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New York City, 1945. Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend, Marty Garrett, arrive fresh from the Kappa house at the University of Iowa hoping to find summer positions as shopgirls. Turned away from the top department stores, they miraculously find jobs as pages at Tiffany & Co., becoming the first women to ever work on the sales floor, a diamond-filled day job replete with Tiffany-blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwit Teller's—and the envy of all their friends.
Looking back on that magical time in her life, Marjorie takes us back to when she and Marty rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, pinched pennies to eat at the Automat, experienced nightlife at La Martinique, and danced away their weekends with dashing midshipmen. Between being dazzled by Judy Garland's honeymoon visit to Tiffany, celebrating VJ Day in Times Square, and mingling with Café society, she fell in love, learned unforgettable lessons, made important decisions that would change her future, and created the remarkable memories she now shares with all of us.
At the age of 82, Hart, a professional cellist, recalls 1945, when she and her best friend, Marty, students at the University of Iowa, spent the summer in Manhattan, in this pleasant but slight memoir. Failing to obtain work at Lord & Taylor, the pair, self-described as long-limbed, blue-eyed blondes, were hired at Tiffany's—the first female floor sales pages, delivering packages to the repair and shipping department, for $20 a week. Hart details their stringent budget ("1. Two nickels for subway. 2. Sandwich at the Automat: 15 cents") and describes, somewhat breathlessly, what a thrill it was to see such luminaries as Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland shop at the fabled store. Her romance with a midshipman, the combat death of her cousin, the news of the dropping of the first atomic bomb and a vivid account of the celebration in Times Square after Japan's surrender convey a sense of the WWII era, but without adding much illumination. She does, however, evoke New York City as seen through the eyes of two innocent smalltown girls. 16 pages of b&w photos and illus. (Apr.)
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Ah, old New York: city of Snow balls at the Stork Club, egg salad at the Automat, and breakfast at Tiffany, of course. All three institutions figure in this debut memoir set during the summer of 1945, when then Iowa sorority girl Hart, along with best friend Marty, ventured into Manhattan in search of shop-girl positions at Lord & Taylor. When that dream is dashed, the two call on an affluent lawyer reference, who helps them get jobs as the first female pages at Tiffany. Readers glimpse the glamour of their work (with a cameo by newlyweds Judy Garland and Vincent Minnelli) and sense the excitement of the city (as on V-J Day). Now 82 and retired from a university post, Hart competently conjures her giddy girl self, but this persona may be too wide-eyed and innocent for modern memoir readers. Take it from this New Yorker (a former midwesterner like Hart): the city ain't always pretty and couldn't have been 60 years ago either. Where, for that matter, is World War II in this fairy-tale summer? It comes but too late, and because she refuses to relinquish much innocence, Hart's sudden sadness seems out of place. Recommended for nostalgic members of the "greatest generation" and ardent New Yorkologists. [See Prepub Alert, LJ12/06.]
—Heather McCormack
When the Empire State Building loomed ahead, we were speechless. I felt like a princess on a Fourth of July float, looking at my kingdom, which in this case was a landscape of high-fashion show windows, screeching traffic, and the tallest building in the world.
We couldn't stop to sightsee. We were looking for a job.
Marty was holding a Manhattan map in her lap, while I held on to my hat.
"Get ready." She pointed. "Thirty-eighth Street is coming up!"
We barely made it down the narrow circular stairs before the bus took off again. In my eagerness to cross the street, I stepped into the path of a Checker Cab. A man pulled me back and Marty screamed. My heart lurched as I tried to catch my breath. The light changed from red to green, red to green, before I found the courage to step off the curb and cross the street.
I felt calmer as we enteredLord & Taylor. It was a historic moment. We could be working behind one of their glistening counters as early as tomorrow. In a trance, I followed the scent of Chanel No. 5 past the cosmetics counters and the racks of two-piece bathing suits, Hawaiian dresses, and turbans with sparkling rhinestone clips. By the time we reached the elevator, I had mentally spent my first paycheck.
