Inthiscaptivatingnovel,NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorFionaDavistakesreadersintotheglamorouslostartschoolwithinGrandCentralTerminal,wheretwoverydifferentwomen,fiftyyearsapart,strivetomaketheirmarkonaworldsetagainstthem.FormostNewYorkers,GrandCentralTerminalisacrownjewel,amasterpieceofdesign.ButforClaraDardenandVirginiaClay,itrepresentssomethingquitedifferent.ForClara,theterminalisthesteppingstonetoherfuture.Itis1928,andClaraisteachingatthelaudedGrandCentralSchoolofArt.Thoughnoteventheprestigeoftheschoolcanoverridethepublic’sdisdainfora“womanartist,“fieryClaraissingle-mindedinherquesttoachieveeverycreativesuccess--evenwhilejugglingtheaffectionsoftwoverydifferentmen.Butsheandherbohemianfriendshavenoideathatthey’llsoonbeblindsidedbytheloomingGreatDepression...andthatevenpovertyandhungerwilldolittletoprepareClaraforthegreatertragedyyettocome.By1974,theterminalhasdeclinedalmostassharplyasVirginiaClay’slife.Dilapidatedanddangerous,GrandCentralisatthecenterofafiercelawsuit:Istheonce-grandbuildingalandmarktobepreserved,oracancertobedemolished?ForVirginia,itissimplyherlastresort.Recentlydivorced,shehasjustacceptedajobintheinformationboothinordertosupportherselfandhercollege-agedaughter,Ruby.ButwhenVirginiastumblesuponanabandonedartschoolwithintheterminalanddiscoversastrikingwatercolor,hereyesareopenedtotheelegancebeneaththedecay.Sheembarksonaquesttofindtheartistoftheunsignedmasterpiece--animpassionedchasethatdrawsVirginianotonlyintothebattletosaveGrandCentralbutdeepintothemysteryofClaraDarden,thefamed1920sillustratorwhodisappearedfromhistoryin1931.
