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The Women in Black

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The Women in Black

By: Madeleine St. John
Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
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About this listen

 From the Booker-shortlisted-author of The Essence of the Thing comes a great novel, a lost Australian classic. Written by a superb novelist of contemporary manners, The Women in Black is a fairy tale which illuminates the extraordinariness of ordinary lives.

The women in black are run off their feet, what with the Christmas rush and the summer sales that follow. But it's Sydney in the 1950s, and there's still just enough time left on a hot and frantic day to dream and scheme... By the time the last marked-down frock has been sold, most of the staff of the Ladies' Cocktail section at F. G. Goode's have been launched into slightly different careers.

With the lightest touch and the most tender of comic instincts, Madeleine St. John conjures a vanished summer of innocence.

©1994 Madeleine St.John (P)2009 Bolinda Fiction Historical Fiction

Editorial reviews

Madeleine St. John’s witty, sprightly comedy of manners, set in Sydney in the late 1950’s, is propelled by the buoyant and effervescent performance of narrator Deidre Rubenstein, who is more than up to the task in portraying Fay, Lisa, and Patty, the novel’s three central characters - all employees of Goode’s department store - united by their jaded outlook on the opposite sex and the unexpected twists and turns their personal and professional lives undergo during the whirlwind Christmas shopping season in this light-hearted and diverting audiobook.

Critic Reviews

A little gem...shot through with old-fashioned innocence and sly humour." ( Vogue)
"A highly sophisticated work, full of funny, sharp and subtle observations...a small masterpiece." ( Sunday Times, London)
All stars
Most relevant
Although set before my time, I can relate to the people, the places and the world of this book. As someone who was born and raised in Sydney, the voices and places resonate and seem like old friends, in an odd sort of way. All in all, this book is a special treat.

Love this

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Excellent comedy of manners in the Jane Austen style. Captures the Australian attitude or feelings towards the novel "Continentals" as the latter's ways are absorbed into Australian life in the 1950s and 60s.

Delightful

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This was a lovely escape listen, it brought a smile to my face. I love Australian stories and this brought a particular time and place to life. The characters were engaging and i loved that its from the perspective of women. Highly recommend.

Enjoyable and heartwarming

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.