âThe book I most often give as a gift to cheer people up.â âHilary Mantel
âTart, beguiling, witty and compassionate, Madeleine St. Johnâs novel is a literary boost for the spirits.â âMaureen Corrigan, Fresh Air
âA deceptively smart comic gem.â âThe New York Times Book Review
âWitty and delicious.â âPeople
The women in black, so named for the black frocks they wear while working at Goodeâs department store, are busy selling ladiesâ dresses during the holiday rush. But they somehow find time to pursue other goalsâŚ
Patty, in her mid-thirties, has been working at Goodeâs for years. Her husband, Frank, eats a steak for dinner every night, watches a few minutes of TV, and then turns in. Patty yearns for a baby, but Frank is always too tired for that kind of thing.
Sweet, unlucky Fay wants to settle down with a nice man, but somehow nice men donât see her as marriage material.
Glamorous Magda runs the high-end gowns department. A Slovenian ĂŠmigrĂŠ, Magda is cultured and continental and hopes to open her own boutique one day.
Lisa, a clever and shy teenager, takes a job at Goodeâs during her school break. Lisa wants to go to university and dreams of becoming a poet, but her father objects to both notions.
By the time the last marked-down dress is sold, all of their lives will be forever changed.
A pitch-perfect comedy of manners set during a pivotal era, and perfect for fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Women in Black conjures the energy of a city on the cusp of change and is a testament to the timeless importance of female friendship.