This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it. thanks for letting me have an advance copy. I'm new to this author.

I was eager to read this book and was fortunate to be able to receive an e-ARC to be able to read it pre-publication.
I adored this woman (Lillian) and the way the author (Kathleen) was able to make Lillian real to me. I underlined so many lines that I found either profound or lyrical. Kathleen Rooney turns many new phrases. She does not rely or even lean on trite or mundane.
I will read this book over and over and over again.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me the joy of this read.

Three times read and I still love it. Eager for the book discussion. I wish I could take negronis for the entire group.

As she walks through Manhattan, Lilian Boxfish meets people from her past and remembers her long life. A glorious elegy to old age and the importance of living a good life, Kathleen Rooney's debut is an exquisite exploration of life, love and humour.

It was an average read. As the book went on I was more and more invested, but it was a slow build. I'm not sure I would recommend to everyone, but it was fine.

This haunting, beautifully-written novel is based on the life of Margaret Fishback, who wrote ads for Macy's and was the the highest paid copywriter in the 1930's. Now in her mid-eighties, Lillian walks through Manhattan on New Year's Eve 1984, reminiscing about her life. She falls in love and marries, giving up her career, fame and fortune. Though life is not happily ever after, Lillian endures. She appreciate what she has and remains an admirable figure.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney.

Lillian is 84, or at least that what she tells people. She is bright, cheery, and still loves to go on strolls despite the warnings that NY is dangerous. It is 1984 and Lillian has a lot to think about.

This is a life story told in the time it takes an elderly woman to walk around NYC on New Year's Eve. She tells us about her childhood, her prestigious career at R.H. Macy's, her marriage and motherhood, and all the hardships and nuances that come from life. During her story telling, she makes friends, maybe even some enemies, and continually slays with her smart and charming wit.

I loved this book. Why does getting old have to be so heartbreaking? But it is also so sweet and generous, and full of warmth and nostalgia. This is definitely worth the read.

An exquisite read - a reminder of how wonderful really good writing can be.
See my full review at: bookbarmy.com, Goodreads and Librarything - links below.

"This, I am reminded, is why I love walking in the city, taking to the streets in pursuit of some spontaneous and near-arbitrary objective. If one knocks oneself out of one’s routine – and in so doing knocks others gently out of theirs – then one can now and again create these momentary opportunities to be better than one is."

I initially decided to read this book because of the premise – a walk through New York City on New Year’s Eve while reminiscing about yesteryears sounded appropriately festive. I loved the idea of the parallels between Lillian saying goodbye to 1984 while 2017 is coming to an end, and for both of us waiting to greet the shiny new year full of promise and hope.

Lillian Boxfish’s character was loosely based on the life and work of Margaret Fishback, who was “the real highest-paid female advertising copywriter in the world during the 1930s, thanks to her brilliant work for R.H. Macy’s.” According to the author, Kathleen Rooney, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk combined her admiration for this pioneering woman as well as her love for cities and flânerie.

On New Year’s Eve, 1984, Lillian Boxfish sets out into the city she loves: NYC. Even at 85 years old, Lillian still prefers walking to other (and possibly easier) modes of transportation. During her stroll, she meets with a variety of people going about their lives, all while reminiscing about her own past adventures. Lillian was once the highest-paid advertising woman in America while working at R.H. Macy’s, a career that was cut short after marrying the love of her life, having her son Gian, divorce from the said love of her life, and a mental breakdown. But through it all, like the city she so cherished, she lived to see another day.

I greatly admired Lillian’s character. She was a spunky old woman who used to be a spunky young woman. She was an inspirational feminist who forged her own path, was fiercely independent, and even initially scoffed at the idea of love and settling down. Her work was both charming and funny, whimsical, and at times hard-hitting. One such poem, written before Lillian’s temporary institutionalization, was called “Blackout” (which was actually written by Margaret Fishback):

"When life seems gray
And short of fizz
It seems that way
Because it is."

Kathleen Rooney’s writing was lyrical and almost poetic, which was appropriate considering the subject. However, with the focus on Lillian’s introspective walk, this character-driven, as opposed to plot-driven, novel was quite honestly a little boring. At times, it seemed as though the narration was heading toward some “big reveal” – in Lillian’s past, her recollection of “the incident” and temporary demise of her mental health; in Lillian’s present, midnight and the start of a shiny, new 1985 – but neither was really all that surprising nor exciting. It was as though this book tried to take on too much – a fictional representation of Margaret Fishback’s life; feminism from the 1930s to the 1980s, from the view of Lillian; depression, as well as touching on mental health in general; and the vibrancy and multifaced nature of NYC – but unfortunately, I feel that it spread itself too thin and thus fell short of its potential.

