Cartier's Hope by MJ Rose
The "hope" in the title refers to the Hope Diamond, a fabulous diamond long associated with bad luck. The story is set in NYC in the early 1900s and features a woman named Vera/Vee who is leading a double life as both a member of high society (Vera) and an undercover reporter (Vee), investigating tenements, child labor and other abuses of the day.
Vera's father owns a successful department store in the city. When he dies, she finds out a secret about his life and vows to get revenge on the man she feels is responsible for his death. Which leads to her relationship with a Russian jeweler working at Cartier, the jewelry store that has brought the Hope Diamond to America. There was an undercurrent of feminism throughout the story as Vee and her fellow female reporters fight for better pay and the chance to work on better stories. I did think that Vera seemed a little too "modern" for the times in some parts of the book. But the author seems to have done a lot of research so maybe not.
It was an interesting story though the tone veered from romance novel (the scenes with Vera and the Russian jeweler) to historical novel (the scene with the women's march and arrest) to family saga (Vera's fractious relationship with her mother), which took some getting used to. But it was an enlightening look at a different time and Vera was a compelling character.
Vera's father owns a successful department store in the city. When he dies, she finds out a secret about his life and vows to get revenge on the man she feels is responsible for his death. Which leads to her relationship with a Russian jeweler working at Cartier, the jewelry store that has brought the Hope Diamond to America. There was an undercurrent of feminism throughout the story as Vee and her fellow female reporters fight for better pay and the chance to work on better stories. I did think that Vera seemed a little too "modern" for the times in some parts of the book. But the author seems to have done a lot of research so maybe not.
It was an interesting story though the tone veered from romance novel (the scenes with Vera and the Russian jeweler) to historical novel (the scene with the women's march and arrest) to family saga (Vera's fractious relationship with her mother), which took some getting used to. But it was an enlightening look at a different time and Vera was a compelling character.
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