In 1945, Marjorie Jacobson and Marty Garrett, best friends attending the University of Iowa, travel to New York City for the summer, hoping to find work as shopgirls for one of the department stores. They discover that they aren't the only ones with this clever idea, and are turned away from store after store. On a whim, they apply for positions at Tiffany & Co, and miraculously are hired as pages, becoming the first women ever to work on the Tiffany sales floor.
Hart writes as if she is sitting with you, sharing the stories she remembers fondly from that summer, laughing at her own naivete and mishaps. Her experiences at Tiffany are mingled with dances and dates, meals at the Automat, struggles with their meager budget. She shares her letters home, relates the effects of the war on their lives, and describes the celebration on Times Square when the Japanese surrender.
Hart's book is a great summer read - enjoy it!
P.S. I hope that when I'm 82, my photo looks as good as Ms. Hart's does!
The best summer? I have three, in reverse chronological order:
ReplyDelete1. My last real summer, after my freshman year and before my mission. The summer ended with Rachelle's coming to visit and my receiving my mission call during the visit.
2. Between my junior and senior year in HS, when I went to Germany for part of the summer. Mom also had signed me up for youth conference when I returned. I did not want to go, but Mom pulled a "do it for me" (one of very few I remember her using with me), and it was life changer for me.
3. An unspecified year -- but somewhere in junior high -- the summer of sleepovers in the tent behind Buzonas' house, riding bikes in the neighborhood, hanging out with friends -- before "real life" began.
I don't remember any particular summer; instead, I remember events: our family trip to Jamestown & Virginia Beach; a trip to Washington DC; climbing on the roof to watch fireworks and then being afraid to get back on the ladder to climb down; the skit we did at some young adult activity ("Give me your loot"); kickball games at the Banks' home; Little League games, with bottles of pop in a cooler; swimming at the pool at Dravo, and stopping for ice cream afterwards; working at the snack bar at Grants; driving with David to work at Dravo (and learning to drive that VW bug)....
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