A Race to Splendor

Mar 24, 2011 Misfit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, california

San Francisco, 1906. Amelia Bradshaw returns home from her architectural studies in Paris only to find her beloved grandfather dead and the family's grand hotel on Nob Hill lost by her drunken fool of a father during a game of cards. Amelia loses her legal battle with the winner of the card game, J.D. Thayer, and takes employment with her mentor, architect Julia Morgan. And just who is Julia Morgan do you ask? You can read about her on the net, but her most famous project is the little house tha...more San Francisco, 1906. Amelia Bradshaw returns home from her architectural studies in Paris only to find her beloved grandfather dead and the family's grand hotel on Nob Hill lost by her drunken fool of a father during a game of cards. Amelia loses her legal battle with the winner of the card game, J.D. Thayer, and takes employment with her mentor, architect Julia Morgan. And just who is Julia Morgan do you ask? You can read about her on the net, but her most famous project is the little house that Julia built for William Randolph Hearst.

The big earthquake hits and events take a bit of a turn for Amelia. What wasn't destroyed in the earthquake burned during the subsequent fires and that includes her beloved Bay View Hotel. Julia's firm is hired to restore the Fairmont Hotel, as well as the Bay View and the race is on to restore both hotels to their full splendor so that they can reopen on the first anniversary of the disaster. Despite their past differences, Amelia and J.D. work together towards the common goal of restoring the Bay View, but they are beset from all sides by corrupt government, graft, shady labor organizations and other evil baddies who want the hotel for their own. And what about her father? Is it possible he had the poker hand of a lifetime and won it all back the moment the earth shook? If so, can she find the missing cards and wrest ownership of the Bay View away from J.D. Thayer? Will Amelia and J.D. ever stop dancing around each other and realize there's some serious chemistry there?

I'm not telling. Despite a few quibbles towards the end, I really did enjoy this a lot and blew through it quite quickly. The architectural details and building challenges might bore some readers, but I found them fascinating. I really liked the character of Amelia, she was strong, intelligent and assertive without that annoying I Am Woman Hear Me Roar attitude you can get from some heroines. How nice that she could intelligently assert her independence and make wise choices in the face of danger instead of stupidly rushing out in the middle of night, thus requiring constant rescue by the hero :)

I found it very refreshing to learn that men found Amelia attractive without heaving bosoms or ripped bodices, as well as seeing the conflicts between the pair without the done to death trope of instant passion and loathing anytime a pair is in a room together. Another big thumbs up to Ms. Ware for writing well-rounded baddies and showing us why they're bad instead of telling us with snarling lips, stinking breath and feral smiles. As for the quibbles? IMHO things fell apart just a tad at the end, when all of a sudden it's time for the book to end and several pages of exposition are needed to wrap up the loose ends. Still, I enjoyed this overall and one I would heartily recommend to others, especially those interested in San Francisco history.
(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amelia Bradshaw has worked hard. As a thirty-year old woman in 1906, she has received her bachelor’s degree in engineering at UC Berkley and her degree in architecture from L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. After receiving her degree in architecture, she returned home to San Francisco, only to discover that her father has gambled away her and her mother’s inheritance, the grand Bay View Hotel. J.D. Thayer, the scoundrel son of a respected San Francisco family is now the proud owner of the hotel....more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-c, favorites, historical-fiction, library-book, united-states

While the previous book I read about the 1906 earthquake took place in the days prior to and during the trembler, A Race to Splendor takes place during the quake and the next year afterward as the city starts rebuilding. You get a unique perspective of what it was like to be a refugee after this disaster – in the Presidio make-shift hospital as well as trying to find somewhere to live amongst all the crumbled buildings. Most of the plot focuses on the competition between the Fairmont and the Bay...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 24, 2011 Sally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

The back cover blurb said this novel was about the rivalry between two female architects during the rebuilding of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. It's due to that description that I borrowed this book, but I didn't exactly get what was promised.

