4.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2020
Max and Vivi are great strong female characters who develop a wonderful friendship against the backdrop of the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Loved the characters and the story! I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion

Another hit from Schnall highlighting women of a bygone era who have such a fascinating story to tell! I loved learning more about the World's Fair in 1939 and reading historical fiction that isn't centered on the war. We Came Here to Shine is a perfect title for the ladies who were intent on confronting and conquering the male dominated world. Demanding respect and equality, the cast of characters will pull you in as you become invested in their friendships, trials and tribulations. A quick weekend read!

This historical novel is set in 1939 at the World’s Fair in NYC, from the perspective of two young women who end up working there - Vivi, a Hollywood actress sent to be in the synchronized swimming show, and Max, a journalism student working on the fair’s daily newspaper. It felt perhaps a tad simplified at times, but was nice to read a lighter historical novel not about a war. 3.75 stars.

Set in the 1939 World’s Fair, I enjoyed this historical fiction novel revolving around the lives of two young women, Maxine (Max) and Vivi. Both women find themselves working at the Fair in hopes of advancing their careers. Max, an aspiring journalist, has an internship at the Fair’s daily newspaper and Vivi, a Hollywood starlet, is the star at the Aquacade water show. Both women must work hard to get ahead in a world controlled by men and search themselves to figure out what truly matters to them. It was a good story and I really enjoyed learning about the World’s Fair. Numerous times I said to myself, “I need to look up pictures and see what that looked like”. I did find some of the transitions from one day to the next awkward and found I had to reread a few paragraphs to figure out exactly what was happening. But overall, as a historical fiction fan, I liked this book and would recommend it.

Thank you to St. Martin Press, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Love this novel's well researched setting. The World's Fair, New York, burgeoning science and synchronized swimming. Max and Vivi are great characters, bold and ambitious. The book highlights the importance of female friendship in a male dominated society. This is the first novel I have read by Susie Orman Schnall and can't wait to go check out the Subway Girls.

First off Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this ebook in exchange for my honest reviews.

I’m not a major Historical Fiction fan but when I read the synopsis about the Worlds Fair I knew I wanted to read it.

The author did an amazing job with the description of the fair that I could visualize myself there walking around with the people. And that right there is a sign of great writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Max and Vivi. Although they had different jobs at the fair I felt they were similar and connected in so many ways. And who knew the fair was such a feat to put together! So many things that went on. It was amazing!

It was great to have two strong independent female characters as a lead in a book. Instead of a damsel in distress or forgetful ditzy girl.

I enjoyed the alternating chapters between the characters and learning of their setbacks and desires and how they portrayed in their eyes the worlds fair. It was refreshing to read an historical fiction book and it not be about war!

In the end I thought the book was well written, had excellent descriptive writing, enjoyable characters, and was very entertaining. The only thing that I felt is it was slow at the beginning and took a little bit of time for things to pick up.

Wow! Wow ! Wow! A first by me by This author did not disappoint!! I loved this story and it's characters so very much! Wonderfully written and totally everything I want in a bokk! One of my favorite reads this year!! Highly recommend this book!!

Enjoyable story about an actress and a journalist embarking on independent careers during the opening of the world’s fair in NYC. The actress is replaced in the role of her life in Hollywood, then loaned to lead the Aqua Synchronized swimming show at the fair. The Journalist hopes for the internship of a life time at the New York Times, instead she finds herself scheduling events for the fair, not writing articles which are given to a male colleague. They have many hopes and dreams, but fate pushes them in different directions, which proves illuminating.

An absolute must-read historical fiction, especially if you read and loved The Subway Girls!

We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall checks all the boxes: Well researched? Yup. Amazing details? Yes. Characters we root for? Absolutely. A plot we haven’t seen a million times before? Thankfully, yes!

This engaging, atmospheric novel is inspiring and a great story that fans of history will enjoy. And I love a slice of history that doesn’t focus on a war!

Look:

Gorgeous Vivi is about to begin filming her first starring role in a Hollywood picture when the studio head ships her off to New York as a favor to a friend. She’s assigned the leading role in the heralded Aquacade synchronized swimming spectacular at the World’s Fair, a fate she believes will destroy her film career. If she performs well, she’ll have another chance at stardom, but with everything working against her, will her summer lead to opportunity or failure?

