Plot/Summary:
New York Times reporter Lily Koppel found a dumpster outside her apartment building and learned that management was clearing out abandoned property in the building's storage area. She discovered many treasures from pre-World War II including a red leather diary. The inscription from 1929 stated that it belonged to Florence Wolfson, who received it for her 14th birthday. Feeling a connection with the young woman who faithfully recorded her experiences and thoughts for five years, Koppel used an investigator and found Wolfson still alive in Connecticut. After Koppel returned the journal to her, she developed a personal relationship with Wolfson that resulted in the publication of her biography.  

Comments:
The Red Leather Diary is an engrossing, fast-paced story about a highly-gifted teenager from an immigrant family becoming a sophisticated young woman in the 1930s. The diary reveals her innermost thoughts, her relationships and her desire for recognition. The biography also reveals the vibrant cultural life of New York City between the wars.

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