We Came Here to Shine: A Novel

by Susie Orman Schnall

Overview

Set at the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, Susie Orman Schnall's We Came Here to Shine is historical fiction featuring two bold and ambitious women who navigate a world of possibility and find out what they're truly made of during a glorious summer of spectacle and potential.

“An ode to female friendship that pulses with momentum and left me breathless.” —Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Chelsea Girls

“A remarkable novel about the challenges women face and the courage they must summon in order to lead the lives they deserve." —Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Two-Family House

Gorgeous Vivi is the star of the Aquacade synchronized swimming spectacular and plucky Max is a journalist for the fair's daily paper. Both are striving to make their way in a world where men try to control their actions and where secrets are closely kept. But when Vivi and Max become friends and their personal and professional prospects are put in jeopardy, they team up to help each other succeed and to realize their dreams during the most meaningful summer of their lives.

Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Beatriz Williams, We Came Here to Shine is a story of ambition, friendship, and persistence with a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary NY World's Fair.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250169785
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	616,074
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

SUSIE ORMAN SCHNALL grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Her writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Writer’s Digest, and Glamour. She is also the author of The Subway Girls and of the award-winning novels On Grace and The Balance Project. Susie has spoken extensively on work-life balance and is the founder of The Balance Project interview series. She lives in Purchase, NY, with her husband and their three sons.

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2020

Schnall (The Subway Girls) sets this inspiring tale of friendship between two driven women at the 1939 World’s Fair. Vivi Holden is a young Hollywood starlet poised for her first leading role, while Maxine “Max” Roth is an NYU student intent on a summer internship at the New York Times. But after test audiences disapprove of Vivi as a conniving lead, her studio sends her to the fair’s Aquacade water ballet. Max, meanwhile, doesn’t get the internship and instead ends up at the daily World’s Fair publication, where her male counterpart writes the articles while Max manages the schedule. Vivi returns to her native New York City and learns she has four days to learn the Aquacade’s intricate swimming sequences to perform in front of thousands. At the fair, Vivi and Max meet after listening to a talk on women’s rights and begin going out for drinks. After photos surface of Vivi with Dean, the new lead swimmer, management informs the duo they are to act as a couple. Vivi then devises a plan with Max to spin the story to their advantage. While a melodramatic subplot leads to an outlandish scene of violence, Schall makes Max and Vivi’s struggle to fulfill their dreams palpable. Schnall’s engrossing period piece offers two characters worth rooting for. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Schnall’s engrossing period piece offers two characters worth rooting for.” —Publishers Weekly

“[One of] the 20 most anticipated books of summer 2020.” —Travel + Leisure

“[One of] 16 new historical fiction books to read this spring.” —Parade

“[One of] the 20 most anticipated books of 2020 for working moms.” —Working Mother

"[One of] the most anticipated books of summer—all by women.” —Frolic

“[One of] the most anticipated books of summer 2020.” —She Reads

“[One of] 10 of the most anticipated books coming in 2020.” —She Knows

"On the thrilling backdrop of the 1939 World’s Fair, Schnall once again delivers a story both captivating and timely, as two women must struggle to make their way in a male-dominated world in this beautiful novel of friendship and ambition." - Jennifer S. Brown, bestselling author of Modern Girls

"Susie Orman Schnall’s WE CAME HERE TO SHINE offers readers a perfect escape. It’s the absolutely delightful story of Vivi and Max, two young women who are chasing their dreams at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. This novel beautifully illustrates the importance of female friendships and how, at certain times in life, they can help you be strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined. In many ways, the third fascinating character in this book is the 1939 World’s Fair itself, as Schnall’s lush descriptions of the fair’s pavilions and amusements leap off of the page. I cannot recommend it enough!" -Jane Healey, Bestselling Author of The Beantown Girls

“At its heart, WE CAME HERE TO SHINE pulses with tenacity, ambition, and friendship as two enterprising women find their paths to the future through the power of sisterhood. This wonderful story glows with colorful historical details and delivers a behind-the-scenes ticket to the wonders and woes of New York’s 1939 World’s Fair.” - Elise Hooper, author of Fast Girls, The Other Alcott, and Learning to See

“Set at the wondrous 1939 World’s Fair, Orman Schnall’s latest bursts like a technicolor movie right off the page, as her two heroines battle for their rights in what’s very much a man’s world, forging a remarkable bond in the process. An ode to female friendship that pulses with momentum and left me breathless.”

—Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Chelsea Girls

“We Came Here to Shine is an exceptional work of historical fiction, illuminating the challenges of women in a world that wants to control them. There are conflicts and challenges at every turn, leaving the reader wondering how the characters can emerge from it all. Yet the skillful storytelling of Schnall succeeds at creating an ending that is both surprising and believable. Pick this one up if you enjoy books with friendship, love, struggle, triumph, and a bit of Hollywood in New York.” – Camille Di Maio, Bestselling author of The Memory of Us

"We Came Here to Shine is a perfectly crafted and dynamic tale of female ambition, professional rivalry, and family secrets, all set against the sensational backdrop of the 1939 New York World’s Fair. An unlikely friendship between a struggling Hollywood starlet and a budding female journalist becomes the extraordinary centerpiece of this beautifully-told story, which reveals not only the glamorous and optimistic side of the Fair, but the sordid reality of what goes on behind the scenes. With masterful attention to historical detail, Susie Orman Schnall has gifted us with a remarkable novel about the challenges women face and the courage they must summon in order to lead the lives they deserve." - Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Two-Family House

From the Publisher