This is a stunning debut about a certain part of our history that is not often written about. I love the research the author did to tell this powerful story. She highlights the dangers of constructing the iconic buildings in NYC: workers putting their lives at risk everyday to provide for their families during the Depression. She also creates a story that shows the power of women in history. The characters develop and their strength is portrayed throughout this powerful novel. Well written and I am looking forward to another novel from this talented writer!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

#GraceOfTheEmpireState #GemmaTizzard #NetGalley

Not appropriate for the target age in my opinion. Club life, drinking, etc. are a part of the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to preview this book.

Grace O’Connell is a fraternal twin who bears a remarkable resemblance to her brother, Patrick, one of a four-man team of riveters on the Empire State Building. It’s 1930, and Grace’s income is badly needed to pay for medical supplies for their young sister. Originally circus-trained, Grace, a club dancer, is devasted when she and her fellow dancers are laid off. But that’s not the only heartache the family will endure. When Patrick breaks his arm, he knows his inability to do his job means his three teammates will be fired along with him. Can they implement a wild plan to substitute Grace for Patrick on the steel, and save three desperate families?

My one quibble is the U.S. book cover, which belies the gripping, emotional tale told within its pages. At no point does Grace experience a carefree life, as the picture implies to me. That said, Tizzard’s exciting debut ticks many boxes – it’s well written, full of dramatic tension with easily relatable, driven characters. Some smaller roles, like fellow dancers Edie and Betty, make us long to know more about them. The O’Connells are a closeknit fatherless Irish family facing an uphill battle every day, like so many in the Depression years, living in the tenements, just about surviving as their rent increases dramatically. 1930s New York blossoms into life on the page in this hardscrabble era, when jobs were scarce. The details of a riveter’s work are astounding. The author’s at-home Italian family scene, with its scrumptious food, is inspiring. Tizzard has turned an unlikely scenario into a solid page-turner, without resorting to a ‘dancer to steelworker’ romance. This pays fine tribute to the brave men who risked their lives (no safety harnesses here) on the steel to build a world-renowned icon. Gemma Tizzard is a notable new voice in historical fiction.

What a fantastic debut!! From the diverse cast of characters to women breaking barriers, I was here for everything this book offered. Grace was such an excitable narrator. I loved her passion and independence. She fought so hard for her family, and I admired those qualities. The setting of the pre-built Empire State Building was so cool! I'm sure a lot of research went into that process, and I liked seeing that aspect of history come to life. The friendships and relationships were also so well done. I loved how Grace crossed paths with the Gagliardi's, and how the story kind of felt like found family. I couldn't stop reading; the book was quick, and I could feel my heart beating like crazy after any scene on the steel. I would absolutely read more from Gemma, and I'm excited to see what she'll do next. Thank you to Gallery Books for an ARC to read and review!

Readers who appreciate stories of female empowerment, family loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit will be swept away by the electrifying tale of a heartwarming and action-packed novel that explores the unbreakable bonds of sisterly love and the power of following one's heart.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction debut set in 1930 about Grace O'Connell, a young Irish dancer trying to help support her family in the wake of their father's death, her younger sister's illness and her brother's unexpected accident while working on the new Empire State building construction. Any book with a strong, determined female lead, set in a period I don't know well interests me and this one was excellent, especially on audio narrated by Erin Bennett. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @simon.audio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommended for fans of books like Brooklyn by Colm Toibin.

High in the sky!

All I could think of was that iconic photo of workers sitting on a steel girder way above New York as the Empire State building was being built.
It’s after the Wall Street crash and finding work is difficult. Grace O’Connell and Patrick her twin are fortunate. He’s employed on the Empire State, as part of a four man crew, placing beams and riveting them together. Grace is employed as a dancer. She’d previously trained as a tight rope walker and dancer in the circus her father had sent her to for training.
Only when Pat injures his arm , and the club Grace works at closes down, the obvious, despite Grace’s fears, happens. (The problem is the other men would lose their jobs without the full team.) Thus Grace’s dilemma. It’s a cutthroat world.
Grace takes her brother’s place, dressing as a man.
There’s danger—of being exposed, of falling, and other complications. One workman has it in for her brother and Grace bears the brunt of his aggression.
We’re introduced to a variety of characters, one being a fellow dancer Edie who tries her hand at Marathon Dancing. Needless to say in these scenes all I could think of was the movie They Shoot Horses Don't They.
A very different story with action taking place high in the sky, above the streets of New York, filled with the desperation of the times.
I was glued!

A Galley ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

🍨Review: Grace of the Empire State

🍭Rate: 5 Stars!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🧁Praise: A true tale of stepping up to the plate when your family needs you and the world it's not what it used to be! A wondrous debut that will be on my shelves for life! I have to say I identify with the character Grace so much! I have been there where my world was supposed to be one way and then bridges and time shift and I had to roll with the sky and walk along the path given to me.

💖During the depression era in the 1930s we meet grace! She is meant to be and wants to be a dancer! It is in her heart and soul a passion that keeps burning. However, thanks to the hard times her dreams are put on hold and her humble heart is put forth for her family.

🎙️ She takes up her brother's place working on the Empire State Building! My historic loving little heart couldn't believe I'm looking through the character's eyes as one of the greatest buildings in the world is being built! She resembles her twin brother so that definitely helps LOL I fully enjoy the touch of Romance as well! Without romance a book doesn't have a heartbeat! And this grand debut beat on and on!

💌Characters: Truly Grace and her family were remarkable characters to invest reading in! I can identify a lot with how they fell and how they had to cope. When you connect a little character emotionally because of your own past or what you're going through in general it makes the book worth reading and holding close to you! It takes skills for an author to craft a character out of words, emotions, and any generalization representing both hope and vivid research!