There are some excellent descriptions of San Francisco, the earthquake and the rebuilding. I could also well believe the grafting and other illegalities that went on during that period. Such practices went on in several of America's cities during...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 April Dinucci rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I love, love, love, loved this book! Ciji Ware has yet to disapoint. This novel was an epic love story told over the devastation of San Francisco at the brink of the 20th century following the earthquake of 1906.
Ms. Ware's breathtaking descriptions of San Francisco and the surrounding landscapes had me in awe. The tragic love story was beautiful and sweet. Ms. Bradshaw and Mr. Thayer were truly loveable characters that persevered through a love that was fraught with peril and professionally forb...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 24, 2011 Sheree rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical fiction lovers

Shelves: historical-fiction, arc, read-in-2011, reviews

This was such a fascinating story, delving into the devastating history of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, the aftermath and recovery. A blend of history and artistic licence laced with suspense, drama, romance, and political corruption giving readers a captivating and moving account.

I knew of the existence of architect Julia Morgan but little else and whilst she didn't inspire my affection in Race to Splendor, Ciji Ware certainly inspired me to read a little more about this histori...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 26, 2011 Colleen Turner rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first reviewed this book for the blog luxuryreading.com.

A Race To Splendor begins in early 1906 with Amelia Bradshaw returning to San Francisco after completing her degree in architecture from the distinguished L ‘ Ecole des Beaux Arts in France. She is returning under both exciting and devastating circumstances: she hopes to land a position in the architectural firm of her friend and mentor Julia Morgan (in actuality the first woman to graduate with a degree in architecture from the same Pari...more I first reviewed this book for the blog luxuryreading.com.

A Race To Splendor begins in early 1906 with Amelia Bradshaw returning to San Francisco after completing her degree in architecture from the distinguished L ‘ Ecole des Beaux Arts in France. She is returning under both exciting and devastating circumstances: she hopes to land a position in the architectural firm of her friend and mentor Julia Morgan (in actuality the first woman to graduate with a degree in architecture from the same Parisian school) and to put to rights her father’s drunken loss during a card game of Amelia’s maternal grandfather’s glorious hotel, The Bay View. Amelia arrives to find James Diaz Thayer, the black sheep of a wealthy and distinguished “founding family” of San Francisco, claiming to have won the hotel. Amelia’s claims of ownership are dismissed as she is unmarried and it is determined that her father has every right to manage her property as he sees fit. Feeling dejected, Amelia seeks employment with Julia Morgan, only to find part time employment is all she can get.

On April 18th, 1906 at 5:12 a.m., as Ms. Bradshaw finishes her work for the night, the very ground under her rises up into a mass of destruction. Much of San Francisco is destroyed by a massive earthquake and subsequent fires, including The Bay View hotel, the newly completed masterpiece The Fairmont hotel, and many other neighbors in exclusive Nob Hill. With the city in rubble, Julia Morgan is able to take Amelia on full time as a junior architect. Her first duty: to assist one of the firm’s newest clients, Mr. Thayer, in rebuilding the Bay View hotel! Fighting her utter loathing for the man and determined to restore the home of her youth, Amelia sets off to work as best she can with her adversary and to build the hotel from the ashes surrounding them, even when she believes her father may have won the hotel back for her right before his death in the quake. While Julia Morgan rebuilds the Fairmont and J.D. and Amelia work together to build the Bay View, both teams become determined to beat the other and open first on or before the one year anniversary of the quake. But can Amelia and J.D. ever put their differences aside and work together towards one common goal? And, even if they can, can they overcome all the obstacles and greedy hands reaching out to make sure they never succeed?

