by Paulina Bren tells some of the juicy secrets that make up the storied past of the Barbizon Hotel in New York. The female-only hotel opened in the 1920s during Prohibition and by the 1980s its role as the “safe haven” for young women in New York was all but obsolete. But, in between, it was home to ambitious young women like Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, Grace Kelly, and Candace Bergen, along with dozens of other aspiring writers, actors, models, and other young professionals. Bren’s account tells stories of the Barbizon’s residents while also charting the way women’s roles in society changed over the decades. A fascinating and fun read. (Non-Fiction)