Good Morning America is turning to a novel set in the New York Public Library for its latest book club pick.
The morning show has chosen Fiona Davis’ The Lions of Fifth Avenue for its August selection. The novel’s name comes from Patience and Fortitude, the famous lion statues that stand guard outside the library’s Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street location.
The title is also a reference to the Lyons family, the subject of the novel, whose lives have been intertwined with the library for generations. The book is told from the point of view of two Lyons family members, Laura, a writer in 1913, and her granddaughter, Sadie, a library administrator in 1993.
The Lions of Fifth Avenue is Davis’ fifth book; previous ones have included The Dollhouse and The Chelsea Girls.
“I’m so thrilled that my book, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, was chosen as the GMA Book Club pick for August,” Davis told the morning show. “It’s set at the New York Public Library and it’s about a family that lives in an apartment deep inside the building, an apartment that actually existed. It’s about the magic of the written word and the power of women’s voices, and it’s dedicated to some of my favorite people: librarians.”
Previous GMA Book Club picks have included Liz Moore’s Long Bright River, Angie Cruz’s Dominicana, and Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
