Bliss

A favorite among her 12 novels, BLISS (Claudia Crawford) combines her passion for New York City history with the saga of Rachel Salinko, the homeless orphan at the turn of the 20th century. who becomes the matriarch of three generations of women whom she rules with an iron bankroll. As the family gathers for Rachel’s 90th birthday, all eyes are on Bliss, the youngest and most adored of the clan. Threatening the “perfect” family loyalties they all embrace is the desperate secret that could destroy the bonds that unite them all!
What enriches the story is the dazzling accuracy of cultural details. The clothes. The food. The sexual relationships. The pendulum swings From the first World War through the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, moving forward through the second World War and the postwar decades of societal change that are truly “cinematic”.