The Phoenix Crown by Katie Quinn and Janie Chang

 genre: historical fiction

San Francisco is teeming with life in 1906. From Nob Hill to Chinatown, science and art, fashion and music - it can all be found if you have the money or the inclination.  For four young women, this city will either make or break their dreams - and it all boils down to one infamous morning.

This book was the kind of historical fiction that focuses on the roles of women, which I appreciated.  We have a female scientist, an opera singer, an embroidery artist and a painter.  One of these women is Chinese-American and two of them are gay.  All of them have deep desires for a full life, either on the stage or creatively or within the biological kingdom - but how their paths intertwine and the trauma that befalls them will tie their stories together for life.

I don't know why this one didn't go faster for me.  It was interesting enough, I liked switching between the story lines (although I would've liked more from the scientist character) and the earthquake portions were super well written.  I felt like I was there.  I also liked the climax, I thought that was believable and well done.  The rest just felt vaguely formulaic and sometimes even repetitive.   I'm not sorry I read it because I liked learning about San Francisco's Chinatown from this area and the opera singers storyline was unique as well - it just never was begging to be picked up.