The Lions of Fifth Avenue

As The Lions of Fifth Avenue is a book about books, books are an important symbol. In general, books represent not only the transmission of knowledge and creativity but a link between past and present. Sadie’s obsession with books reflects her desire to connect with her own past, with a mysterious grandmother who exists only in terms of historians and feminists, but has yet to take on personal significance. Through Laura’s writings, Sadie hopes to establish a more personal relationship with a woman she never knew. Specific books—Jack’s manuscript, the first edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening—all have symbolic importance to individual characters. Jack’s manuscript represents his admittance to the world of letters, an exclusive club whose members surround him every day at work. Poe’s Tamerlane is not only one of the rarest first editions in history (and is thus symbolic of Sadie’s rarified world of old books), but Poe himself is considered one of the fathers of mystery fiction, a genre in which The Lions of Fifth Avenue belongs. Lastly, Chopin’s The Awakening represents Laura’s initiation into the world of radical feminist politics. Not only is the content relevant to Laura’s personal transformation, but Amelia uses it as a way to send Laura a note, to communicate her love and forgiveness.