The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

In 1913 New York City, Laura’s family has just moved into the apartment at the New York Public Library, as her husband has just taken the position of building supervisor. It’s an unusual living situation, but it’s a great opportunity, and the Lyons family are excited to get settled in to the grand building. Laura begins taking a journalism class, and in the course of her studies, meets some of the members of a women’s group. The group meets in Greenwich Village, which seems like it’s a world away from Laura’s everyday life, and the women openly discuss things like birth control and women’s rights. Soon, Laura begins to question her role as a traditional housewife and mother. But back at the library, some important books and papers have gone missing, and Laura is forced to face her changing priorities head on, at the risk of losing everything.

80 years later, Sadie Donovan has taken a job as an archivist at the New York Public Library, and is excited to have access to her grandmother’s – Laura Lyons, famous journalist – papers. There’s so much she’d like to learn about her grandparents and their time living at the library. But as the library is preparing for a major exhibition, once again, important papers and books go missing, and unless they can be found, Sadie may lose her job.

Offering an intriguing look into what it was like to live in such an iconic space, as well as a chance to meet some of the women who would go on to make history in the women’s rights movement, this book would make a great book discussion title.