Book Review: ‘The Subway Girls: A Novel’ Bridges The Past With The Present In A Great Story

The past and the present collide in author Susie Orman Schnall’s new book The Subway Girls. In 1949 Charlotte had a dream of getting a job at a big advertising agency in Manhattan. She figured she could start out in the typing pool and work her way up. It never happened. She had to help her dad out at his painting store. She had a great boyfriend that wanted to marry her. She also secretly enter the to be a Subway Girl in New York. Campaigns that for one month featured one girl. Her parents forbade her. She did it anyway and ended up being picked when the girl Rose who won decided not to do it. She also decided to do Charlotte’s boyfriend.

Fast forward now 70 years and Olivia is working for a small ad agency that is trying to land big accounts. They are going to pitch the New York City subways with a campaign. Olivia starts researching and discovers the old Subway Girls. She thinks it would be great to do something with that and looks for old subway girls. She finds out her neighbor was one. She hears stories about the old days. She is fascinated by it and by her neighbors Grandson Ben.

Soon the past and present collide in ways not one expected and love could be blossoming in unexpected ways as well. Long kept shocking secrets will explode and nobodies lives will be the same.

A page turner of a book with strong female characters and twists and turns you don’t see coming. I really enjoyed this book and was surprised to learn that the Subway Girls was a real campaign.

You can pick it up in stores now from St. Martin’s Press.