From the author of The Balance Project comes a dual-timeline narrative featuring a 1949 Miss Subways contestant and a modern-day advertising executive whose careers and lives intersect. “Schnall has written a book that is smart and timely…Feels perfect for fans of Beatriz Williams and Liza Klaussmann.” –Taylor Jenkins Reid, acclaimed author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo “A fast-paced, … Evelyn Hugo
“A fast-paced, clever novel filled with romantic possibilities, high-stakes decisions, and harsh realities. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis’s The Dollhouse, this engrossing tale highlights the role that ambition, sexism, and true love will forever play in women’s lives.” –Amy Poeppel, author of Small Admissions
In 1949, dutiful and ambitious Charlotte’s dream of a career in advertising is shattered when her father demands she help out with the family business. Meanwhile, Charlotte is swept into the glamorous world of the Miss Subways beauty contest, which promises irresistible opportunities with its Park Avenue luster and local fame status. But when her new friend–the intriguing and gorgeous fellow-participant Rose–does something unforgivable, Charlotte must make a heart-wrenching decision that will change the lives of those around her forever.
Nearly 70 years later, outspoken advertising executive Olivia is pitching the NYC subways account in a last ditch effort to save her job at an advertising agency. When the charismatic boss she’s secretly in love with pits her against her misogynistic nemesis, Olivia’s urgent search for the winning strategy leads her to the historic Miss Subways campaign. As the pitch date closes in on her, Olivia finds herself dealing with a broken heart, an unlikely new love interest, and an unexpected personal connection to Miss Subways that could save her job–and her future.
The Subway Girls is the charming story of two strong women, a generation apart, who find themselves up against the same eternal struggle to find an impossible balance between love, happiness, and ambition.
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A fun dive into 1950s New York City, when women were striving to move up in the world and faced lots of obstacles. A wonderful read that will take you back in time, featuring two strong female leads in charge of their own destiny.
What a gem!! I read this book in just a couple of days. I was captivated by this corner of New York history that was completely new to me. Schnall writes with charm, historical feeling, and enough mystery to keep the reader guessing. I have read her previous work and am excited that she is delving into historical fiction. I hope she’ll write more!
THE SUBWAY GIRLS by Susie Orman Schnall is a captivating story of two strong-minded women who struggle to find a balance between career and family in the male-dominated world of advertising. Told in dual timelines, the story follows Charlotte in 1949 and Olivia in 2018, two independent young women, living nearly seven decades apart, but sharing a common struggle to be treated as equals with their male counterparts. In 1949, unable to find a job after college, Charlotte auditions for the Miss Subways contest with the hope that winning might give her an “in” at an advertising agency later. In 2018, Olivia needs to design a winning ad campaign for the transit system to keep her job. She comes across the story of The Subway Girls of the past and looks to find a way to incorporate this interesting piece of history in her present-day pitch. Charlotte and Olivia’s stories are woven together seamlessly. I was fully invested in both storylines and how they intersected. History, secrets, family drama, love and friendship make THE SUBWAY GIRLS an entertaining, informative and engaging story and I highly recommend it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this lively and light-hearted book! It tells the story of two women, Charlotte in the 1940s and Olivia in 2018, who each have the determination to forge her own way in life. Both overcome odds and both are determined about pursuing the life she wants to lead. I am surprised by how similar the underlying issues for women are, even after almost 70 years. Whether confronting a father who believes a college education is a waste and a career an impossibility for a daughter, a family that relies heavily on the support of a daughter, or a male coworker that proves dishonest, fighting for equality and for the fulfillment of your dreams is a real challenge. In this story, it is told with both humor and heart-touching moments. I found learning about the history of the Subways Girls to be very interesting. I loved how the program, which was essentially a type of beauty pageant, helped the fictional Charlotte but also actual women who participated in it to pursue their goals and dreams. I also liked getting a glimpse in Olivia’s story into the world of advertising. The story of these two women meeting and what happens afterwards makes for a lovely story that I think any woman who likes to read will enjoy!
The Subway Girls was another fantastic book by Susie Orman Schnall. It’s a dual time line novel about life in NYC in 1949 and present day. Despite the 70 years between the two main character’s lives, their struggles are surprisingly similar.