A Race To Splendor is pitch perfect! While it is a hefty book at no time does the storyline drag or feel forced. I immensely enjoyed watching Amelia and J.D.’s relationship shift and grow and to see how my opinions of each of the characters, both prominent and secondary, change as more information was revealed. It brings to light many social issues, such as women’s rights and the rights of the Chinese immigrants forced into servitude at the turn of the 20th century, while also promoting how everyone has the chance to change, even those most likely not to. If you enjoy historical fiction, you won’t be disappointed with this gem.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2011 Christy B (Readin' and Dreamin') rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, fiction, belle-époque, historical-fiction

Give me a book about an strong, independent woman fighting against prejudice to fulfill her dreams and be treated as an equal, then I'm most likely going to love it.

So, yes, I loved A Race to Splendor, which is the story of a fictional architect named Amelia Hunter Bradshaw. It's 1906, and upon her grandfather's death, Amelia returns to San Francisco to claim her inheritance: the Bay View Hotel, only to find her drunken father has gambled it away to a one Mr. James Diaz Thayer.

After then eventu...more

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2011 Laura Hartness rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. About a year ago I read Cottage by the Sea, also by Ciji Ware. I found it very enjoyable, so I was delighted to have the chance to read her latest work, Race to Splendor. And I must say, the lovely cover art also made it completely irresistible.

While I don’t rate Race to Splendor as high as Cottage, it was still an enjoyable read. Ciji intermingles her thorough, 10-year study of the period with a well-constructed story. From the moments preceding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, to the temblor...more About a year ago I read Cottage by the Sea, also by Ciji Ware. I found it very enjoyable, so I was delighted to have the chance to read her latest work, Race to Splendor. And I must say, the lovely cover art also made it completely irresistible.

While I don’t rate Race to Splendor as high as Cottage, it was still an enjoyable read. Ciji intermingles her thorough, 10-year study of the period with a well-constructed story. From the moments preceding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, to the temblor and resulting fires, to the laborious reconstruction of the city, much transpires within April 1906 and July 1907. The main characters Amelia Bradshaw and J.D. Thayer develop quite a bit, going from adversaries with seemingly divergent motivations in life, to becoming partners in more ways than one.

I enjoyed learning about the period, and Ware does a great job in educating her readers without the writing having a textbook flavor. I had no idea that much of the damage in 1906 actually came from the post-quake fires. And while I knew there was a large Asian population in the area, I had no idea that they had been under such terrible persecution and slavery. Along with women’s rights, much has changed in the last 100 years. Yes, this was a story of the rebuilding of two beautiful San Franciscan hotels and the struggles that went along with that, but the stories of the individuals and surrounding people groups were also just as important.

Race to Splendor is not a page-turner in the classic sense, but I found it interesting and for the most part liked the choices that Ware made in her narrative. Although I understand the viewpoint that the character Amelia had as a female architect in the early 20th century, I wish she had a more positive view of marriage. Her attitudes about trust, sexuality and matrimony were understandable; I just wish that those aspects of the character could have been different. Because of a few sexual moments within the novel (one of which was a same-sex scene), conservative readers may want to use discretion with this title.

Overall, Ciji has done quality work here. Her writing is pleasant and it’s clearly evident that she’s done her homework. The story has some devilishly nasty villains, and it’s great to see how the cast of characters grow and how long-held secrets are revealed. It’s interesting that many moments are based on true events as well. I haven’t been to San Francisco since 1979, but I hope to return one day and see some of the locations described in Race to Splendor, particularly architectural works by true-life architect Julia Morgan. Splendor was not only an enjoyable read, but it shined a light on the period in a way that has piqued my interest. As Ciji Ware had a goal of telling the story of the post-quake rebuild from the rarely-seen woman’s point of view, she has certainly succeeded in her effort.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 07, 2011 Kitty Bullard rated it 5 of 5 stars

CIJI WARE'S "A RACE TO SPLENDOR" (A REVIEW)

This book had everything I love, a strong woman, an equally strong man, headbutting, that ends in a love story... it was perfect. Ciji Ware definitely knows how to write a prominent historical novel with just the right amounts of drama, romance, history, and excitement. I fully intend to look for more of her works in the near future. The author constantly amazed me with her knowledge of the history in the early 1900's and just how hard it was for a woma...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 24, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2011-release, women-that-really-existed-fiction

This has been a fun read. I love the heroine, Amelia. I was hooked from the very beginning when she marches into the middle of a poker game and demands her hotel back to when she is learning to drive and demands that her "instructor" goes and hides behind a tree to when she fires men from the job site and brandishes a weapon to defend herself. She's a wonderfully strong heroine.

