Book excerpt: The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin | Conversation Starters A Brief Look Inside: The Swans of Fifth Avenue, the latest historical fiction book written by Melanie Benjamin, reveals the glamorous lives of “the swans” who lived in the affluent Fifth Avenue neighborhood in New York City during the 1950s. Babe Paley, one of the most well-known swans of the era, struck up a friendship with famous author Truman Capote. Their bond grew stronger, and the two were often seen together in public, which surely made magazine headlines. Babe called Truman “True Heart,” while he thought of her as perfect. Truman Capote was welcomed in Babe Paley's circle with open arms, until he shockingly betrayed the women, an event that Babe Paley never saw coming. The Swans of Fifth Avenue was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, Book of the Week for People Magazine, and on the Must List for Entertainment Weekly. The storytelling has been considered “exceptional” by Harper's Bazaar. EVERY GOOD BOOK CONTAINS A WORLD FAR DEEPER than the surface of its pages. The characters and their world come alive, and the characters and its world still live on. Conversation Starters is peppered with questions designed to bring us beneath the surface of the page and invite us into the world that lives on. These questions can be used to... Create Hours of Conversation: • Foster a deeper understanding of the book • Promote an atmosphere of discussion for groups • Assist in the study of the book, either individually or corporately • Explore unseen realms of the book as never seen before Disclaimer: This book you are about to enjoy is an independent resource to supplement the original book, enhancingyour experience of The Swans of Fifth Avenue. If you have not yet purchased a copy of the original book, please do before purchasing this unofficial Conversation Starters.