Overall, I did enjoy Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, but didn’t love it. I did love the idea of it – it was a good premise with an interesting main character and a lot of quotable passages – but ultimately, I was expecting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On New Year’s Eve 1984, Lillian Boxfish takes a walk. It’s a simple premise that serves the narrative well. What follows is the story of a life fully lived, told in roughly chronological flashbacks as Lillian moves through the neighbourhoods of her past.

Lillian is the heroine we want to read about. In the 1920’s, she takes a job in advertising and quickly becomes the highest paid woman in her profession. She gains fame for writing catchy light poetry and for disdaining all things traditional, including love and marriage. And then she meets the man that will become her husband. She struggles to balance her marriage and her passion for writing. She becomes a mother. And a divorcée. And the times are changing.

As Lillian walks the streets of the mid-80’s she tells her story with a quiet simplicity. She’s not lost her spunk or ability to intuit a new situation, and her insights about what it was like to be a woman living a life of her own through the 20th century feel so understated and wise that I had to remind myself that this is a work of fiction. (Sort of. More on that later.) By this point she’s an old woman who knows herself completely and remains to the end a modern woman.

It’s impossible to ignore New York City as a character in the book. It grows and changes in parallel with Lillian’s life, but is ever-present and beautifully rendered. While reading this, I was also listening to Springsteen’s memoir Born to Run on audio, and I couldn’t help but make comparisons between Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and the early songs of Springsteen’s career. The characters of New York City Serenade, It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City, and Jungleland all feel like they could be right around the corner. Like the best songs, nothing Rooney does is in your face trying to get your attention. Her writing is calm and measured, but immediately transports you to a specific time and place, and then a chapter later moves you again. The result isn’t whiplash. It’s a smooth ride.

I got to the end of the book and was excited to read about the inspiration for Lillian Boxfish. Rooney spent time with the papers of Margaret Fishback, the real-life Boxfish who was the highest paid woman in advertising in the 1930’s. Her life was as remarkable as Lillian’s and reminds us that we need to hear more stories about smart and strong women.

I quit about 40% through. The book lacks charm and an even remotely likable narrator. The language is painfully pretentious and mannered, and Lillian Boxfish is somewhere between a God-Mode and a Black Hole Sue. I could deal with this if the book were satirical or humourous in anyway, but I have the feeling that it's meant to be taken seriously.

The first time I started this delightful book I put it down. A month or two later I decided to try it again and am I ever glad I did. The whole story takes place on New Year’s Eve 1984 as Lillian Boxfish takes a long walk through Manhattan to a neighborhood bar, with recently installed television, not a good thing since the TV reduces the amount of conversation; to an Italian restaurant where she went with her husband on her wedding day as well as right after her divorce; to a party in the West Village; past the not so safe Penn Station and back to her apartment in Murray Hill. Along the we learn about her life as she thinks back over the decades. And we get to know her by her encounters with a cab driver who wants to give her a ride, a bodega clerk, and a remarkable encounter with three teenagers who try to rob her.

Lillian Boxfish is based on Margaret Fishback, a woman who was a published poet and during the 1930s worked at Macy's where she became the highest paid woman copywriter. Lillian is an engaging woman, who vows never to marry, and loves her work, writing light poetry which gets published, partying and dating often with her close friend. She arrived in New York in 1926 lived at the Christian Women’s Hotel where she meets her friend Helen. Helen, an illustrator at Macy’s, encourages Lillian to apply to Macy's and eventually they leave to get an apartment together. Helen becomes her lifelong friend though she has died the year before Lillian takes the walk. Both are underpaid but together they really help make Macy’s what it became. When Lillian marries Macy’s head rug buyer and has a child, she is forced to leave. Lillian goes through some very difficult times, but continues to live in New York City, the city she loves, even though her son, Johnny or Gian, wants her to move to Maine.

Lillian really appealed to me as being a woman who was ahead of her time; a woman of dignity, grace and strong opinions. Through this night long walk she comes to grips with her demons. Her story is bittersweet, but walking with Lillian through Manhattan is well worth it.

Lillian Boxfish is not what you might have in mind as your typical octogenarian. She keeps up with the times and is aware that her Manhattan of the 1980s is perhaps degenerating faster than she is. Yet, she defiantly braves the city streets on the last night of 1984 to take a walk through the city she has loved as she reminisces on the life she has lived. The once-highest paid ad woman in the country, the once wife, the mother of a son who no longer needs mothering, and the ever stylish, poised and sharp-tongued Lillian takes on her surroundings. In the vein of Elizabeth Strout's My Name is Lucy Barton, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is decidedly more white collar, but just as revealing of how one changes - or doesn't - over time.

