Madeleine St. John was born in Sydney in 1941. In 1965 she moved to the United States and attended Stanford, and later moved to England to attend Cambridge University. In 1993, she published her debut novel in Australia, The Women in Black. She is author of three other novels including The Essence of the Thing, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. St. John was the first Australian woman to receive this honor. Madeleine St. John died in 2006.
"When I need a mental escape from a stressful situation, I often
fantasize about wandering around one of the grand department stores
of my New York City childhood... Most of those palaces of
consumption are gone but, fortunately, Scribner has recently
published the first American edition of this tart, beguiling
novel." -Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air
"A striking debut novel of wit, charm, female friendships and
universal dreams... a delightful and uplifting slice-of-life view."
--Shelf Awareness, starred review
"A witty novel set in a posh department store in 50s Sydney, where
four women are at work in Ladies Dresses. The author unpacks their
secret yearnings as they wake up to--and resist--the limitations of
their lives. Delicious." -People Magazine
"Department store particulars are part of the charm of The Women in
Black, a deceptively smart comic gem that tracks four women through
the pandemonium of one holiday season in 1950s Sydney. Laced with a
fierce intelligence that captures the limited options for women and
postwar xenophobia views, it's also a love letter to department
stores of yore." --Susan Coll, New York Times Book Review
"There is something special about The Women in Black. St John's
tone is a joy: brisk, perfectly managed and, in its disdain for
clutter, oddly life-affirming. She casts an airy spell with the
deftness of her prose, which moves gracefully, swiftly and with
perfect manners... conjures a Sydney on the cusp of modern promise;
a place where her characters can meet the future with a bright face
and step out of the past like an old dress, where limits can be
lightly shaken off."
--Delia Falconer, Australian
"A witty little gem of a tale... instantly transports readers back
to a more genteel era." --Kirkus "Funny and light, this story moves
quickly as each character navigates the 1950s-era challenges of
being a working
woman in a male-dominated society with limited options for the
happily ever after they all strive for." --Booklist
"Like the deceptively simple (but perfectly crafted) little black
dress, this delicious and sly masterpiece works its magic from the
very first sentence. Once you slip into its folds-- full of hope
and new beginnings, of luck and laughter and love-- I dare you not
to catch yourself smiling, and wanting to twirl, for days and days
and days." -Sarah Blake, author of The Guest House and The
Postmistress
"A delicious book. Funny and happy, it's like the breath of youth
again."
--Jane Gardam
"A highly sophisticated work, full of funny, sharp and subtle
observations...a small masterpiece."
--Sunday Times (UK)
"A little gem... shot through with old-fashioned innocence and sly
humour."
--Vogue
"Seductive, hilarious, brilliantly observed, this novel shimmers
with wit and tenderness."
--Helen Garner, author of Monkey Grip and The Spare Room
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
