Listen free for 30 days
-
The Chelsea Girls
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter, Hillary Huber
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £25.69
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Masterpiece
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this latest captivating novel, New York Times best-selling author Fiona Davis takes listeners into the glamorous lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, where two very different women, 50 years apart, strive to make their mark on a world set against them. For most New Yorkers, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different. For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future. It is 1928, and Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art.
-
-
Another lovely historical NY tale from Fiona Davis
- By S. Jones on 07-09-18
-
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett, Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn't ask for more out of life - her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open.
-
-
An enjoyable book
- By Hannah Lambert on 15-03-21
-
The Address
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibility - no mean feat for a servant in 1884. The opportunity to move to America. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. And the opportunity to see more of Theo, who understands Sara like no one else...and is living in the Dakota with his wife and three young children.
-
-
Loved it!!
- By A.Stewart on 26-08-17
-
The Magnolia Palace
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, 21-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge
-
-
Frick Magic
- By Kindle Customer on 05-06-22
-
The Long Path Home
- By: Ellen Lindseth
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1944, Chicago. From desperate small-town teen to star of the burlesque circuit, Violet Ernte has survived tough choices and more than one reinvention. Now, framed for an underworld murder, she has one way out: agree to keep Marcie, a reckless USO showgirl and mobster's daughter, on the straight and narrow. Vi's new act: play innocent ingenue and join the all-American song-and-dance troupe bound for overseas to a war-torn Italy.
-
The Show Girl
- A Novel
- By: Nicola Harrison
- Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more - even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.
-
The Masterpiece
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this latest captivating novel, New York Times best-selling author Fiona Davis takes listeners into the glamorous lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, where two very different women, 50 years apart, strive to make their mark on a world set against them. For most New Yorkers, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different. For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future. It is 1928, and Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art.
-
-
Another lovely historical NY tale from Fiona Davis
- By S. Jones on 07-09-18
-
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett, Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn't ask for more out of life - her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open.
-
-
An enjoyable book
- By Hannah Lambert on 15-03-21
-
The Address
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibility - no mean feat for a servant in 1884. The opportunity to move to America. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. And the opportunity to see more of Theo, who understands Sara like no one else...and is living in the Dakota with his wife and three young children.
-
-
Loved it!!
- By A.Stewart on 26-08-17
-
The Magnolia Palace
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, 21-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge
-
-
Frick Magic
- By Kindle Customer on 05-06-22
-
The Long Path Home
- By: Ellen Lindseth
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1944, Chicago. From desperate small-town teen to star of the burlesque circuit, Violet Ernte has survived tough choices and more than one reinvention. Now, framed for an underworld murder, she has one way out: agree to keep Marcie, a reckless USO showgirl and mobster's daughter, on the straight and narrow. Vi's new act: play innocent ingenue and join the all-American song-and-dance troupe bound for overseas to a war-torn Italy.
-
The Show Girl
- A Novel
- By: Nicola Harrison
- Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more - even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.
-
The Last Dance of the Debutante
- By: Julia Kelly
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsy to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society. In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women.
-
The Christmas Eve Letter
- By: Elyse Douglas
- Narrated by: Madeleine Dauer
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty-year-old Eve Sharland is browsing a Pennsylvania antique store when she discovers an old brass lantern tucked away on a shelf. She picks it up and sees something behind one of the sooty glass panes. To her surprise, she finds an unopened letter stuck inside. The letter is postmarked December 24, 1885, and it is addressed to Evelyn Sharland in New York City. Eve gasps and drops the letter. That's her name!
-
-
Sooooo drawn out and boring
- By C. Davey on 02-08-20
-
The Girl in White Gloves
- A Novel of Grace Kelly
- By: Kerri Maher
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grace knows what people see. She’s the Cinderella story. An icon of glamor and elegance frozen in dazzling Technicolor. The picture of perfection. The girl in white gloves. But behind the lens, beyond the panoramic views of glistening Mediterranean azure, she knows the truth. The sacrifices it takes for an unappreciated girl from Philadelphia to defy her family and become the reigning queen of the screen
-
Stepping Stone
- By: Karin Kallmaker
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Motion picture producer Selena Ryan has the impossible: Fame and fortune and her integrity. Her reputation for playing fair in an industry rife with games has earned her respect from other producers, writers, and actors. She's learned the lesson that plenty of people would like to use her to get what they want - a starring role or some other way into the movies. Burned badly by actress Jennifer Lamont, who used her and left her with a devastating aftermath, she's wary of everyone related to the industry.
-
-
Slow to start, quick to finish. Enjoyable.