🥞I had family members who survived the Great Depression and now I have more respect for them thanks to the research Gemma Tizzard beautifully gathered!

🍰Trope: I will be looking for all of Gemma's books in the future! Historical fiction with a touch of romance is my bookshelf favorite dessert! Not once did I take a break from Reading nor did I want to! How can I? I give the author mad historical and romance book props!

🍪Historical Fiction
🍪 Adventure
🍪 Riveting Research
🍪 Romance
🍪Must Read
🍪 Emotional
🍪 Thought-provoking

Bravo Gemma! 📖

Oh wow! What a great story!! I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but i was not entirely convinced that I would love it. That changed the further I got into the chapters. By the end, I was so wrapped up in the story, I didn't realize what was going on around me. It was nail biting, spine tingling, and ultimately a truly inspirational read.

Please do yourself a favor and find a copy of this book. I promise you will be cheering for Grace by the end.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. I will be on the lookout for more wonderful tales from Ms. Tizzard!

What an eye-opening introduction to high-rise steel construction (during the 1920s). Grace is a working dancer while her twin brother has a job in construction on the Empire State Building. When the stock market and national economy crash, Grace is laid off and all depends on Patrick. But he breaks his arm, imperiling his whole crews' livelihood as well as his own, forcing him to come up with a new plan. Enter Grace, whose resemblance to her brother, and her dancer's strength and endurance, and circus training, lead him to think maybe, just maybe, she can replace him until his arm heals and all can go back to normal. Otherwise they can't make the rent or eat. And what a high wire act it is, imaginatively training her, changing her appearance, and mannerisms and voice, and getting her comfortable enough working that she doesn't run screaming away (a tempting prospect). And, of course, there are complications.
The history flows easily. The plotting is interesting and exciting. The characters are well-developed and believable. It certainly engenders respect for steel workers everywhere (I ain't going up there!). A fascinating take on an overlooked subject, very enjoyable. Highly recommended.

This book was riveting ... see what I did there? No, seriously, it was riveting. I couldn't put this book down. We all have an idea of what the Depression was like for the common folk, but no book that I've read so far has captured it so clearly. The research that went into this book was outstanding.

The story is about twins, one a man and one a woman, their mother, a younger and ill sister, and several other families. Grace, our main character, was born to be a dancer, but circumstances intervene, and she finds herself the first Rosie the Riveter on the Empire State Building. Can you imagine working on a building like that without the safety mechanisms we have in place now? There is no net, no anything as far as safety goes. But Grace did it and even saved a life while doing so.

Life is not easy for Grace's family, nor was it easy for many other people, but horrors just keep piling up on Grace's shoulders. And just when you, the reader, think things can't get any worse, they do. But never fear; life eventually becomes better, and there is even romance in the air!

I highly recommend this book for those who like strong, capable women and like learning a bit about the era's history. This would be perfect for book clubs.

Bravo for this debut novel.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Gallery Books/Simon Schuster, the author, and NetGalley

A badass female heroine is what every good book needs and Grace is exactly that! We know from the cover alone that Gemma will end up on the steel, but the story of how she gets there and what she does once she makes it onto the Empire State Building is nothing short of miraculous.

Set in the 1930s during a time when most people were out of jobs, struggling to put food on their table and a roof over their heads, the O'Connell family is faced with more devastation after losing the father of the family when Grace loses her job and her twin brother, Patrick, has a mishap at his. This story looks at the love siblings have for each other and defines what empathy is when considering the struggles of those around you.

Many characters are faced with the question of how they will show up and help others when they themselves are in desperate need of help as well. This book is about family, love, dedication, friendship, loyalty and bravery.

I enjoyed this read and felt my stomach drop many times as I read about going up on the steel. Having been in the Empire State Building, I have a new appreciation for how it was built

A sweet, well researched historical fiction novel about a young woman working on the Empire State Building. It was an easy read but nothing beyond memorable. If you are looking for an easy vacation book and love historical fiction that puts women in the spotlight where they may have been written out of history, then this is the book for you.

Loved the characters, loved the book. It went too fast. A great read. I couldnt get enough of this book!

Thank you for this early copy NetGalley and publisher. I loved this book. Great characters and historical info. I would reconsider mend this highly!!!

“Grace of the Empire State” is a historical fiction book by Gemma Tizzard. I really liked the historical research that went into this book - from how the job of riveter was performed, the necessary tools, and how the building was erected. I found the main character, Grace, to be an interesting one - though for most of the book she was such a soft touch that I found it a bit frustrating. I liked her romance with Joe. I found Patrick’s romance, while understandable in the book’s content, distracted from Grace’s story. This book was a little predictable in the ending (at least for me) but it was a satisfying ending. This book takes place during the Depression, so it hits on some serious topics.

This was a different take on historical fiction that tells the story of a female working as a steel worker during construction of the Empire State Building.
It will give you a new appreciation for this landmark
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

The author's premise is that when studying history, she wondered, "Where are all the women?" She took the idea of a woman working on the Empire State Building and ran with it....and who's to say that there WASN'T a woman who did work on that site? This book intrigued me from the first chapter and held on tight through the epilogue...so much so that I want to see the story of Grace's daughters...this could easily be the start of a series of strong and unconventional women in history. The scenes are vividly described. The supporting characters are so realistic that you'll love and hate them. There is one particularly well-written scene that is so suspenseful I just HAD to finish it...and ended up being late for work! (It's a longer scene) Overall, a fabulous read that left me wanting more....more of the history, more of the culture, more of 1930s New York!

3.5 stars

Intriguing story of a woman working “on the steel” during the building of the Empire State Building. Some of it seemed implausible, but it was still an entertaining read. Plus, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the Empire State Building and the effort to construct that landmark.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.