Plucky Max dreams of becoming a serious journalist, but when her job at the New York Times doesn’t pan out, she finds herself begrudgingly working for the daily paper of the World’s Fair. As her ideas are continually overlooked by her male counterparts and her career prospects are put in jeopardy, Max must risk everything to change the course of her life.

When Max and Vivi’s worlds collide, they forge an enduring friendship. One that teaches them to go after what matters most during the most meaningful summer of their lives.


Get this fantastic historical fiction novel here!

Interesting look at life prior to World War II. Summer jobs at the 1939 World's Fair in New York give an idea of what the era was like and the struggles women in the workforce had during this time.

Sometimes when I read historical fiction, I will find a book that has it all: characters that feel like someone I would know in real life, a setting that is so captivating that even when I'm not reading the novel, I'm thinking about it and the opportunity to learn about an event or period of time that I'm not familiar with or can't get enough of. We Came Here to Shine checked every one of those of boxes.

Set at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, Vivi has come from Hollywood to star in the Aquacade show with promises that if she does well a starring movie role awaits her return. Max is a journalism student with high hopes of being placed with the Times for her internship, only to find out that instead she has been assigned to Today at the Fair, the daily newspaper associated with the World's Fair. Vivi and Max cross paths at the Fair and forge a quick bond. While two very different personalities, they see each other strengths and weaknesses and promise to encourage each other to reach for their dreams.

I absolutely loved this book. All of the descriptions of the World's Fair and Aquacade were so vivid, I believe it was the next best thing to experiencing it first hand. Vivi and Max's characters were flawed, yet perfect in a way. I also loved the little hints to the author's other novel The Subway Girls, that was also one of my favorite historical fiction reads. I couldn't help but wish my Mom was also around to read this book. She loved Johnny Weissmuller and of course, Esther Williams, so I know she would have enjoyed this book as much as I did. It is truly a great read and perfect for historical fiction fans looking for an immersive read.

I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set during the World’s Fair in 1939. The main characters are Vivi, and aspiring actress and Max who is studying journalism. Vivi, who has been promised a starring role in a movie only to find out that she is being sent to New York to be part of Billy Rose’s Aquacade at the World’s Fair. Max is hoping she will be assigned to The New York Times for the summer. Unfortunately, she is assigned to the World’s Fair publications where the paper management does not think women should be writers. Besides missing out on the experience of writing, there is a contest for the best published article of the summer which will pay for the next year’s tuition. Given her boss at the fair, Max will not even be able to participate in the competition. The young women become unlikely friends and must navigate their way through these disappointments. The development of these characters makes a very good book!

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This was one of the fluffy, GOOD historical fiction books. It was a thankful reminder of how far women have come along with reminders of where we still need to get.
The 1939 World's Fair brings Vivi Holden to New York. Not the plan she had as she is supposed to be MAKING MOVIES. Her studio had other ideas for her. Maxine (Max) Roth is a journalism student at time where women reporters were still often relegated to fashion or society. She gets an internship at the World's Fair paper...not quite what she was hoping for either, especially when she realizes she is basically the calendar girl. These two women fight to be seen and heard for who they are not just their gender.
The book's attention to detail and the author's way with words made this the perfect curl up on the couch oops lost a weekend book. Definitely recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

3.25 stars, rounded down to 3.*

We Came Here to Shine is the second book I've read by Susie Orman Schnall.

Following her 2018 book, The Subway Girls, We Came Here to Shine is a historical fiction story that weaves the tales of two ambitious young New Yorkers (Vivi Holden and Max Roth) into the backdrop of the opening of the 1939 World's Fair in New York.

This book has all the ingredients of a fabulous historical fiction story. The characters are compelling, the setting is well-researched and interesting, and Ms. Schnall invents dramatic twists to grab you and keep you interested in their stories. However, like The Subway Girls, something was just off with this for me. It reads a bit juvenile. The story progresses both too rapidly and too slowly, somehow. The romantic relationships, while peppered with sexual intrigue (and, gasp, homosexuality and pre-marital sex) don't have enough guts to be believable.

