Searching for Grace Kelly

In the 1950s, gals with guts and a dream, could leave their small-town life and head for the Big Apple, where the Barbizon Hotel for Women awaited. This is where young ladies lived while chasing fame, fortune, and a career. Vanity Fair contributing editor Callahan captures the essence of the Barbizon as it really was—part dorm, refuge, and place of awakening. The three main characters experience life in New York from different perspectives. Laura is an elegant Smith College student who lands a prestigious internship at Mademoiselle magazine. Dolly, a plain yet spunky working girl, attends secretarial school and does some serious husband hunting. Vivian, a gorgeous Brit, dreams of being a famous singer but for now works as a cigarette girl at the hottest nightclub. All three tangle with young men, and reach for their dreams. They experience the city fully, from the seedy, intellectual Beat scene to Madison Avenue's upper crust.