Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

I finished reading Rules of Civility at the end of 2023, making it the second book I read last year. It was given to me as a gift two Christmases ago after I put it in my Secret Santa wishlist. I requested it because I enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow, written by the same author Amor Towles.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Rules of Civility tells the story of Katey Kontent, a bold, street-smart, and ambitious woman who gets thurst into the political and manipulative world of upper class society in New York in the 1930s. It's not hard to root for Katey, who relies on her good sense and astute ability to read people (for the most part) to find her way. Along her journey, she encounters many compelling characters, including Tinker Grey, a wealthy and charming banker whom she meets by chance at a bar on New Year's Eve.

It's a really engaging book, partly because the characters are fleshed out very well and partly because Katey's path is full of unexpected twists and turns, made even more complicated by the relationships she has with the people around her. Arguably the biggest plot twist comes in a bit earlier than I anticipated, mainly because in most plots, these revelations usually come close to the end. There's a moment in the book that I found to be quite heartbreaking and the ending left me with a bit of a lingering sadness, but I always find these evocative stories to be the best and most memorable ones.

I really do enjoy the books of Amor Towles that I read because he creates such interesting characters and weaves riveting stories. I have one more of his books - The Lincoln Highway - which I hope I get to read some time this year.