It's 1906 and Amelia comes home to San Francisco from France with a degree in architecture only to discover that her dr...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Gaile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: emery-s-2012-challenge-gaile-kenne, early-20th-century, highly-recommended, recommended-2012, rhfl-2012-challenge

Amelia Bradshaw arrives in San Francisco in 1906 to take over her grandfather's hotel only to find her father has gambled it away. The judge upholds that her father had every right to gamble it away and hands it over to blackguards J.D. Thayer and Ezra Kemp.
A few days later the earthquake and fire reduce the hotel to ashes. As a fully trained architect, Amelia's services are suddenly very much wanted especially by J.D.Thayer.
A mixture of feminism, minority racism, prejudices and a city rising fr...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ware-ciji

This book is an amazing tribute to one woman's struggle to be treated as an equal in a world ruled by men. It also defines and brilliantly portrays the human spirit's battle to fight to survive despite seemingly overwhelming odds and never-ending challenges. The attention to historical detail of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, including its aftermath, which Ms. Ware weaves beautifully throughout the story, is amazing. I loved learning about Julia Morgan, the famed architect of the Fairmont...more This book is an amazing tribute to one woman's struggle to be treated as an equal in a world ruled by men. It also defines and brilliantly portrays the human spirit's battle to fight to survive despite seemingly overwhelming odds and never-ending challenges. The attention to historical detail of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, including its aftermath, which Ms. Ware weaves beautifully throughout the story, is amazing. I loved learning about Julia Morgan, the famed architect of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. And, the plight and prejudice toward the early immigrants of this country (in this case, the Chinese) who literally helped build our nation, was informative and heartbreaking. The romance was not your typical "love at first sight" stereotype found in so many historical novels. It built gradually as the two characters worked together, side-by-side, for a common goal, facing incredible challenges. There are just so many wonderful elements that are seamlessly weaved into a gripping book here.

This is not my first Ciji Ware book. I recently discovered Ms. Ware's writing and, each time I read another of her books, I'm blown away by her talent and the book stays in my mind for days. Isn't that what a book should do - touch your heart, enrich your mind and make you think what would I do here? Did I like this book? No, I loved it.

On a side note, I'm a survivor of the 1994 Northridge, Los Angeles, Earthquake. To this day, I can remember every second and everything that happened to me with that mind-numbing event. Waking up in a daze at 4:31 a.m., thinking a train was coming through my bedroom, watching walls move in opposite directions, having slabs of concrete falling all around me, realizing it wasn't stopping, but getting stronger and more violent, thinking this is it, I'm dead. Then, waiting hour after hour, under rubble, wondering if anyone will ever find me and will I ever get out. Then, after getting out, stunned with what I saw around me, walking around in a haze for days. And, eventually, struggling to get back to a "normal" life when I had lost everything. Ms. Ware captured that terror, despair and hope in her descriptions of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake in this book. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amelia Bradshaw just received her Degree in Architecture in 1906 and has returned home to her family's hotel in San Francisco. When she arrives she discovers her father has lost it to a gambler in a high stakes card game. Soon after the earthquake strikes and she is involved in rebuilding the hotel. This is a wonderful story of an unusual woman during a time of high drama. It makes for a very dramatic and tense story. I really loved it and surprisingly it brought back memories of Hurricane Katri...more

like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Renae M. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, historical-fiction

I do not like chick-lit. I don’t really enjoy melodramatic plots about falling in and out of love and finding Mr. Right. However, on ocassion, I will pick up a suspiciously fluffy book and enjoy myself., but only if I’m in the right mood. Specifically, I have to be in the mindset where I can laugh off the silliness, rather than roll my eyes and bang my head against my Nook.

