The Lions of Fifth Avenue

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-9

Chapters 10-14

Chapters 15-19

Chapters 20-24

Chapters 25-28

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 15-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 15 Summary

On her way home from school, Laura encounters Amelia in Bryant Park. Amelia tells her that she’s missed “having my cub reporter by my side” (188), a sentiment that gives Laura a thrill. She asks for Laura’s help in publicizing the police crackdown on the church protest, but Laura argues she’s just a student who can’t do much. Amelia then tells Laura that she and Jessie broke up, and finds Laura’s flippant response—“On to the next girlfriend, then?” (190)—patronizing. Laura realizes she’s lost her objectivity; she tells herself that her feelings for Amelia are just a “crush,” and that she just sees her as something she can’t have. She resolves to keep their relationship platonic.

Inside the library, Jack reveals that an agent is interested in his manuscript; he also reports that two more books have been stolen, but since his keys were taken, he’s not a suspect. That night, Laura reads his book and finds it “splendid.”

At the next Heterodoxy Club meeting, Laura is struck by the speaker’s powerful essay and wonders if she’d rather write opinion pieces instead of just reporting objectively. For now, her thesis must adhere to Dr. Wakeman’s criteria, and he finds her first draft “impressive.” That night, she finishes the final draft, ending on a note that reflects her personal passion for the subject. Three weeks later, she enters Wakeman’s office for his critique.

Chapter 16 Summary

Although Dr. Wakeman approves of most of Laura’s thesis, he finds her conclusion “shrill” and didactic. He gives her an F. She feels his grade is unfair and tells him so. Wakeman expresses regret but claims, “the school must maintain its high standards” (202). When pressed, he admits he gives wider latitude to men to editorialize. Laura accuses him of discrimination, but he refuses to change her grade. She storms out.

At home, Jack tells Laura that the agent loved his manuscript, that the advance will give them some financial breathing room. When Laura tells him about Wakeman’s grade, he deflects: “Don’t you worry. We’ll find something interesting for you to do” (205), something, he implies, other than journalism. His quick dismissal of her passion disturbs her. The next morning, Laura visits Amelia for solace, and she suggests Laura use the Heterodoxy Club as a networking source to publish her work. Moved by Amelia’s kindness and optimism, Laura leans in and kisses her.

Weeks into their love affair, Amelia invites Laura to London. Laura balks (but doesn’t refuse), and Amelia professes her love. Laura is torn between her passion and her obligation to Jack and her children.

Chapter 17 Summary

Nick informs Sadie that the title page from Shakespeare’s Folio is missing. Since the page itself has little value, Sadie speculates that “someone is trying to sabotage the exhibit” (216). Nick searches Sadie’s desk and finds nothing, but in Claude’s desk, they find dental floss, “a traditional tool of rare map thieves” (217). Claude protests, claiming he had recent dental work done. He accuses Sadie of trying to frame him. When Sadie suggests to Dr. Hooper that they go public with the thefts, he refuses, not wanting to jeopardize their upcoming fundraising campaign. Frustrated, she leaves and heads downtown to CBGB, getting lost in the loud music and frenetic crowd. When she returns to the bar, Nick is waiting. She lashes out, assuming he’s following her as a suspect; in reality, he’s concerned for her. She decides to open up and take a risk: “I have something to tell you” (221).

Chapter 18 Summary

Sadie confesses her blood relation to Jack and Laura Lyons, and mentions their implication in past book thefts. She also tells Nick about Pearl’s bedside confession, that she knows who stole Tamerlane. Nick reprimands her for keeping the secret, and she agrees to give him full access to the archives.

The next day, Sadie and Nick sift through documents from 1914, and Sadie discovers a note from her grandfather, Jack, apologizing for “the trouble I caused the library” (224). She interprets it as a suicide note and confirmation that Jack was the book thief. Remembering Edwin Gaillard’s expression from a previous note—that it was as if the thief had “dropped from the sky” (225)—Sadie decides to check the original architectural blueprints for the library, but they’re not available until the following Monday.

After closing time, Sadie enters the cage to study the ceiling for potential access. She hears a strange scraping sound and nearly trips over a dislodged box. A copy of Jane Eyre is missing, and Sadie suspects the thief may still be present. She hears footsteps and pursues. On the third-floor landing, she finds the missing book and tucks it into her dress for safekeeping. Running up another flight, she trips, the book flying out. There, in front of her, are Nick and Dr. Hooper. They’ve seen no one else in the halls, and Sadie realizes she looks guilty.

Chapter 19 Summary

Laura struggles with her love for Amelia, as well as her vows to Jack and obligations to her family. She is slated to speak at the next Heterodoxy Club meeting, and spends hours in the library conducting research. She glances at a copy of the New York World and finds an article, the information for which is taken directly from her thesis but edited to project an anti-feminist bias. The byline is Dr. Wakeman’s. Laura is convinced Amelia and the other members will feel betrayed, and she is met with hostility at the next meeting. She tries to explain herself, but is banished from future meetings.

As Laura walks home, Amelia calls to her. Laura begs for forgiveness, but Amelia is icy, blaming her for everything. Laura walks away, despondent.

Chapters 15-19 Analysis

The book thefts continue, and although Sadie and Nick have recovered some of the rare manuscripts, they are no closer to finding the culprit. While Sadie waxes philosophy about the importance of first editions and how they are the most direct line to an author’s mind, her concerns are more than academic. The great value of libraries is the democratization of knowledge. No longer the purview of the educated elite, libraries allow anyone—formally educated or not, rich or poor—to access the same information (with trained staff to guide users, to help them sift through information). Stealing from a library is stealing knowledge from the general public, an act that whittles away at the institution’s role in democracy.

Meanwhile, Laura experiences a myriad of highs and lows. Dr. Wakeman fails her for editorializing in her thesis, and all of her hard work, sacrifice, and borrowed money goes down the drain. Jack, however, sells his manuscript, promising them a much-needed infusion of income (although his dismissal of her recent failure infuriates her). Laura’s simmering attraction to Amelia finally blossoms, evolving into a brief but passionate love affair, which is then followed by her banishment from the Heterodoxy Club and estrangement from Amelia after Wakeman appropriates her thesis. Fiona Davis gives her character a taste of liberation and agency, only to tear it away at the hands of a patriarchal society. Jack exemplifies the unconscious bias so deeply ingrained into early-20th-century society. He is by all accounts a loving, supportive husband, but his dismissal of Laura’s aspirations and suggestion that typing his notes would be an adequate substitute speak to his bias. Moreover, Wakeman both praises Laura’s enthusiasm and criticizes her editorializing (admitting to giving men more leeway in their own writing), only to steal her work for an anti-feminist agenda, which calls into question how genuine he truly was in his encouragement.

Sadie also gets a small sample of romance when her casual flirtation with Nick turns into a night of dancing and intimate conversation. Her brief moment of happiness is disrupted, however, when circumstances point to her as the thief. She seems trapped by the ghosts of her past—as evidence strongly suggests that Jack was a book thief, and that he took his own life out of shame. Likewise, Sadie continues to find herself in situations that suggest—to the outside observer—that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.