Opening the door to the employment office, I stared in disbelief. Marty was wide-eyed. There, cramped into a vestibule with overflowing ashtrays, were over thirty girls waiting for applications, some crouched on the floor. Included in that group were a Powers model type in a sleeveless pink linen dress; a pert brunette teetering on four-inch white ankle-strap heels; and two elegant girls with white shantung jackets. Looking at us, they smiled, giggled, and laughed. My face flamed as we squeezed into the line.
We were garbed in black. Totally. Black dresses, shoes, and cartwheel hats. Our inspired outfit had been copied from a glossy ad in Vogue, but that sweltering day, we looked like characters out of a Tolstoy tragedy.
Marty and I gave each other The Look. With heads up, we peeled off our white gloves to fill out our applications, and smiled back at the girls. Little did they know the kind of pull we had.
The harried manager didn't bother to look up when we handed our applications in.
"Come back next fall," she said crisply.
Next fall? She's dismissing us without reading our applications? She doesn't know our connections? I was furious! We'd counted on this job. We needed it for the summer. Now.
"Excuse me," I said. "We have friends working here"-my voice was so tight, I scarcely recognized the anger in it-"and an important reference-"
She shook her head, filing our applications without glancing at them. Or us.
"Don't worry, Marjorie, this isn't the only big deal in town," Marty said on the way out.
Beads of sweat trickled down my face. We trudged in and out of a dozen stores, waiting in lines and filling out applications. When we reached Saks Fifth Avenue the management only shooed us away. I couldn't believe it! What was this wild rumor that finding a job in Manhattan was easy?
It had all started a month ago, when three of our sorority sisters had landed fabulous jobs at Lord & Taylor. Lord & Taylor! The day they received the letters, they shrieked and celebrated the news all over the Kappa house until our housemother put the kibosh on the wild conga line they had started.
"Come along," Anita had urged every Kappa. "Getting a summer job in Manhattan is a cinch!"
The next thing we knew, every girl at the University of Iowa wanted a train ticket for the East Coast to find a high-fashion job.
"We can get on a train for New York, too," Marty said in our dorm room.
"New York City?" She couldn't be serious. Summer school was beginning in a few weeks and I was sure that her savings were as meager as my own.
"You bet," she said, pitching our summer schedule in the wastebasket. "All we have to do is collect Coke bottles-there's tons around the campus. Enough for a couple train tickets." Gesturing with her cigarette, she added, "Think of the fun we'll have-Broadway shows ... nightclubs ... and those beaches!"
That struck a chord. I'd never been east of the Mississippi River and had always wanted to see the ocean. Remembering the last stifling Iowa City summer that only a row of corn could love and the dim social life at Whetstone's Drug Store-now that nearly every eligible man was either fighting in the Pacific or waiting to be shipped out-it wasn't difficult to start collecting those empty Coke bottles. Leave it to Marty. Scooping up those bottles was fun, frenzied, and frantic. All we needed was that job.
Now, standing outside of Saks Fifth Avenue, Marty shrugged. I was scared. We climbed back on the next bus. The upper deck was crammed with servicemen, shoppers, and kids with ice cream cones dripping from the blazing June sun.
Two navy lieutenants tried to stir up a breeze with a newspaper while they debated the merits of President Truman. I fanned myself with my hat. A red-hot blister forced me to take off my shoe.
Marty was undaunted. Sitting close to the rail, she studied each block looking for the next strategy like some four-star general. The stores were becoming smaller, more exclusive, and more unlikely. Hattie Carnegie? Good heavens.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart Copyright © 2007 by Marjorie Hart . Excerpted by permission.
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Anonymous
Posted March 6, 2011
There were so many editorial mistakes in this book I had to wonder if I was reading a draft. This memoir is a very sweet read, and I do recommend it for an evenings entertainment.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 26, 2012
Sweet read but RIDICULOUS amount of typos and even transposed or repeated paragraphs. Was this book even edited?
