social life centered on the arts and literature scene. Overall, a great read, but some parts can be a little hard to read.