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.

You will love, love, love this historical fiction novel set against the 1939 World Fair in New York City. We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall shines a light on the challenges that women faced working primarily in a male dominated world. The main characters, Max and Vivi, fight each step of the way to make sure their dreams come true as they start new adventures in NYC.

This story deals with women’s struggles in the workforce during the 1930s. The setting is the New York World’s Fair which was such a great concept for this story. The characters are like able and learn to stand up for themselves in the time of a man’s world. Definitely a book club selection.

The World’s Fair of 1940 is the setting for this quick and easy read. Two young ladies, working at the fair, become friends, experience highs and lows, and come through to the other side. Nicely written, for the most part, this book does have a few “preachy” moments that can distract from the plot. All in all, a nice vacation read.

I've read all of Susie's books and my favorite part about this one was how she covered the struggles women had during the late 1930's. I loved both Vivi and Max and thought both of their stories were equally amazing!! It was so much fun learning about the World's Fair!!

This tells the story of two very different “modern” women and the world,s fair.

One who escaped New York to be a star in Hollywood and one who attends NYU as a journalism student

This is an honest look at two women who were ahead of their time yet absolutely believable!

This was another great book by Schnall by whom I had loved her previous novel The Subway Girls. I loved how she used the backdrop of the World's Fair in 1939 to write about two very brave women and how they not only forged a friendship but discovered what was most important to them as they fought for inequality during a time when women were treated much less than men. I loved the characters and very much enjoyed reading a historical fiction novel set in the 1930s NOT about WWII since that has been done so much. I highly recommend We Came Here to Shine!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This was such a delightful story! It made me think of The Bold Type, if the television series had taken place in 1939. (Max also reminded me of Annie from Shrill.) Vivi and Max were both sympathetic and relatable characters. I wanted to see them both succeed and was frustrated by the setbacks they experienced, especially on Max's end. I was so worried for what would come of their situations. I loved the friendship they formed.

I really enjoyed this novel and couldn't put it down. I just had to find out what would happen. I recently saw the movie Judy during the time I was reading it and found it interesting to see what it was like for actresses in that time period, such as how men behaved around them and treated them. I liked how Susie tied in something from one of her previous novels, as well. The historical facts about and imagery of the 1939 World's Fair were fascinating!

I loved that 'We Came Here to Shine' took place at the World's Fair - the period and the descriptions made this book for me,. So fun. Susie Orman Schnall did a great job of portraying life during this time and the plight of the "working girls" of this era. I found this story to overall serve as an enthralling and quick read that was well-researched and provided a unique insight into the time period.
There were just a couple of factors that I found improbably for the era, so I am giving this novel 4 out of 5 stars. I would definitely check out more of Schnall's work!

This is the story of two young woman trying to take control of their own careers and ambitions in the male dominated world of 1939 Hollywood and New York. Vivi Holden dreams of being a Hollywood star, while Maxine "Max" Roth yearns for a career in journalism. Vivi is up for a her first starring role when she is told that the part has been given to someone else and she is being sent to the New York World's Fair to star in the Aquacade Water Show opposite Johnny Weissmuller. Max had hoped for a summer internship at the New York Times, instead she is sent to the daily World's Fair publication and finds her boss has assigned all of the writing to her male counterpart, while she is tasked with typing up the daily schedule. When these two young women meet, they decide to form a bond to help each other fight against the prejudice and misogyny, and fulfill their dreams.
Schnall has created two characters oozing spunk and moxie. Readers will find themselves rooting for their success! Set against the backdrop of the World's Fair this is an engaging and well plotted story to be enjoyed by historical fiction fans and women's fiction fans alike.

(3.5/5) I do enjoy reading historical fiction, usually HF that takes place during WWII, so it was actually nice and refreshing to read an historical fiction book that did not take place during that time. We Came Here to Shine takes place during the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. While the fair itself wasn't really the main character in the book, we do get a few descriptions of main attractions and events at the fair. The book revolves around two women who meet while working at the fair, Vivi a Hollywood starlet, and Max, an aspiring journalist, who develop a strong bond. It's told in the POV of both Max and Vivi, something I do love in books. It's a story of friendship, love, and family secrets. Overall, I found it an enjoyable and fast read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

This novel is about two women who appear to be complete opposites but end up becoming friends at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. Viva is an actress from Hollywood and Max is a journalism student. They both are forced to work at the fair not by their desire but by a studio owner and a professor but the more they see of the extravaganza, the more they get settled into their new jobs.

