Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

This light memoir has been called a charming fairy tale, and I concur. The premise of two University of Iowa co-eds spending the Summer in New York working on the floor of the luxurious Tiffany jewelry company is inviting, but it offers much more than that.

In the Summer of 1945, Marjorie Hart and her best girlfriend Marty Garrett share a small apartment and aspire to be career girls. Fate opens the door to Tiffany & Co., where they become the first female pages to work at the store - the young men are off at war. Young and naive, they burn with ambition and thrill with stories of millionaires and movie stars shopping at the store, the merchandise of not quite priceless value (there is a price tag), and the inner workings of the iconic store. More than this, there are stories that anyone reminiscent for the 1940's would appreciate. Eating at the Automat and Schrafft's, war conserving (they make their own clothes), and the thought a lady would go out without a hat or gloves. The girls live in a building with other relatives and friends, who all look out for each other - sprinkled throughout are Marjorie's letters home. Boys are always on their minds as they attend dances and go for sodas on innocent dates - they both soon meet Midshipmen and await their weekend leave to go sightseeing or Broadway shows like Carousel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip back to 1945. Imagine visiting the Stork Club and dancing to Glenn Miller! - if this appeals to you, you'll enjoy this nostalgic memoir. Marjorie left New York and became the chairman of the Fine Arts Department at the University of San Diego, not returning to Tiffany again for 60 years. The research for this book reunited her with many former friends and the pleasure of the whole experience shows. Perhaps after 60 years, this was written with rose-coloured (or should I say Robin Egg Blue-coloured) glasses, but that adds to the pleasure of reading it.

2007 / Tradeback / 290 pages