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.rocketladymm
Posted October 29, 2011
Country girls enjoy behind of the scenes at Tiffany's in the 1940's.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MrsSpinewiz
Posted July 27, 2011
Wonderful true story, a great glimpse into life in glamorous, "old" New York! Beautifully written, capturing the essence of an Iowa country girl transplanted to NYC - although, as other reviewers have said, this book is very poorly edited - misspellings, repeated paragraphs, characters changing names (and other information changing - was it a teapot or a chocolate pot?) from one paragraph to the next.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.chaussie
Posted July 8, 2011
Great story that you can relate too, no matter when you were born!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 18, 2011
Great, easy read, but really has HarperCollins stopped proofing for things such as proper spelling? Several cases of paragraphs that were repeated on multiple pages leaving me to scratch my head and wonder if I was crazy, only to turn back a few pages and see the same paragraph right there. Several instances where I am quite confident the paragraphs were not in the correct order either.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KatzenjammerKid
Posted March 19, 2011
Reading SUMMER AT TIFFANY brought back memories of so many things that have slowly eroded over the decades--living life rather than defining it by one's possessions, joy in landing a summer internship that wasn't measured by dollars, relationships with family and friends in an easier time when the glaring headlights of instant media coverage and rampant cynicism hadn't reared their ugly heads, and most importantly, an appreciation of the simpler things in life that create the most lasting and beautiful memories, many of which shape the paths we choose to take. Hats off to Marjorie Hart for capturing a slice of time in one perfect New York summer!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 9, 2011
This is a great book - very well written. I loved it and wish I could find more books like this one.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.OrchidMom
Posted January 11, 2011
Couldn't put it down and read it in just a day. Such a delightful story! Picked it up in the bookstore more than once and am so glad I went ahead and bought it. I'll certainly read it again! If you're a fan of New York and the era, this book can't be missed!
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Posted December 7, 2010
IT WAS OKAY DIDNT KEEP ME INTERESTED
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.GirlyGirl694
Posted August 8, 2010
I fell upon this charming story browsing my local library on a hot summer afternoon. I read it in an evening and was delighted by it. It is the wonderful story about a magical summer spent working in Tiffanys at the end of World War II. I completely enjoyed the story of the Small Town Girls who played in The Big City for a season.
Luckily, a couple years later I ran across this book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble where I immediately added it to my collection.
southernheart
Posted August 2, 2010
Like most women, the words "Tiffany & Co." and the symbol of that little blue box warm my heart. Mrs. Hart's endearing story about her favorite summer was honest and heartfelt and made me recollect my favorite summer memories. It was an amazing beach read that I've passed to all of my friends. Definitely recommend!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I enjoyed reading all about the two girls' travels and their summer working at Tiffany's. Being a NYer it was great to hear all about things that no longer exist and things that are still around from this era. The book gave such nice thoughs and explainations of this time period, it made wish that I belonged to that time. A time when things were so much more simple and life was different. I was sad to see it come to an end.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.New York City, 1945. Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend Marty Garrett, arrive fresh from the Kappa house at the University of Iowa hoping to find summer positions as shopgirls. Turned away from the top department stores, they miraculously find jobs as pages at Tiffany & Co., becoming the first women to ever work on the sales floor, a diamond-filled ay job replete with Tiffany-blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwit Teller's - and the envy of all their friends.
Looking back on that magical time in her life, Marjorie takes us back to when she and Marty rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, pinched pennies to eat at the Automat, experienced nightlife at La Martinique, and danced away their weekends with dashing midshipmen. Between being dazzled by Judy Garland's honeymoon visit to Tiffany, celebrating VJ Day in Times Square, and mingling with Café society, she fell in love, learned unforgettable lessons, made important decisions that would change her future, and created the remarkable memories she now shares with all of us in Summer at Tiffany, A Memoir by Marjorie Hart.