Luckily, A Race to Splendor caught me on one of my rare sappy moods, and as a result, I was massively entertained by Ciji W ...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2013 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I rated this book a 3 stars. But in reality, it’s more like 3.5 starts. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it and I’ll tell you why. In my opinion, it was about 100 pages too long. I felt that Ware did a fantastic job with imagery but tended to be a bit redundant in it. I felt like things were explained and then the same things were being explained in yet in the same or a different way on the next page or the next chapter.

But remember, I did say that I liked it. I knew almost nothing about th...more

like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

(3.5 stars) This book is set in San Francisco, just prior to the 1906 earthquake. Amelia Bradshaw, has just returned from France after completing her architecture degree, following in the footsteps of Julia Morgan. She is returning to wrest back control of her family's hotel and begin practicing her craft. She is unlucky on both counts, but manages to get some night work from Morgan and is unfortunate enough to be caught in the great earthquake. Surviving, she heads to her family's hotel and is...more

like · see review

May 20, 2011 Saba rated it 4 of 5 stars

San Francisco, 1906. Amelia Bradshaw returns home from her architectural studies in Paris only to find her beloved grandfather dead and the family's grand hotel on Nob Hill lost by her drunken fool of a father during a game of cards. Amelia loses her legal battle with the winner of the card game, J.D. Thayer, and takes employment with her mentor, architect Julia Morgan. And just who is Julia Morgan do you ask? You can read about her on the net, but her most famous project is the little house tha...more San Francisco, 1906. Amelia Bradshaw returns home from her architectural studies in Paris only to find her beloved grandfather dead and the family's grand hotel on Nob Hill lost by her drunken fool of a father during a game of cards. Amelia loses her legal battle with the winner of the card game, J.D. Thayer, and takes employment with her mentor, architect Julia Morgan. And just who is Julia Morgan do you ask? You can read about her on the net, but her most famous project is the little house that Julia built for William Randolph Hearst.

The big earthquake hits and events take a bit of a turn for Amelia. What wasn't destroyed in the earthquake burned during the subsequent fires and that includes her beloved Bay View Hotel. Julia's firm is hired to restore the Fairmont Hotel, as well as the Bay View and the race is on to restore both hotels to their full splendor so that they can reopen on the first anniversary of the disaster. Despite their past differences, Amelia and J.D. work together towards the common goal of restoring the Bay View, but they are beset from all sides by corrupt government, graft, shady labor organizations and other evil baddies who want the hotel for their own. And what about her father? Is it possible he had the poker hand of a lifetime and won it all back the moment the earth shook? If so, can she find the missing cards and wrest ownership of the Bay View away from J.D. Thayer? Will Amelia and J.D. ever stop dancing around each other and realize there's some serious chemistry there?

I'm not telling. Despite a few quibbles towards the end, I really did enjoy this a lot and blew through it quite quickly. The architectural details and building challenges might bore some readers, but I found them fascinating. I really liked the character of Amelia, she was strong, intelligent and assertive without that annoying I Am Woman Hear Me Roar attitude you can get from some heroines. How nice that she could intelligently assert her independence and make wise choices in the face of danger instead of stupidly rushing out in the middle of night, thus requiring constant rescue by the hero :)

I found it very refreshing to learn that men found Amelia attractive without heaving bosoms or ripped bodices, as well as seeing the conflicts between the pair without the done to death trope of instant passion and loathing anytime a pair is in a room together. Another big thumbs up to Ms. Ware for writing well-rounded baddies and showing us why they're bad instead of telling us with snarling lips, stinking breath and feral smiles. As for the quibbles? IMHO things fell apart just a tad at the end, when all of a sudden it's time for the book to end and several pages of exposition are needed to wrap up the loose ends. Still, I enjoyed this overall and one I would heartily recommend to others, especially those interested in San Francisco history.

