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Outstanding
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The Globe And Mail [Toronto] Lynn Crosbie
February House is a compelling serial biography that never falters in either its acuity or depth of its exploration. In macrocosm, it is the work of a literary architect, who has rebuilt this house from foundation to roof, with each gaudy Victorian exterior and interior detail intact. [9 April 2005, D5]
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Outstanding
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Booklist Allison Block
Tippins masterfully blends fact, drama, and dish in this tale of young artists who pursued the truth "before the events of history blew out the illuminating candle."
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Favorable
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Boston Globe Denis Donoghue
A tremendous amount of research lies behind February House, and despite the fact that it doesn't always cohere as well as it might, it truly is an engrossing tale.
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Favorable
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Kirkus Reviews
A lively literary history with some surprising depth. [1 Dec. 2004, p. 1140]
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Favorable
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Library Journal Ron Ratliff
[A] fascinating literary history about a group of artists living together at a turbulent time; the only disappointment is learning that the house is no longer standing. [1 Feb. 2005, p.80]
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Favorable
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New York Observer Jean Nathan
[A] tremendous amount of research lies behind February House, and despite the fact that it doesn't always cohere as well as it might, it truly is an engrossing tale. [14 Feb. 2005, p. 20]
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Favorable
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San Francisco Chronicle Brenn Jones
Rather than focus on the conflicts of the house, Tippins focuses on the characters' contradictions and internal struggles. The biographical heft that grounds the narrative also skews it some -- as it turns out, most of the drama in these artists' lives was outside the sphere of their cohabitation.
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Favorable
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The New York Times Book Review Amanda Vaill
If Tippins, a former television producer, does not always manage to make a convincing case for 7 Middagh Street as a vital creative crucible... she nonetheless makes a deliciously readable one. [6 Feb. 2005 p. 8]
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Favorable
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The New Yorker
Tippins's book is a cozy, gossipy read, punctuated by solid, if perfunctory, literary criticism. [7 March 2005, p. 78]
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Favorable
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Washington Post Dennis Drabelle
Overall, this is a bracing story. A number of gifted artists came together, stimulated one another and got started on important works. The house itself has long since been demolished, but Sherill Tippins has rebuilt it with intelligence and charm. [13 Feb. 2005, T4]
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Favorable
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Publishers Weekly
This enjoyable and well-paced read should appeal to anyone interested in 1940s American intelligentsia and Brooklyn history alike.
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Favorable
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Houston Chronicle Michael J. Bandler
Ultimately, the personalities are what make this slice of literary history so tasty.
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Favorable
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Daily Telegraph Philip Hensher
Just as breathless and entertaining as you could wish.
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Favorable
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The Independent Michael Arditti
Tippins's highly original and entertaining piece of literary detective work unearths the creative, emotional and sexual struggles of this eccentric household.
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Mixed
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Daily Telegraph Claire Harman
Her synthesising of the available material and thorough recreation of the historical background is excellent. But somehow her tone seems brighter than the story would merit, for it is really a war story about displaced persons of one kind or another.
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Mixed
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TLS: The Times Literary Supplement Peter Parker
Although Tippins usually writes more coherently than this, some of her would be literary flourishes go badly awry... Even so, Sherill Tippins has a fascinating story to tell and her book stands as a welcome contribution to the cultural history of the twentieth century.
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Mixed
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Los Angeles Times Linda Yellen
"February House" might have worked better as a shorter, tighter piece -- say, an extended Vanity Fair article -- without losing any of the gained insights. [30 Jan. 2005, R9]
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