I was provided with the opportunity to review this book compliments of TLC Book Tours and found this book amazing and a must read. It is in the midst of WWII, and food rationing and stories in the newspapers and movie newsreels were common place.
Since this book is a memoir you find out just what it is like to be a young college girl living in NYC at the height of the war. Times were hard as everyone was doing their part to aid in the war, from saving chewing gum wrappers and nylons to bacon grease. You even learn where they were making part of the atom bomb. This is a classic book that ties a personal touch to history during a time when we waited for news that the war would end.
This book was absolutely enjoyable. My favorite type of book is historical fiction and I was skeptical about whether or not I would like Summer at Tiffany. However I had planned to read it over a six day vacation and then I ended up finishing it on the first day while traveling!
Majorie and her friends, like Marty, are very likeable and reminded me of people I know from that generation. Through Majorie's memoir she provides a glimpse for us into a young woman's life in 1945 and VJ Day in New York City. My favorite part of the memoir is VJ Day - I would never have imagined it to be quite like her description.
I found the writing style to be relaxing to read and yet made her life during those few months very real. The photographs included from their summer certainly add to your visual imagery as you read.
Summer at Tiffany - a Memoir would be a great book to take to the beach or plan to read over a weekend.
jakrol
Posted May 17, 2010
Purchased this as a gift for a friend and she LOVED it! It is turning into a book club all on its own, because my friend turned it over to her sister, who turned it over to friends, and so on. So far, they are all enjoying it very, very much.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I don't think I would ever imagine a non-fiction book, or a memoir to be more specific, to be such an amazing read. I'm more of a fantasy, faries and magic, and Harry Potter sort of book lover, but when I started reading this book I knew I was going to love Summer at Tiffany just as much as I did any fiction book. In Summer at Tiffany Marjorie Hart, or Marjorie Jacobson, at the time, tells the story of her most memorable and amazing summer of her life: the summer of 1945 where she and her best friend, MartyGarrett, worked at Tiffany & Co. in New York. Ms. Hart tells all about their adventures around the big city, their apartment on Morningside Drive, the places they went with their midshipmen and of course their experiences as the first two women to ever work on the sales floor at Tiffany's. This book was very different than what I am used to, but I loved it all the same. In some aspects I feel like I could relate and connect to Marjorie and Marty because they are actually real, living people instead of fiction characters like Harry Potter of Eragon. This captivating 258 page book catches your attention from the moment the two girls are looking at Fifth Avenue from a double decked bus to their summers after Tiffany's. I would recommend this book to girls and women from the ages of 13 to infinity. I hope you enjoy! I know I did!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 5, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I really enjoyed this book. I love New York and this book was like visiting there again. I remember the first time I walked into Tiffany's and Marjorie Hart brought back those feelings with her descriptions. I would highly recommend this book, it would be a great summer read when you are on the beach or just relaxing.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SCB59
Posted May 5, 2010
The story of the first two ladies allowed to work on the sales floor at Tiffany. I saw myself and my own childhood best friend in these two young ladies. It will make you laugh out loud. I always enjoy accurate period peieces. It's interesting to get an insiders view of life during that time in out country's history.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 5, 2010
This was an interesting story about the author's experiences as a collegiate--her summer working @ Tiffany's in NYC as well as living through WWII. Not only was it easy to read, but it was enlightening as to what the USA was like during that time period. My parents were same age as the author so I could easily imagine them feeling many of the same things that the author did during this time. I would recommend this book for a fun & relaxing read.
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Overview
New York City, 1945. Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend, Marty Garrett, arrive fresh from the Kappa house at the University of Iowa hoping to find summer positions as shopgirls. Turned away from the top department stores, they miraculously find jobs as pages at Tiffany & Co., becoming the first women to ever work on the sales floor, a diamond-filled day job replete with Tiffany-blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwit Teller's—and the envy of all their friends.
Looking back on that magical time in her life, Marjorie takes us back to when she and Marty rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, pinched pennies to eat at the Automat, experienced nightlife ...