(less)

like · see review

May 08, 2011 Mandolin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Newly certified as one of the world's few female architects, Amelia Bradshaw returns to San Francisco from Paris in hopes of finding employment with her former friend and classmate, Julia Morgan. Julia has made a name for herself after becoming the first female graduate of Paris' prestigious architectural school and Amelia hopes to become her protege and make enough money to save her family's Bay View Hotel from her drunkard father's reckless spending and mismanagement after her beloved grandfat...more Newly certified as one of the world's few female architects, Amelia Bradshaw returns to San Francisco from Paris in hopes of finding employment with her former friend and classmate, Julia Morgan. Julia has made a name for herself after becoming the first female graduate of Paris' prestigious architectural school and Amelia hopes to become her protege and make enough money to save her family's Bay View Hotel from her drunkard father's reckless spending and mismanagement after her beloved grandfather's death. She meets with utter disappointment the moment she disembarks, however, when she learns that her father has gambled away the hotel to a cardshark and notorious gamer, J.D. Thayer. Amelia attempts to regain the hotel in a legal battle that she loses. Adding to her disappointment is the menial position to which Julia appoints her and the coldness that Julia displays in their relationship. Realizing that she has few other opportunities to succeed in the male-dominated world, she accepts the position and tries to hope for a better future after she's proven her worth.

Her hopes are then turned upside down by the major earthquake and resulting fires that demolish almost the entire city of San Francisco. Though the disaster spells death and loss for many, it opens the door for Julia and Amelia to prove themselves as architects. In a surprising twist of events, the women end up as rivals when Julia is appointed to restore Fairmont and Amelia is hired by J.D. Thayer to restore the Bay View. It becomes a race to see which hotel will open first within the year after the quake.

Although she still firmly believes that she is the rightful owner of the hotel, Amelia is able to set aside her prejudice against J.D. in order to fulfill their shared dreams of a restored and improved Bay View. From the start, however, their work is hindered by greedy and corrupt businessmen and politicians who resort to blackmail, destruction and violence in their attempts to wrest the Bay View from J.D. Faced with these trials, J.D. and Amelia grow closer and find themselves re-evaluating all of their prior perceptions about each other and the world. As they do, they discover a surprising shared attraction. But will it survive the continued suspicions and secrets they each hold? Will they be able to accept the fact that each of them is a flawed human being with pasts that may not be perfect but that they're both capable of change?

Rich with architectural detail and history, Ciji Ware's novel is a wonderful introduction to the city of San Francisco and the horrors it faced after the 1906 earthquake. Although the constant back-and-forth dance between J.D. and Amelia got a little tiresome at the end and the resolution of the different subplots seemed to be a little too rushed, I found the book enjoyable as a whole. The characters were very well-drawn and interesting because none fit into a stereotypical role. I also liked learning about the city's history, especially the horrors of San Francisco's Chinatown and the atrocities that were perpetrated there. All in all, a certain recommendation for anyone interested in architecture or San Francisco!
(less)

like · see review

Apr 18, 2011 Linda Banche rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ciji Ware sets off seismic waves of her own in A RACE TO SPLENDOR, an earth-shaking triumph of a novel about a woman architect battling the male establishment in San Francisco in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake.

Amelia Hunter Bradshaw returns from completing her architect degree in Paris to find her drunken, irresponsible father has gambled away the Bay View Hotel, which her deceased grandfather left to her. To add insult to injury, her father lost the hotel to the disreputable J.D. Thayer,...more Ciji Ware sets off seismic waves of her own in A RACE TO SPLENDOR, an earth-shaking triumph of a novel about a woman architect battling the male establishment in San Francisco in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake.