- By Alex on 17-03-22
-
Atomic Love
- By: Jennie Fields
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rosalind Porter has always defied expectations - in her work as a physicist on the Manhattan Project to design the atomic bomb and in her passionate love affair with coworker Thomas Wheeler. Five years after the end of both, her guilt over the results of her work and her heartbreak over Wheeler are intertwined. She has almost succeeded in resigning herself to a more conventional life. Then Wheeler gets back in touch - but so does the FBI. Agent Charlie Szydlo wants Rosalind to spy on Wheeler, whom the FBI suspects of selling nuclear secrets to Russia.
-
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba
- By: Chanel Cleeton
- Narrated by: Frankie Corzo, Holly Linneman, Rebecca Soler
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of the 19th century, three revolutionary women fight for freedom in New York Times best-selling author Chanel Cleeton's captivating new novel inspired by real-life events and the true story of a legendary Cuban woman - Evangelina Cisneros - who changed the course of history. A feud rages in Gilded Age New York City between newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
-
The Plot
- By: Irving Wallace
- Narrated by: Eric Bryan Moore
- Length: 38 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you were in a position of authority and these five came to you at the life-and-death Summit Conference in Paris with the incredible details of The Plot, would you believe any one of them?
-
The Lost Vintage
- A Novel
- By: Ann Mah
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sweetbitter meets The Nightingale in this pause-resisting novel about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy and unexpectedly uncovers a lost diary, an unknown relative, and a secret her family has been keeping since World War II. To become one of only a few hundred certified wine experts in the world, Kate must pass the notoriously difficult Master of Wine examination. She’s failed twice before; her third attempt will be her last chance.
-
-
Wine ,war and life in France
- By Sigrin on 17-12-18
-
Park Avenue Summer
- By: Renée Rosen
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur, Renée Rosen
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York City is filled with opportunities for single girls like Alice Weiss, who leaves her small Midwestern town to chase her big-city dreams and unexpectedly lands a job working for the first female editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown. For Alice, who wants to be a photographer, it seems like the perfect foot in the door, but nothing could have prepared her for the world she enters.
-
The Fugitives
- By: Jamal Mahjoub
- Narrated by: Ahmed Hamad
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Kamanga Kings, a Khartoum jazz band of yesteryear, is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime when a surprise letter arrives inviting them to perform in Washington, DC. The only problem is...the band no longer exists. Rushdy is a disaffected secondary school teacher and the son of an original Kamanga King. Determined to see a life beyond his own home, he sets out to revive the band. Aided by his unreliable best friend, all too soon an unlikely group are on their way, knowing the eyes of their country are on them.
-
Chateau of Secrets: A Novel
- By: Melanie Dobson
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; 70 years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past. Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France. But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well.
-
All the Gin Joints
- The Hollywood Home Front Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Martin Turnbull
- Narrated by: James Romick
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Luke Valenti has never fit into his swaggering family of overbearing loudmouths. Even worse, the world is at war again and Uncle Sam has stamped his draft notice “4-F” - the ultimate rejection - because of a rare eye condition that has left Luke unable to see colors. So instead, he dreams of escaping Brooklyn for the beaches of Montauk. That is, until a stolen prop from "The Maltese Falcon" pitches him down a reluctant path to Hollywood. Luke is tasked with returning it to Warner Brothers.
Summary
The bright lights of the theater district, the glamour and danger of 1950s New York, and the wild scene at the iconic Chelsea Hotel come together in a dazzling new novel about the 20-year friendship that will irrevocably change two women's lives - from the New York Times best-selling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue.
From the dramatic redbrick facade to the sweeping staircase dripping with art, the Chelsea Hotel has long been New York City's creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, and poets who have called it home - a scene playwright Hazel Riley and actress Maxine Mead are determined to use to their advantage. Yet they soon discover that the greatest obstacle to putting up a show on Broadway has nothing to do with their art and everything to do with politics.
A red scare is sweeping across America, and Senator Joseph McCarthy has started a witch hunt for communists, with those in the entertainment industry in the crosshairs. As the pressure builds to name names, it is more than Hazel and Maxine's Broadway dreams that may suffer as they grapple with the terrible consequences, but also their livelihood, their friendship, and even their freedom.
Spanning from the 1940s to the 1960s, The Chelsea Girls deftly pulls back the curtain on the desperate political pressures of McCarthyism, the complicated bonds of female friendship, and the siren call of the uninhibited Chelsea Hotel.
