City of Light

Author:

Lauren Belfer is an accomplished writer currently living in New York City. She decided that she wanted to write when she was six years old and by high school, she was able to brag that she had sent her work to some of the best publications. The fact that it was rejected didn’t slow her down. She majored in medieval studies at Swarthmore College and earned a masters in fine arts from Columbia University. She published this as her first book, City of Light in 1999 and it went on to be recognized by New York Times and Library Journal and was translated into six different languages. Belfer published books in 2010, 2016, and 2022 with her most recent novel titled Ashton Hall.

Learn more about the author below:

https://laurenbelfer.com/about-the-author/

Three words to describe this read:

Expressive- I really enjoy the way that Belfer writes. She is able to capture feelings and moments in time with her words which is truly an art. There were parts of the book where I sensed that she wanted to continue to develop that moment for the sake of the emotion behind the scene regardless of whether it directly impacted the plot.

Hopeful- Belfer made me believe on several occasions that the main character, Louisa, would finally break free of her stiff persona and embrace something new. There were a lot of possibilities for her, but none of them panned out the way that I imagined they might.

Dissatisfying- The end of the story was unexpected and left me wondering whether the story impacted any of the characters in a meaningful way. Fortunately after some consideration, I concluded that it did in fact have a lasting impact on the people in the story, even if it wasn’t the dramatic change that I had hoped or expected.

Quote:

"And when I rise in the gray shadows of dawn, a cooling breeze coming through the open window, my hair flowing around me, my nightdress loose, my body warm beneath it, I gaze in the mirror and see myself for what I am: a woman of feeling, desire, even beauty. Then step by step I create the person I must be: The warm, free body becomes corseted and covered with a high-collared navy-blue dress; the flowing hair is twisted into a tight bun; sturdy shoes take the place of bare feet. What do I hide? My joy, my memories, my dreams of those I've loved and what they might have been, my mind harkening back to the time when I knew them still."

This is just part of the introduction on the very first page of the book and I knew right away that I would enjoy reading this type of writing. Belfer really does have a way of creating an entire mood with her words and I, for the most part, really enjoyed slipping into the life of the main character, Louisa Barrett. While her story and secrets were obviously specific and unique, I think she is mostly relatable, especially in this moment when she discusses putting on an act of the person you're expected to be.