In 1949, Charlotte dreams of a job in advertising which is only a man’s job at the time. Her friends encourage her to enter the Miss Subway contest. This contest picked one young lady every month to have her picture shown in all the subway cars in NYC. The resulting fallout from the award changes Charlotte’s life forever. In current time, Olivia is working at a start up advertising agency. As she struggles to save her job, she comes up with a new advertising campaign for the city that focuses on the Miss Subway contests years earlier. Will this campaign succeed and save her job and her struggling agency?
The story of both of these women are interesting and I loved the way that the author brought their stories together. Despite the 70 years between their lives, both women fought the fights that women have always faced in the work world – discrimination and how to balance work and life and still be happy in both areas. I thought that this was an excellent book with a great message.
I read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
If you love great character development, and the drama of everyday people living their lives this book is for You!
This is my first book by this author, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Although I’m not normally a fan of historical fiction, this book held my attention from the beginning to end as it mirrored the lives of the two main characters from 1949 to present day. The author did a great job tying it al together. I will admit, it wasn’t one of those books that you “just can’t put down” but by no means does that mean it’s not worth the read. The story was a “nice” story, albeit kind of predictable, but an easy reading story addressing the struggle of balancing family and careers while also trying to do the right thing to help. Anyone who rode the train/subway can relate to this story and the Miss Subway competition of days past and see how the author made it her own to present day.
The Subway Girls was un-put-down-able. Alternating between 1949 and 2018, Schnall tells the story of two women, both of which are at turning points in their lives. This amazing work of fact-based fiction smoothly rotates between Charlotte (1949) and Olivia (2018) every other chapter. Though almost 70 years apart, the issues they face are frustratingly similar. Charlotte longs to work in advertising, much to her father’s dismay, while Olivia already does, but is always in competition with her douche canoe rival/coworker. In the Subway Girls, women are still fighting for their place in a man’s world.
Based on the history of the Miss Subways campaign in 1940s New York, Susie Orman Schnall writes a tale that stands the test of time. Charlotte will do anything to help save her father’s store, if it means she gets to become the professional woman she’s longed to be. Fiercely competitive Olivia is determined to win the account that will save the company, and her job- The account with the NYC Subway System. The history of the subway and the determination of these women put them on a path straight toward each other. Do they overcome it all?
The Subway Girls was a fantastic read, and I even found myself giving my daughter a play by play as I read through. I absolutely loved how everything came together and while the ending was not what I expected, it was still extremely satisfying.
I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
The story of two women and how they managed to succeed in a man’s world.non
Unable to find a job after college, yet determined to be independent, 21 yo Charlotte enters the Miss Subways beauty contest. Unbeknownst to Charlotte, taking this step towards independence, and away from her obligation to help out at her father’s paint store, will change her life in unexpected ways.
The dual timeline follows Charlotte in 1949 as she struggles to gain a foothold in the mostly male business world and Olivia 7 decades later in 2018 as she navigates the current world of advertising. Both women must face sexist and misogynistic foes in order to succeed. It was interesting to see how differently—and unfortunately, similarly—the women were addressed and treated 7 decades apart.
“The chances of you getting anywhere near an ad are slim. You’re more likely to get bitten by an alligator.” – Professor Oldham to Charlotte on why she’ll never by anything but a typist
Since I work in Marketing, I was particularly intrigued by the advertising campaigns depicted in this story. Overall, I loved learning about this piece of NYC history and wished the book had been longer because I’d love to know more about Charlotte, Olivia and Ben! This was my first book by this author, and I look forward to more.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advance copy won in a Goodreads giveaway!
Location: New York City
#BookSparks #SRC2018
This book fascinated me. I love the idea of Miss Subways, and learning more about the women of the time period. Dual perspectives and timelines are always a favorite of mine, and The Subway Girls is no exception. The writing is impeccable, the characters are all fantastic, and the story feels very realistic. This is another winner by Susie Orman Schnall.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This was a delightful book revealing a piece of NYC history that I imagine few are aware of. The Historical Note section of the book states: “Miss Subways was a contest that took place in the New York City subway system from 1941 to 1976.” It gave subway riders something to look at during their rides. (Yes, there was time pre-cellphones that people had nothing to stare mindlessly at.)
