Summer at Tiffany...Review

About the book:
Summer at Tiffany is a memoir of the summer of 1945, when Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend Marty traveled from the Kappa House at the University of Iowa to New York City, hoping to land sales jobs at Lord and Taylor or Saks Fifth Avenue. Turned away from the top department stores, they made their way to 57th Street where refusing to be deterred, Marty lead Marjorie into the legendary Tiffany store, and somehow these best friends talked their way into positions as pages–the first women to ever work on the sales floor. Their salary left them penniless and pondering the "Wheaties and Celery Diet," but their diamond filled day–job was the envy of other romantic minded girls who had flocked to New York City that steamy June. Their dream was made complete by their Manhattan apartment–conveniently close to the dashing Navy Midshipmen at Columbia University, and their college friends summering on Long Island.

Their workdays found the girls dazzled by the likes of honeymooners Judy Garland and Vincent Minnelli, Marlene Dietrich in her USO uniform, and legendary playboy Jimmy Donohue. They delivered and modeled priceless jewels, nearly lost precious pearls, and encountered Old Man Tiffany himself during a rare visit. In between getting lost in Harlem , witnessing the Eisenhower Parade, VJ Day in Times Square, and mingling with the Cafe Society–Marjorie Hart fell in love, learned lessons and made decisions that would impact the rest of her life.

An absolutely charming memoir. The true story of two college-age girls who travel to New York City for a summer adventure in 1945. Marjorie and her friend Marty are intent on finding summer jobs at Lord & Taylor but, instead, find themselves the first female Pages ever hired at Tiffany.

What follows is a delightful adventure as they encounter stunning diamonds, wayward pearls, wealthy clients and even movie stars. The war is winding down and Manhattan is an exciting place to be with nightclubs and dances and soldiers. They experience VJ day at Times Square and Marjorie even finds an innocent summer romance.

A truly delightful read. As Marjorie writes in her introduction: "everyone has a spellbinding story worth telling." This little memoir is definitely spellbinding and is a delicious story. A novel of innocent adventure and coming of age.

Well worth your time.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 9/08

* * * *
4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I had seen this book in one of my local bookshops a while ago now and wondered if it would be a good read - looks like I should have picked it up!

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  2. I haven't seen that book yet, so I was glad to see your review. I've added it to my enormously long wish list. *Sigh*

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  3. I haven't heard of this book before, but it sounds like a fun read. I'll have to look for it next time out book shopping.
    Thanks for the review. :)

    RebekahC

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