The Lions of Fifth Avenue

Fiona Davis’s The Lions of Fifth Avenue, published in 2020, is a historical mystery novel that is part of the heist subgenre. While delving into the minutiae of early-20th-century architecture and the world of rare book theft, the novel, at its heart, is about the power of books to link the past to the present and to enlighten and inspire. The Lions of Fifth Avenue was a Good Morning America Book Club selection.

Davis, a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism, writes historical fiction with a reporter’s eye for accuracy. She is known for basing her novels around New York landmarks, including The Magnolia Palace, The Address, and The Spectacular.

This guide is based on the 2021 Dutton paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discusses child abuse and death by suicide.

Plot Summary

In 1913, Laura Lyons and her husband, Jack, take up residence in the New York Public Library where Jack has recently been hired as superintendent. Laura informs him that she has been accepted to the Columbia University School of Journalism.