This book is bursting with life and character. Lillian is a tour de force of a protagonist; witty, funny and independent, she lives life to the fullest and, in the most part, on her own terms.

There are echoes in Mad Men as Lillian works her way up the advertising ladder, navigating through misogyny and sexist double standards along the way. Her skill at persuasive writing and wordplay appealed to my marketing brain (it’s my day job) – Lillian’s ability to sell things to people who didn’t even realise they needed them is both impressive and hugely entertaining.

Rooney based Lillian on Margaret Fishbank, the highest paid female advertising executive of the 1930s and a prolific poet. Reading about Lillian’s struggle to assert her authority in a male-dominated industry, having to resign because she is pregnant and struggling to maintain a creative outlet when she becomes a mother is an engaging narrative – and one that reminds this 21st century woman how lucky she is (although we still need some work on the gender pay gap. BBC, I mean you.)

Lillian establishes herself as a great wit, someone who prefers an acerbic rather than saccharine look at life. This comes back to haunt her when she falls in love and marries Max. How can a woman who rejects romantic love fall in love herself? Lillian proves that a level head and marital/maternal status are not mutually exclusive – and she does it in a warm and sublimely sarcastic way.

The narrative structure of the book is really interesting. Rooney stages each chapter in a different time of Lillian’s life, following her from the 1920s to New Year’s Eve in 1984. This works brilliantly to present the changes in Lillian’s circumstances and perspective – the trenchant octagenarian possibly being my favourite.

There are darker tones to the book, too. Lillian’s mental health battles are stark and their treatment – including electric shock therapy and confinement in a sanatorium – seems particularly brutal to a modern reader.

The novel is a love letter to New York city, in fact to city living in general. Lillian’s walks are facilitated by her location in the heart of the city, where everything is within a few paces and the bustle of life is accessible to all. The pulse of life is on the doorstep and anyone who enjoys city life (as I do!) will adore the metropolitan pace of this book.

I don’t have any constructive criticism.

I think Kathleen Rooney’s writing is precise and refined – each word is chosen with care and the narrative structure allows the novel to flow along at an entertaining pace.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is uplifting, funny and heartwarming. It’s about a woman’s struggle to balance her career and personal life, to survive mental anguish and to come to terms with her place in the world. It’s a timeless tale about finding the life you want – and a lesson in keeping your tongue firming in your cheek while doing so.

The story is told by Lillian Boxfish based on her own life and tales from 1899 to present 1984 New Years Eve. We are told of the fascinating life of love, loss and even a little stay in a mental hospital. (so,so sad) This was a fast pace read. I finished it in under a day!!

Great read.
The story was based on the real life of Margaret Fishback.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was my best of 2017 new titles on social media early January/late December.

Overall, good contemporary fiction, great for book clubs.

3.9 - somewhat meandering, but a very interesting, resonant main character; recommended for those interested in learning more about being a working woman when it was less traditional

This is the story of a life, Lillian's life, but it's also the story of New York City in the Twentieth Century.

On New Years Eve, 1984, Lillian Boxfish heads out for a walk and as we follow her through the city we learn her story and the story of the changing city. Lillian shares her story through alternating chapters between episodes in her adult life and 1984 present day. Lillian's life, like any other, has it's ups and downs. From her days as "the highest paid advertising women in America" to the dissolution of her marriage, Lillian is a survivor. She persisted in the days when being a woman meant being paid less because you didn't "have families to support" but when you did start a family you were automatically let go ("a mother couldn't work ... not to mention that she shouldn't!").

Inspired by the life and work of poet and ad woman Margaret Fishback, Kathleen Rooney gives us Lillian Boxfish, a smart, strong and witty woman,who  at the age of eighty-five is still full of life and through Lillian, a charming love letter to New York City.

(Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review)

I spent a lovely day walking around NYC with Lillian yesterday. It was like listening to a person who led an interesting life reminiscing about the good ol' days and the not so good ol' days. During Lillian's walk she meets all sorts of people who open her eyes to—or at least lets her comment on—how her beloved New York is changing. Each conversation or locale also offers a memory from Lillian's younger days.

We all need more Lillian in our lives. Lovely book. Love the main character, both her walk that evening and her reflections on her life. Not only did I love her wit and grit, but getting to peek into what the experience might have been like for a woman of her generation working alongside men and not particularly interested in marriage and kids. I appreciated the author's notes, as Lillian Boxfish was inspired by a real woman.