Marjorie Hart

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

Imagine the best phase of your life - a trip, a job, an opportunity of some sort, a time you reflect upon now with fond memories and a desire to be transported backward in time. Summer at Tiffany describes just this type of phase experienced by Marjorie and her best friend, Marty. Their summer adventure takes place in 1944, as the two college girls attending the University of Iowa decide to take a chance and move to New York City in search of jobs at a ritzy department store and a glimpse of show more the glamorous, fast-paced lifestyleThe Big Apple had to offer. Their hopes of finding work in a clothing store fizzle, but they catch a major break and discover an opportunity at Tiffany working as female pages (the first the store had ever employed). This book is a collection of Ms. Hart's memories from that lovely summer - what they learned, the people they met, the celebrities they encountered, and they ways in which their journey changed them.

For me, this book was delightful to read. It was not something that I had to sit down and read in one sitting; rather, I enjoyed reading it a bit at a time, here and there. It did not captivate or wow, but it did provide me with simple enjoyment as I imagined the adventures of Marjorie and Marty.

My first reaction to this memoir was to dismiss it as oversimplified and lacking depth, but then I had a moment of realization - Ms. Hart wrote this book in her eighties trying to capture the feelings and expressions of her twenty year old self. This would have been no easy task for her, and approaching the writing with this attitude really allowed me to enjoy the book and appreciate it for what it was: a short glance into the past, into a world that is no longer, into a beautiful summer adventure. It is rare even now, 2010, to hear of a smalltown guy or gal jetting off to the 'big city' to risk it all. With this in mind, I was able to admire Marjorie and Marty's courage and gumption even more.

If you are looking for a simple, but delightful read I recommend Summer at Tiffany - maybe if you recently came off of a challenging book or are looking for a pleasant and light choice to wind down these dwindling summer days. show less

Marjorie Hart’s Summer At Tiffany bears the trademark hue I know so well and immediately caught my eye. It’s a memoir set in 1945, a year that bears the distinction of seeing the end of World War II and a new era of life in America. Marjorie Hart is a young woman from Iowa who arrives in New York City seeking adventure and spends one summer in the city, where she gets a job as one of the first female pages at Tiffany.

Her months in New York are spent learning about the city, eying famous show more Tiffany patrons and searching to discover her true path in life. As new opportunities arise and threaten to take her farther from her close family and dreams in Iowa, Marjorie must decide whether she should follow the carefully-laid path or venture into unknown territory.

Summer At Tiffany, above all else, is a nostalgic feel-good memoir that had me eager to find a sailor to smooch in Times Square. Did it feel a little glossed-over and a tad too perfect? Sure. But we’re getting Marjorie’s story — and that of her best friend, Marty — some 60-odd years after that summer took place. Of course the author will peer at the past through rose-colored glasses. And of course she’s going to have selective memories involving the mostly good moments that encapsulated that time in her life.

So nothing tawdry happened, of course. Marjorie is a fine blond-haired beauty who experienced nothing more controversial than missing a bus back from the beach. After she and Marty dozed off during their first time seeing the ocean, police officers took pity on them and brought them back to their small apartment. And my favorite part was Hart’s descriptions of the post-war enthusiasm that overwhelmed New York City, drawing everyone into a state of euphoria that is unparalleled.

Hart’s writing is simple but not simplistic. I appreciated her clear anecdotes, interesting descriptions and way of immediately putting me into a scene. And did I salivate over the Tiffany descriptions? Absolutely. It was such fun to read stories about Tiffany’s famous customers, especially Judy Garland, and all the diamond talk had me hankerin’ for a new jewel or two.

Though Hart’s ohmygeegollygosh! talk could get a bit repetitive, I still enjoyed this fun remembrance of an important time in American history — and Marjorie’s life. It’s a fast and fun read that fans of World War II-era books and memoirs will appreciate. show less