Amelia Hunter Bradshaw returns from completing her architect degree in Paris to find her drunken, irresponsible father has gambled away the Bay View Hotel, which her deceased grandfather left to her. To add insult to injury, her father lost the hotel to the disreputable J.D. Thayer, a card cheat and dealer in prostitution, a friend of shady businessmen, and a man who openly flaunts his Chinese mistress. And the courts, which uphold the condescending patriarchial view that logical men must administer flighty women's property, uphold her father's actions.

Although Amelia despises J.D, work together they must to rebuild the Bay View Hotel from scratch in the construction frenzy after the earthquake's devastation. In the process, each discovers the other may not be quite what he or she appears.

From the graft-taking city officials and the venal wealthy businessmen who run the town, to the poor abused Chinese and Italian immigrants, Ms. Ware's cast of realistic supporting characters enriches the many layers in this book. Last, but not least, is the City of San Francisco itself, which Ms. Ware has lovingly described in all its historical and physical grandeur, encompassing both the good and the bad.

In Amelia and J.D., Ms. Ware has created a Darcy and Elizabeth for the early twentieth century. Amelia fights against the male-dominated world that treats women as children whom men must protect, but often abuse. And a woman doing a man's job is an abomination. While J.D. needs and admires Amelia as both an architect and a woman, he nevertheless believes he is just as right in his patronizing views as she is. These two strong personalities lock horns in a titanic struggle that causes the pages to melt away.

I adored this book. Ms. Ware writes the kind of stories I like: historicals with women doing so-called men's jobs who take on the male-dominated world and win, and heroes who like these heroines precisely because they are the way they are. After reading A RACE TO SPLENDOR, I ran out and bought Ms. Ware's ISLAND OF THE SWANS, WICKED COMPANY and A COTTAGE BY THE SEA. Am I going to have a good time.

ARC provided by Sourcebooks (less)

like · see review

Jan 31, 2013 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had mixed feelings about this book. For starters, I felt like I was reading two different books. The first half really focuses on the rebuilding of San Francisco and the history of the 1906 earthquake and its aftermath. There were great social issues raised and I found myself wanting to research the subject to learn more.

The second half of the book was more or less a romance novel (minus all the steamy scenes). The switch was a bit jarring for me, to be completely honest, and while I loved th...more

like · see review

Apr 23, 2011 Kathleen Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware, is a very well researched novel about the 1906 earthquake.
The San Francisco earthquake took the lives of approximately 3000 people and left more than 200,000 homeless.
The book also tells the story of Julia Morgan, a woman architect, who is far ahead of her time. In a world that generally did not accept women to have educations let alone enter a man's world as a professional architect.
Julia Morgan is a real person of history who studied and graduated from Ecole...more A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware, is a very well researched novel about the 1906 earthquake.
The San Francisco earthquake took the lives of approximately 3000 people and left more than 200,000 homeless.
The book also tells the story of Julia Morgan, a woman architect, who is far ahead of her time. In a world that generally did not accept women to have educations let alone enter a man's world as a professional architect.
Julia Morgan is a real person of history who studied and graduated from Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Amelia is also a graduate of the same school that Julia attended and is hired by Julia to work in her architecture firm.
Recently returned from Paris, Amelia returns to San Francisco to find that her grandfather has passed away.
The Bay View Hotel, that her grandfather owned and was supposed to be her inheritance, but she finds that her father has gambled the hotel away.
The new owner is J.D Thayer who is a less than honorable man.
I found the writing to be very believable that I could relate to the damage that this earthquake had done to property and people in San Francisco.
Amelia also has a falling out with Julia and is hired by J.D to work to rebuild the hotel.