Critic reviews
"A spell-binding tale of a decades-long friendship between two talented women, presented against a backdrop of political conspiracy, infused with the glamour of Hollywood and Broadway, and set in that ramshackle headquarters of New York bohemia, the iconic Chelsea Hotel. In Chelsea Girls, the spirits of America’s mid-century arts scene rise up to frolic again. Brava!" (Sherill Tippins, author of Inside the Dream Palace: The Life and Times of New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel)
“The glitz and glamour of the Chelsea Hotel provides a perfect backdrop for Davis's story of friendship, ambition and behind-the-scenes theatrical intrigue. Hazel and Maxine are complex characters struggling with conflicting questions of loyalty, love and professional success in a turbulent time. Their story is both a sharp-eyed commentary on female friendship and a vivid glimpse into the life of a New York City icon.” (Shelf Awareness)
"Featuring vibrant, witty characters who not only weather but thrive in a dark period of American history, Davis’s tale of one friendship’s strength will stun and satisfy readers.” (Publishers Weekly)
More from the same
What listeners say about The Chelsea Girls
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Elle Loves The World
- 05-08-19
If you liked City of Girls this one is for you!
As a fan of Fiona Davis and a lover of New York City, I was excited to read her newest release! This book also mainly takes place in one timeline unlike the others! Although entertaining, the characters and storyline needed more balance.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rai
- 06-08-19
Fear, Foes and Friendship
I truly loved this novel. I don’t usually write reviews, but this seemed worth the while. The characters are well-developed, leaving you rooting for them despite flaws and mishaps. The author transports you to the McCarthy Era, and you’re awakened to the period - from the dialogue, culture, and idiosyncrasies to the feelings of joy, love, pain, indecision, and loss. Definitely worth the credit.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Smiles
- 30-12-20
Narrator’s Annoying Voice
The book is terrific and well research. I just cannot listen to the narrator. Her voice is like chalk scratching a blackboard.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Russell Ricard
- 25-09-19
Like a radio play. Great voice actors in the roles
Fiona Davis’ The Chelsea Girls is a fantastic read. Historical fiction told from multiple points of view following the friendship arc of two women who meet as U.S.O. performers, and all that transpires between them until the late-1960s. Primary focus is set in the politics and sometime absurdities of post WWII NYC’s Broadway theater world, California’s film industry, and the larger politics of the United States at the time. And, yes, Greenwich Village’s Hotel Chelsea figures prominently into the story. Davis explores the challenges of loyalties toward the self and others. Issues of sexism, women’s empowerment, blacklisting/blackmailing, and the McCarthy era witch hunts arise, including historical figures from the theater (realistically depicted quirky folks), and political figures such as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn who make appearances. A well crafted tale of mystery, intrigue, charm, and dramatic action channeled through in depth and entertaining characters. Ultimately, though, this is a powerful story of friendship. ***Top notch voice narration from both actors***
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gerry C.
- 10-10-20
Wonderful!
Didn’t think I was going to enjoy this for the first 15 minutes but then I didn’t want to stop listening! Excellent book!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anna
- 01-10-20
Quite the surprise!
The book was very enjoyable and with quite the unexpected turn! Also not what I expected. But this is one of many Fiona Davis books I have read and she did not disappoint. I did take a star away as it did seem to drag on in places.
It had me googling more information on the Chelsea Hotel, which for me is always a sign of a good HF book.
Narration was very well done.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- catiesmom2
- 01-12-21
The Chelsea Girls
Davis did an amazing job revealing the devastation of the arts world in the USA during the Commie hunt era. That was fascinating. I knew of residential hotels before. And enjoyed her description of the Chelsea.
The voices were annoying.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Teresa
- 08-12-19
Great wartime and entertainment history '40s-'60s
I thoroughly loved the characters and Fiona Davis' descriptive way of writing, although this was not at the top of my favorites list. Having said that, I enjoy her writing so much and will still swarm to read/listen to the next book she puts out! This is a great story, steeped in historical events from the wartime '40s through the uninhibited '60s. It gave me additional insight into the Red Scare witch hunt that I didn't learn, or maybe retain, from history class as well as the entertainment business of the time periods. This is a book worth reading!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Etoile NEOhio
- 25-06-22
Kept my attention
Well written book about the friendship between Maxine and Hazel who met acting In a USO show in Italy during WWII. They both end up later living through the years of the McCarthy era in NYC at The Chelsea Hotel. Plot twists you don't see coming and that I won't give away.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ava Madigan
- 27-05-22
Entertaining, historical, artistic
I loved learning about this time period. The story and setting were fascinating, the characters complex. I didn’t know expect all of the twists and turns. I love reading stories with female empowerment.