Told in alternating viewpoints are the stories of Charlotte Friedman (1949) and present-day Olivia Harrison. Charlotte lived during the time that women just did not have family and careers both, but she yearned to work in the world of advertising. She entered the Miss Subways contest in opposition to her father’s demand that she help with the family business. Olivia is an advertising executive trying to win the NYC subways account. In her search for a strategy to pitch she discovers documentation of the Miss Subways contest. Both women desire it all which leads to disappointment and heartbreak.
I found the historical aspect very interesting. However, the storylines themselves were very predictable and contrived. This is why, even though I really enjoyed the book, I could not rate it as five stars.
Thank you to GoodReads and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reading copy.
The Subway Girls pulled me in from the first page! Beautifully written with a dual timeline, 1949 and present day, this is the story of Charlotte and Olivia. Charlotte is a young woman in 1949, ready to break free of the constraints put on her by her father and the times. Olivia is an ad executive trying to win a large ad campaign. I loved reading as their stories entwined. Susie Orman Schnall is a new author for me and I can’t wait to read her other books!
We move from 1949 to 2018 and come across girls who auditioned for being a Subway Girl in 1948 to an advertising agency in 2018 that needs a new campaign to help the transit system get more ridership.
The girls in 1949 were more than happy to have their photos plastered over the subways because it might get them a job in a different industry. The advertising agency in 2018 became interested in the Subway Girls as an ad campaign for themselves.
Olivia who worked for the advertising agency had a brilliant idea to help the transit system and made a connection with the 1949 Subway Girls campaign for their current advertising. She found the campaign as she was doing research, and wondered what really happened to the Subway Girls and if being a Subway Girl really changed or enhanced their lives. Finding this information gave Olivia some hope for her agency’s winning the bid for the ad campaign.
Olivia and her assistant, Priya, hit the jackpot when they found actual posters of The Subway Girls and stories of their lives.
She uncovered more gems when a neighbor knew and had been one of the The Subway Girls.
THE SUBWAY GIRLS is a delightful read. I enjoyed going back to 1949 and seeing how women had to really struggle to get out of the required mold of being a housewife and mother.
Ms. Orman Schnall’s writing is refreshing and enjoyable. The story line is interesting and had me researching if The Subway Girls really was something that happened.
According to Wikipedia, these women were called Miss Subways, and the program lasted from 1941 to 1976. Ms. Orman Schnall also added information in the ending pages about how she became interested in The Subway girls and gave some background information about them.
THE SUBWAY GIRLS has everything historical fiction and women’s fiction fans will love. There is love, heartbreak, secrets, and the story of how women have been trying to “break out” from their stereotypical roles since forever.
The book goes back and forth from the 1940’s to 2018. The story line connects smoothly with each era and has genuine, lovable, and relatable characters.
It is truly a book to savor and enjoy. 5/5
I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
An insightful look into the lives of the Subway Girls of New York City. Interesting characters and the blending of the past and the present and how two women struggled with the challenges of balancing a family and having a career. Would recommend this book to friends and I give it 4 stars.
This was a beautifully written dual time line book. In 1949, Charlotte is picked for the Miss Subways competition. Her picture and bio would be in the subway cars in New York City. In 2018, Olivia works for an advertising agency working on a new campaign for the MTA and finds out about the old campaign of the Miss Subways. Their lives intertwine in today’s time and makes for a wonderful story. I loved Charlotte and Olivia as they were strong, amazing women who know what they want from life and aren’t afraid to go after it. The dual time line works amazingly as you find out about both women. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin. All opinions are my own.
OH! How I loved this book!
“I need to make my life happen FOR me, not let it happen TO me” is the theme of this beautiful novel.
The story follows a young woman in 1949 and a young woman in 2018 in New York City..
Though, two very different times, Charlotte and Olivia are fighting for the very same things. They are hoping to achieve their goals and advance their careers.
The world continues to resist their efforts and they both claw their way to make themselves known and to find happiness.
The amazing way this author has been able to bring Charlotte and Olivia together and actually pull the novel to one time period, is absolutely perfect.
This book is not to be missed!
I absolutely adored this book. I loved how the two storylines of the present and past intertwined. The main characters of Olivia and Charlotte were easy to love and root for. This book has a lot to say about women finding their way to success and what success means. I highlighted many lines throughout that I really enjoyed. This has been one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I highly recommend it.
The second half was slow and boring.
Nothing soecial