title: The Fifth Avenue Artists Society: A Novel
author:  Joy Callaway 
description: &#8220;The creative sisterhood of <i>Little Women, </i> the social scandal of Edith Wharton and the courtship mishaps of Jane Austen. . . . Callaway&#8217;s characters - some of them inspired by her own family ancestry - are well-developed and memorable. The reader is easily drawn into the Loftin sisters&#8217; trials and triumphs. <i>The Fifth Avenue Artists Society</i> is a delightful, and at times touching, tale of Gilded Age society and creative ambition with an inspiring heroine.&#8221; (<i>New York Daily News</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;An engrossing snapshot of 1890s New York City&#8230;Filled with well-drawn characters and lush historical texture, this tale sweeps you into the midst of writers, artists, and musicians, some of whom wrestle darker muses than others. The era may be long gone, but the passions remain timeless.&#8221; (Jill Morrow, the author of <i>Newport</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;With the warm glow and heavy drapery of Gilded Age salons as its inviting backdrop, Joy Callaway&#8217;s engaging period novel explores the timeless struggles women face in the creative and working world, and the price some are willing to pay to protect all they hold dear.&#8221; (Erika Robuck, National Bestselling Author of <i>Hemingway's Girl</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;&#8217;Such an elegant and charming novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to reading more from this talented new writer.&#8221; (Hazel Gaynor, author of <i>A Memory of Violets</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;In THE FIFTH AVENUE ARTISTS SOCIETY, Callaway channels 19th century New York society to perfection. The cadence of her prose is like a summer breeze, at once warm and invigorating, and the story of family loyalties, loss, and the artist&#8217;s world absorbing. Highly recommended!&#8221; (Heather Webb, author of <i>Rodin's Lover</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;In her promising debut novel, Joy Callaway spins an engrossing Gilded Age tale of a determined young woman&#8217;s pursuit of her art despite dreams thwarted, love betrayed, and shocking family secrets revealed.&#8221; (Jennifer Chiaverini, author of <i>Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;With THE FIFTH AVENUE ARTISTS SOCIETY, debut author Joy Callaway paints a marvelously detailed portrait of Gilded Age New York, and in Ginny Loftin, inspired in part by the author&#8217;s own ancestor, she has created an affecting and appealing heroine. This is a delightful and memorable book.&#8221; (Jennifer Robson, International bestselling author of <i>Moonlight Over Paris</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;[A] powerful debut. . . . Callaway paints an all too real portrait of the power of love to both create and destroy.&#8230; Readers will never see the twists around every corner. Beautifully written and solidly executed, Callaway&#8217;s novel will captivate historical and romance fans alike.&#8221; (<i>Library Journal</i>)<br /><br />&#8220;Drawing on her own family history, first-time novelist Callaway melds romance, intrigue, and the pursuit of art together to create this engaging late-nineteenth-century story. Readers will enjoy cameos by Edith Wharton and Oscar Wilde, two writers who influenced her dramatization of the dangers of social climbing.&#8221; (<b>Booklist</b>)<br /><br />&#8220;Joy Callaway brilliantly captures the plight of women during this time. . . .I&#8217;m always a fan of books about the Gilded Age, and The Fifth Avenue Artists Society is no exception. . . I very much enjoyed reading it.. . . If you&#8217;re a fan of historical fiction, you&#8217;ll like following the lives of the Loftin family. Four stars.&#8221; (LuxuryReading.com)
zlib_text: **Also by Mara Leveritt**
  
  The Boys on the Tracks
  
  ![](Images/image00330.jpeg)  
  1230 Avenue of the Americas  
  New York, NY 10020
  
  Copyright © 2002 by Mara Leveritt
  
  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
  thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Atria Books, 1230
  Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
  
  ISBN: 0-7434-1761-5
  
  **ATRIA** BOOKSis a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
  
  Visit us on the World Wide Web:  
  [_http://www.SimonSays.com_](http://www.SimonSays.com)
  
  To LSB,  
  with love and gratitude
  
   **Acknowledgments**
  
  I thank my beloved family; my many generous friends; the filmmakers,
  musicians, and other artists who have recognized this story’s importance; the
  reporters whose accounts have contributed to this book; the public officials
  who provided information and access to records; the lawyers who explained
  aspects of the case; and everyone who granted me interviews. I thank, in
  particular, Sandra Dijkstra, Wendy Walker, T