Review: A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware

A Race to Splendor
Author: Ciji Ware
Published: April 1, 2011
Genre: Historical Romance
Paperback: 526 pages
Source: borrowed from library


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Early in 1906, the ground in San Francisco shook buildings and lives from their comfortable foundations. Amidst rubble, corruption, and deceit, two women-young architects in a city and field ruled by men-find themselves racing the clock and each other during the rebuilding of competing hotels in the City by the Bay. Based on meticulous research, A Race to Splendor tells the story of the audacious people of one of the world's great cities rebuilding and reinventing themselves after immense human tragedy. Filled with courage, passion, and conflict, Amelia Bradshaw's spirit will capture your imagination as she strives to redraft her life amidst the ruins with both help and hindrance from a wayward son of privilege who pulls her into worlds she'd never have known.


My Thoughts: As misleading as this title and description is, Ciji Ware's novel is a riveting tale set in San Francisco at the turn of the century. As seen through the eyes of Amelia Bradshaw, a young woman who is a trained architect and determined to succeed in a man's world. The earthquake of 1906 turns the entire city of San Francisco upside down and Ware takes you into the corruption, heartache, and rebirth of a city. When I read the description of the book, I thought it would be a great story of two women competing to rebuild two of the city's finest hotels. However, there was little rivalry and no competition. Instead, the book focuses on Amelia's work and relationship with JD Thayer. 


While not quite the story that is described, it is still an enjoyable book. I found Amelia to be an interesting character and the plot to be intriguing. I do wish that there was more of a focus on the rivalry of these two women architect's, but it was still a good book. It's something light and easy while still demonstrating how awful the earthquake was on San Francisco. I didn't know much about the earthquake, but as Ware described the disaster, I felt like I was there and learned more about this event in history.