I'd recommend it as a beach read, but it's not hitting in my top Historical Fiction books for the summer, much less the year.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thanks to the Book Club CookBook's Galley Match program for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a light read about two young women with high career aspirations who spend their summer working at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. Both Maxine "Max" Roth (journalism writer) and Vivi Holden (Hollywood actress) have plans for their successful futures, but soon learn they don't have the control over their careers they thought they had. They meet each other about a quarter into the novel, and become friends. They share their hopes and dreams and give each other support and encouragement in how to achieve their summer goals and beyond.

The author accurately describes the sexist attitudes prevalent in this era and hints at the future of the women's liberation movement that would gain power in the late 1960's. The novel also depicts aspects of the World's Fair in such vivid detail that I felt I could draw a map of the area - the buildings, the exhibits, the amusement zone. Schnall certainly did her research about the Fair and the time period. What I felt was lacking in the novel was the character development. I didn't care about any of the characters, and thought Max was especially thoughtless - she was too impulsive and her plans never went the way she anticipated. Additionally, one thing I wanted to ask the author was why she chose to name the two girls' boyfriends "James" and "Dean," and then more than once write "James and Dean ordered the drinks" or "James and Dean walked to the back of the restaurant." Am I the only one who thinks of the iconic 1950's actor James Dean? It was distracting.

Despite my complaints, this was a well-researched novel that portrayed an American summer before WWII. It also gave readers a picture of the 1939 World's Fair, described women supporting each other through their friendship, and it was refreshing to read a historical novel that didn't include a war.

The 1939 World’s Fair is the backdrop for this historical fiction novel. The Fair reminds me of a precursor to Disney World, with the exhibits, rides, and worldly restaurants. Such a great time to read about, the seedy side of Hollywood contracts for starlets, women’s rights and the then dark little secrets, that now are not even looked at twice. Characters are vivid, courageous and will have you cheering them on. Page turner, that builds towards an acceptable ending.

The friendship of Max, a lovable, journalism student at NYU who has a likable boldness about her, and is trying to get the men in power to see her worth. Vivi, hiding a secret of her own, is a starlet, starting out in the movie business when things take a different turn. Different, but the same, these two meet as they are working at the Fair and become friends, confidants, and supporters. Dont count these women out when they come together for a single purpose.

Thanks to Ms. Schnall, St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I really enjoyed being immersed in the 1939 World’s Fair in NY. The characters were optimistic about the future even though they had challenges to overcome. A perfect escape from what is happening in the world today.

The characters were likable and there was a “hold your breath incident” that kept me reading late into the night. Historical fiction is my favorite genre so this fulfilled my expectations with a compelling story set amid interesting facts about the 1939 World’s Fair.

Set during the New York 1939 Worlds Fair, it is the story of two female friends struggle for their rights in a male-dominated world. It’s a story about the importance of friendship as the story also reveals a lot about the Fair and the world in which it took place.

A beautiful historical fiction novel, about two strong women, performing in the 1939 World Fair. Empowering and interesting. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the e-reader for review. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes you just need a feel good read. One that isn’t hokey or contrived but still gives you the warm fuzzies. Enter We Came Here to Shine.

It’s rare to find historical fiction that isn’t centered around a murder or a war that still features good writing and research and an intriguing plot. We Came Here to Shine gives us everything we want out of “light” historical fiction: Great settling, a chance to learn a few things, and nothing that will keep you up at night.

The book follows protagonists Max and Vivi as they attempt to navigate their roles in the 1939 World’s Fair. Both are chasing a dream and looking for fulfillment under a complex set of circumstances that challenge the women to come to terms with their own faults.

The ladies are two of the most likable, easy to root for central characters you’ll encounter, and are surrounded by a lovable supporting cast as well. Though both the leading ladies are fictional, the bones of the story are rooted in history, and a few historical figures make an appearance in the narrative. (There’s a good author’s note at the end of the book that tells us—item by item—what is fact and what is the author’s invention.)

I would have liked more detail about the fair (aside from the Aquacade, there isn’t much that’s new here if you’re familiar with the history of the 1939 fair), but otherwise I have no complaints. What a fun read.