Viva is an up and coming actress who has just been hired for her first starring role in a movie after several years of playing bit parts. The morning that the movie is supposed to start filming, she is called into the office of the studio owner and told that she looks too innocent to be playing the main role in this movie and that someone else has been hired for the role. She's told that if she'll go to New York to be the lead in the Aquacade with Johnny Weissmuller for a year, there will be a starring movie role waiting for her when she gets back. With no other choice, she packs up her apartment, tells her long time boyfriend that she's leaving and takes the train to NYC. When she goes to the pool the first day, she's met with resentment by some of the cast and by a huge role that she needs to learn right away but she knows that she has a starring role waiting for her back in Hollywood so she starts learning the dances and keeps her upbeat, though nervous, attitude.

Max is a journalism student and ready to start her last year of college. She's wanted to be a reporter at the New York Times since she was a child. The professor hands out papers telling all of the students where they will do their internship for the summer and she is very disappointed when she sees that she's been given a summer job at the newspaper at the World's Fair and not the New York Times job that she requested. When she starts the job, she is told that she won't be allowed to write any articles but will instead be writing the daily list of activities and working in the office while a fellow male student gets all the work that she desires. She decides to make the best of it but to try to find chances to undermine the male student and write some articles.

Vivi and Max are both facing sexism in a very blatant manner - their lives are totally determined by the men that they work for and they are both unable to break out of their roles. When they meet each other, they quickly become good friends and share their disappointment with each other. As the summer goes on, will their friendship help give them the strength to obtain their goals? This is a story about love and friendship, sexism and meeting personal goals all taking place at the beautiful World's Fair.

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for this amazing book. My review opinions are my own.
I was thrilled to receive this ARC galley about women's empowerment set in the year of the World's Fair . This is a fictional account of the repression of women and our rights prior to WWII.

Two amazing women meet at the World's Fair in 1939 in Queens, New York, Both independent fighting barriers to their dreams. One an actress and the other a journalist. The author writes each women's story in alternating chapters. Their stories feature the discrimination and lack of rights of women of those times . Many of which coincide with the discrimination women face today. The stories include job discrimination, sexual harassment as well as lack of their rights in the work place each faces. As their stories are told we see how driven they are and how their ambition must be their strength to barriers for their dreams

Well done to the author for a excellent story of female empowerment amid repressive times for women. So much of what the author writes of still sadly pertains to today for women. This is a must read for all young women and all women that enjoy stories of female empowerment.

A fun look at the 1939 New York City World's Fair through the eyes of two young women from different worlds and a chance meet at the Fair. I did not know much about the 1939 Fair and was interested in the story of it and the lives of these young women from page one. I could not put this down and enjoyed it from page one to the end. Engaging characters, great world building, attention to details, makes this a very enjoyable book.

Vivi a Hollywood actress and Max a journalism student becomes friends after meeting at a sort women's movement rally at the New York World's Fair where they are working. They are both battling sexism in their careers and they bond over that. Vivi is getting pushed around by her agent and Hollywood Studio and Max is relegated to being a glorified secretary instead of writing articles for the paper she's working for. I learned a lot about the World's Fair of 1939. I liked the little peeks the author gave to the Miss Subways, feature of her other book. The book had a satisfying end

I really enjoyed this story based on an actress and a journalist and how their lives intertwined with one another!! A little bit of Hollywood flair too... highly recommend

Two things this book had going for it: great writing and it had me looking things up online to learn more. I love historical fiction that introduces me to events and people I didn't know about and does it in a way that encourages me to go find out more. A fictional book should treat these characters like regular supporting roles, even though in real life they might have had more well-known roles. For example, Elizabeth Dorchester and the National Women's Party are mentioned a few times, but this book wasn't about her or it. Sure there were some very visible feminist movement undertones, but the book wasn't about that. It was just part of the times that Vivi and Max were living in. Additionally, Dr. Couney and his baby incubators! I'll admit I would have assumed that was completely made up had I not already heard about it on Things You Missed in History Class. But it was interesting to hear how women at that moment viewed the exhibit. This was a wonderful novel that worked to casually include a lot of subplots and did it well.