Marjorie Hart

I don't know about you - but when I think memoir I think of some of the more depressing stories I've read; stories of abuse and abandonment. I don't know when Memoir became synonymous with those subjects in my head but thank goodness Marjorie Hart was there this week to show me how different memoirs can be.

This book was one of the most pleasant, most nostalgic memoirs I've read. It almost felt like fiction in spots so fantastic were the names and the places being seen.

Tiffany has always show more been a magical name to me, I mean, what girl doesn't love at least looking at sparkling diamonds or watching Audrey Hepburn on the screen as she emerges from a taxi in front of the famous store. I loved getting an "inside" look at what was like in the 40's during wartime for these girls who made a place for women working in the established store.

Although there wasn't as much store talk as I had hoped there would be, I still wasn't disappointed. Marjorie has some amazing memories and brought goosebumps to my arms more than once as she described the scenes she was seeing in New York at the time of the Japanese surrender.

Overall the book was a very light, perfect summer memoir to read and I highly recommend it if you are looking for that perfect story to read on the beach. show less

I would describe this one as an airport book, light, sweet, and easily digestible; plus, you can lose it in the cab and not feel sad.

Marjorie Hart was 19 when she and her friend Marty decided to spend a summer in NYC working at a "glamorous store" like Saks Fifth Avenue. It was 1945 and they each had about $30 - plenty of money, right? Saks and Bonwit Teller rejected them, but Tiffany's offered to employ them as pages at near-starvation wages. They knew they would be on the Wheaties and show more celery diet, but you know - they were nineteen. And as Marjorie tells it, it was the best summer of her life, the kind of crazy, silly adventure only a 19-year-old can have.

Marjorie's voice is that of her 19 year old self, even though she was in her eighties when she wrote this. Lots of "Ohmygosh!" and similar wartime expressions, and a very simple writing style. The book is not great literature, nor does it pretend to be; it's more like a friendly letter from an old college friend who isn't a brilliant writer, but has a REALLY COOL story to tell. A pleasant way to kill a few hours. show less

This book was so much fun to read! Summer at Tiffany is a memoir set in 1945, the true story of Marjorie and her best friend Marty and the best summer of their lives. The two sorority sisters from Iowa move to the Big Apple in search of fun, adventure, and freedom. After being turned away from Lord & Taylor, they apply at the world famous Tiffany & Co. A great letter of reference and a funny mix-up land the girls jobs as Tiffany's first ever female pages, delivering packages between the show more sales floor and the in-store repair shop. From the girls' frequent sightings of the rich and famous, to their Tiffany blue uniforms from Bonwit Teller, to the hilarious mishaps and situations they find themselves in, the fun details in the book make it a delightful and fast read. It also provides a fascinating window into 1945 New York City, and particularly the triumph and relief that the end of WWII brought.
Marjorie Hart does an amazing job of evoking the innocence and naivety of both being that age and of that era. She captures a snapshot of herself (and Marty) as young girls who know nothing outside the boundaries of their simple lives in Iowa, but who somehow figure out how to navigate this new and exciting world, and have a blast doing so!
As soon as I finished, I gave this book to my best friend, knowing that it would bring back wonderful (and funny) memories of when we were that age, just as it had for me. A great, fun summer read! show less

This is a sweet memoir of a young, naive Iowa college girl and her best friend going to the “big” city in the summer of 1945. The detailed descriptions of the sights and sounds of the city painted an authentic picture of New York City near the end of WWII. I felt I joined Marjorie and Marty as they took their first subway and double-decker rides, lunched at the Automat, and went nightclubbing. It was great fun to read of their adventures and mishaps working at Tiffany. The descriptions show more of 1940’s fashion added to the richness of the story. I especially enjoyed the little details, such as the stocking stiff painted onto Marjorie’s legs dripping onto a midshipman’s white shoes (as nylons were in short supply due to the war). This was a fun, quick read that I highly recommend. show less