There are greedy and licentious characters that make this story suspenseful and of course there is an element of romance.
So while people try to get their lives back together in spite of the obstacles that hinder the rebuilding of the Bay View Hotel.
The goal is to finish the hotel by April 18th, 1907, a year after the earthquake but Amelia and J.D. realize that because of a fire in the nearly completed hotel, that they will not be able to finish by the scheduled opening date.
There are also prejudices against not only women, but to the Chinese people who work for Amelia.
After reading Ms.Ware's novels I find it amazing that no matter what historical period she writes about, there is a lot of research that goes into her writing.
Ciji Ware is also the author of A Cottage by the Sea, Island of the Swans and Wicked Company.
I highly recommend any of these books.(less)

like · see review

Apr 03, 2011 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

My thoughts:

This was my first book by Ware and I certainly hope it will not be my last because it was a good one. It's set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the fires that destroyed much of the city. Early on tragedy strikes and then we get to see how the city is rebuilt. Or should we say how two hotels are rebuilt.

Ware took the real historical character of Julia Morgan and let her finish her Fairmont hotel, and then she created the main character and let her work for...more

like · see review

May 19, 2011 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, goodreads-firstreads

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2/3 of this book. In fact, I was beginning to wish the book was longer and with even more detail (the book did omit some conversations that were later briefly explained by the characters). I would have liked more detail on Julia Morgan, J.D.'s mother and the other characters, even if a sequel would have been necessary.
I wasn't as impressed with the last 1/3 of the book. I found Amelia to be self-righteous, and extremely opinionated based on false assumptions (I lo...more

like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Krazdi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I checked this book out from the library as a "librarian recommended" book. Thought the plot line was a bit flat but it was interesting to learn about San Francisco in the early 1900s as well as a woman's role outside of the home. Parts of the book were a bit too coincidental to believe ... but made for a nice read when rooting for the protaganist.

like · see review

Jul 08, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

A RACE TO SPLENDOR by Ciji Ware is another interesting historical fiction set in 1906 San Francisco. It is written with depth and details.It has the earthquake of 1906,
rebuildinglives,corruption,splendor,power,fortune,tragedy,rivalry,heartache,intrigue,and
rebuilding a city from ashes to splendor. This is the the story of two women,the destruction and rebuilding of San Francisco,and the people whose lives where changed forever. History and fiction is interwined to create an interesting and compel...more

like · see review

Nov 17, 2011 Suze rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ciji Ware is a new author to me, and I'm sure glad I found her! I enjoyed this book about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the rebuilding of the city in the aftermath. Until you read an in depth depiction of the era, and the event, you tend to base your knowledge on what you learned in school. This novel takes you one step further into the details, which are fascinating.

I especially liked the fact the one of the actual architects involved in the rebuilding of the city was a woman, which wa...more

like · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Dee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Chapter 9, Line 1:
"The following day, Thursday, hundreds of individual fires across some five hundred city blocks converged into one monstrous inferno fed by super-heated winds. By Friday evening, both the sun and the moon glowed a malignant blood red."
Mini Review:
Has a strong woman protagonist, fighting to prove herself as a female engineer & architect in a man's world (early 1900's). The background of the 1906 California fire is central to the theme of the story.
Very true to form in descr...more

like · see review

Oct 01, 2011 Olgalijo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

When I read the initial review of "Race to Esplendor" I found it very appealing. I new almost nothing of the San Francisco earthquake, and nothing at all about the first women engineers in the US.

The first part of "Esplendor" lived up to my expectations. The portraits of life and society in San Francisco at the time are vivid and detailed. The descriptions of the changing building techniques seem acurate and are also understandable to the lay reader.

My attention started to waver in the second h...more

like · see review

Oct 06, 2011 joy *the clean-reader extraordinaire* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: pg13-red, historical-fiction, mystery-or-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

title link	preview: A Race to Splendor
avg rating	preview: A Race to Splendor Goodreads rating: 3.65 (483 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9559404-a-race-to-splendor?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327944918l/9559404.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9559404-a-race-to-splendor?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware[/url]

A Race to Splendor

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Ciji Ware

Books by Ciji Ware

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About A Race to Splendor