City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

genre: historical fiction

Vivian's pampered and shipped-off-to-school childhood meant that while she wasn't anyone's darling, certainly not her parents', she still managed to grow up avoiding all responsibility for her choices.   When she arrives in New York City just as World War II is beginning, the world seems to be truly her oyster.  Living with her aunt in her vaudeville theater, Vivian is exposed to a world of glamour and excess that slurps her in until she no longer even tries to really care about anyone but herself.  Living life like that does has its consequences, though, and Vivan will soon have to grow up enough to weather them.

This story is written as a letter from an older Vivian to a person we as readers aren't able to place until near the end, a plot device that I really liked.  While Vivian's bawdy and not-romance-novel- graphic-but-sometimes-close exploits might be way too much for some readers, I found Vivian's journey an incredibly readable an entertaining one.  I liked that there really were things in her life that resulted from her behavior that she just could only come to peace with - not fix.  I liked coming along for the ride as she grew up and processed her choices. I liked her homefront wartime experiences.   I really loved the last fourth of the book as she comes into her own and decides what kind of life she wants.  I'm glad I didn't stop reading when her immature and selfishness was annoying - I really did feel incredibly satisfied at the end.