The Manhattan Girls

A Novel of Dorothy Parker and Her Friends

By: Gill Paul

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

It’s a 1920s version of Sex and the City, as Dorothy Parker—one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen—and her three friends navigate life, love, and careers in New York City. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis, Beatriz Williams, and Renée Rosen.

NEW YORK CITY 1921: The war is over, fashions are daring, and bootleg liquor is abundant. Here four extraordinary women form a bridge group that grows into a firm friendship.

Dorothy Parker: renowned wit, member of the Algonquin Round Table, and more fragile than she seems. Jane Grant: first female reporter for the New York Times, and determined to launch a new magazine she calls The New Yorker. Winifred Lenihan: beautiful and talented Broadway actress, a casting-couch target. And Peggy Leech: magazine assistant by day, brilliant novelist by night.

Their romances flourish and falter while their goals sometimes seem impossible to reach and their friendship deepens against the backdrop of turbulent New York City, where new speakeasies open and close, jazz music flows through the air, and bathtub gin fills their glasses.

They gossip, they comfort each other, and they offer support through the setbacks. But their biggest challenge is keeping their dear friend Dottie safe from herself.

In this brilliant new novel from the bestselling and acclaimed author of Jackie and Maria and The Secret Wife, readers will fall right into Jazz Age New York and into the inner lives of these groundbreaking, influential women.

Enjoyed Gil Paul’s story!

Having visited the Algonquin on a trip to NYC, it was fun to imagine the characters meeting there! Audio is perfect for this story.

Good premise, not so good on execution

This one is a good story about Dorothy Parker and her friends living in New York during the time of prohibition and the rise of Women's Rights - but it just didn't live up to what I've come to expect from Gill Paul's novels. I've read several other books by her that I've really enjoyed. I enjoyed reading about the daily lives of women at this time -their struggles, the way they navigated a world meant for men, and their friendships. But I found myself losing focus at several points throughout the story. This one just wasn't as engaging as the other Paul books I've read.

A Seat at the Gonk

This is an inside look at the lives of four women. Interesting, fast moving and thoughtful.

girl gang

Loved this story! wish I had a girl group like that in my whole life

The fulfillment of each character

Disliked the childlike voice of the reader . A more experienced, mature voice would have been more convincing for the individual maturing characters