Clara and Mr. Tiffany

Aside from knowing - at least at a basic level - what a Tiffany lamp looks like, I admit that I had no real knowledge about Tiffany lamps. Susan Vreeland's novel Clara and Mr. Tiffany shines light on this company and the (until now) little known artist of Tiffany's lamps, Clara Driscoll.

To write this historical fiction novel, Vreeland has done extensive research, allowing me to feel as though I was truly back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Clara Driscoll works for Mr Tiffany, finding great satisfaction in her work at a time when women often did not work outside the home, and certainly did not seek a career. Clara's first husband passed away, which allowed her to work for Tiffany, as married women were forced to quit their jobs. While Clara fell in love and planned to marry again, circumstances once again intervened and Clara remained a single, working woman.

Although Clara loved her job and put a great deal of time and effort into it, she did not receive the recognition she longed for. Throughout her career she continually tried to implement new designs and make the department of women that she oversaw rise to the top of Tiffany's company.

This novel is not just a well written historical fiction book with a little romance thrown in. I also learned a great deal about women in the workforce in the early twentieth century, the Tiffany company, and Clara Driscoll. I anticipate this will be a popular book club selection in the future months.