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The book I most often give as a gift to cheer people up Hilary Mantel

Tart beguiling witty and compassionate Madeleine St Johns novel is a literary boost for the spirits Maureen Corrigan Fresh Air

A deceptively smart comic gem The New York Times Book Review

Witty and delicious People

The women in black so named for the black frocks they wear while working at Goodes department store are busy selling ladies dresses during the holiday rush But they somehow find time to pursue other goals

Patty in her midthirties has been working at Goodes for years Her husband Frank eats a steak for dinner every night watches a few minutes of TV and then turns in Patty yearns for a baby but Frank is always too tired for that kind of thing

Sweet unlucky Fay wants to settle down with a nice man but somehow nice men dont see her as marriage material

Glamorous Magda runs the highend gowns department A Slovenian migr Magda is cultured and continental and hopes to open her own boutique one day

Lisa a clever and shy teenager takes a job at Goodes during her school break Lisa wants to go to university and dreams of becoming a poet but her father objects to both notions

By the time the last markeddown dress is sold all of their lives will be forever changed

A pitchperfect comedy of manners set during a pivotal era and perfect for fans of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel The Women in Black conjures the energy of a city on the cusp of change and is a testament to the timeless importance of female friendship