Summer at Tiffany: A Glimpse into 1940s New York City Jewelry Through the Eyes of Trailblazing Women

This book was so much fun to read, I loved it in nostalgia and the fact that it’s a true story. I love everything Tiffany and Tiffany blue so this book was a fantastic read.

Set in WWII-era NYC, Marjorie Hart gives you an insight to her summer spent working as one of the first female pages at Tiffany (my personal haven). I am automatically drawn to the 1940s style and grace of the ladies, and the chivalry of the men, but this book helps you relive that period. Although this story lacks any real conflict, except wondering why a boy fails to call, I thoroughly enjoyed it because everyday life is already so hectic, it was nice to gain insight on another person's simple, fairly carefree life. If you are looking for something mentally challenging, this is not the book for you. I still recommend it though, because I think some people need to stop thinking so much and just remember what it's like to be happy. Most people tend to be jaded and unhappy for one reason or another, when really life is not that difficult. I think that was even more intellectual than what the book intended. But seriously, a great read for your lunch break at work, to get away for awhile, and just smile! Only gripe: the sole romantic story line in the book does not seem to have a point. It is a memoir, though. I guess you can't change real life into something more than what it is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Owning a small jewelry store in Pennsylvania gave me a bit of a peak into how one of the notable ones managed their store during the 1940’s. I have wandered through Tiffany’s a few times during my work visits to Manhattan and have always loved my visits.

Cute. That would be the best word to describe this short, particularly sweet memoir. Going into it, I was waiting for vast accounts of the inner workings of one of the most fantastic stores ever to exist. The tome is more character driven than tell-all, which I would assume stems from the era the author comes from (that is, polite and loyal). I could have done without the dozens of "Ohmygosh!"s that were sprinkled quite liberally throughout the narrative - it was distracting, irritating, and took away credibility from the writer. The naive charm still held me captive, though: I received a glimpse of a time where girls still wore gloves and hats, were polite and charming, and treated everyday as if it were a glamorous event. The backdrop of World War Two gave the book more depth, thankfully, for without it the story would have drooped from saccharine sweetness. The descriptions of the now-antiquated stores and sweetshops were divine, and the cameos from celebrities like Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland were quite nice, as well. (Watch out for the sub-plot with Yale...it felt like a forced dilemma for the main character and also quite unrealistic). All in all, I loved seeing New York as it never will be again, especially after 9/11. A lovely look inside a rare moment of time, this book will most definitely cheer you up. That's all it's really there for, I guess. Charming.

I first read this book almost 15 years ago when I was in high school, and it stuck with me enough to share it with my book club this summer. Marjorie’s memoir is a sweet peek into a bygone era and a refreshing read in an increasingly weighty world. But it’s also a quiet encouragement to take risks and put yourself places where you might not immediately fit in. That message encouraged me 15 years ago to take risks that have led to some incredible adventures I’d never have imagined for myself. I highly recommend!

I love to read the stories of everyday people. I think history is made up not just of the big picture moments, but of the little moments as well. I noticed that someone gave this book a one and complained that it was just some girl's boring story, but I think that misses the point of a book like this. Ms. Hart has given us a view into a past that no longer exists. I loved her use of phrases common at the time, and descriptions of what life was like for two young ladies on their own for the first time (no house mothers!) in the 1940's. I loved their decision to eat toast and drink hot chocolate to make ends meet for the summer and how they would spend their nickles at the Automat. To me, there is wealth of cultural information here for anyone who wants to see it. All in all, it was a fun read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in NYC in the 40's.

This is a wonderful piece of history combined with a great story about young women having an adventure in New York City. I love the things that get left out of her letters home. It could be fiction as easily as biography. She's a really nice writer. You get a sense of life in a tight-knit Iowa town. I would really like to see more from Ms Hart about life in that area, that era. It's all so different from what kids are living today and at that same time some of the problems are the same. And so rich in history. I'm really not expressing myself well. I will recommend it for my 18 year old daughter who will be off to college in the fall, and to my sister who is a writer and critical of anything sloppily written (she won't have complaints about this one) and to my dad, who lived all of this from a different prospective, having grown up in Washington DC and having spent the war years in Hawaii and the Pacific. Even if I didn't write the review well, Ms Hart wrote the book beautifully. I started it last night, and didn't get anything else done until I finished it.

A truly delightful memoir of a young women who comes to New York for the summer with her best friend, during the Second World War and become the first women to work on the floor of Tiffany's. Easy and breezy to read and enjoyable. Also, a wonderful look at New York City's past.

Una historia real contada con gracia por su escritora que vivio en su juventud un verano de pelicula. Para chicas

Took awhile to get here. But very pleased with my purchase

Lovely snapshot of life in New York and at Tiffany’s in 1945. Perfect quick summer holiday book.

I loved this book it is a great up lifting story and brought an extra one for a friends birthday

Quick read with a nice story line, not too deep though