We Came Here to Shine

A Novel

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Pub Date 16 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 16 Jun 2020
St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

Description

Set at the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, Susie Orman Schnall's We Came Here to Shine is historical fiction featuring two bold and ambitious women who navigate a world of possibility and find out what they're truly made of during a glorious summer of spectacle and potential.

“An ode to female friendship that pulses with momentum and left me breathless.” —Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Chelsea Girls

“A remarkable novel about the challenges women face and the courage they must summon in order to lead the lives they deserve." —Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Two-Family House

Gorgeous Vivi is the star of the Aquacade synchronized swimming spectacular and plucky Max is a journalist for the fair's daily paper. Both are striving to make their way in a world where men try to control their actions and where secrets are closely kept. But when Vivi and Max become friends and their personal and professional prospects are put in jeopardy, they team up to help each other succeed and to realize their dreams during the most meaningful summer of their lives.

Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Beatriz Williams, We Came Here to Shine is a story of ambition, friendship, and persistence with a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary NY World's Fair.

Set at the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, Susie Orman Schnall's We Came Here to Shine is historical fiction featuring two bold and ambitious women who navigate a world of possibility and find out...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781250169785
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 352

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Average rating from 232 members


Featured Reviews

The Worlds Fair before we joined the war. Two women trying to break into two different careers in a man's world. One a Hollywood starlet and the other yearning to be a journalist. They meet while working the Fair and you will be captivated by their stories.

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This was an enjoyable piece of historical fiction that centered on friendship between women and their fight for equality during the World's Fair in 1939. The detail the author provided about the setting made it easy to picture what life was like for women during this time. The courage shown by the women during this period was inspiring and the author was able to realistically convey that to through her characters. I highly recommend this one.

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Another wonderful book that teaches while telling a fabulous story!

This story tells a little bit about the synchronized swimming movies that used to be filmed in Hollywood. I greatly enjoyed learning about them. So very interesting! We also learn about the fate of many female actresses in the late 1940's. They were not treated like equals in comparison to their male on-screen partners. Today, while women still face prejudice, we also receive many more opportunities than women did many years ago. I feel very lucky to be living in this time period, rather than years ago. While women still face their share of challenges, we certainly have come a very long way!

This plot was unique and interesting. The characters were charming and I couldn't help but want to learn more about them and the era. I felt like I was in another time period while reading this. Great book! I will definitely anticipate Shnall's next novel.

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Set during the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens, New York, We Came Here to Shine portrays the story of two independent women, an actress whose Hollywood career gets off track, and a budding journalist who dreams of writing for the New York Times. The novel begins by introducing each woman’s life in alternating chapters, depicting the difficulties each encounters while living in a male dominated world, until their lives converge backstage at the fair. A fascinating look at the 1939 World’s Fair and its innovative attractions, with the journey of two young, independent, and ambitious women, and a side storyline featuring mystery and intrigue. You’ll find yourself swept up in the excitement of the fair and rooting for the success of these two women! Well worth the read! Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the e-galley.

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Vivi and Max, 2 women with big dreams, find those dreams might not be achieved due to new jobs in New York at the World's Fair in 1939. A chance meeting helps them realize that each is strong in their own way. The historical portion of this book is very interesting. A good read

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A truly delightful story set In 1939 during the World’s Fair about two women who want to make their professional dreams come true in a “man’s world”.

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This is an interesting historical fiction set during the 1939 World’s Fair in NYC. I completely lost myself in this novel which brought together two girls from different backgrounds who wound up working at the fair for the summer. Max was a journalist student at NYU who was assigned this internship for the summer while competing with her fellow students for a full ride scholarship for the upcoming year. Vivi was a Hollywood star who didn’t make the cut for the big movie that she was promised so the studio sent her to the fair to perform in the aqua show. I enjoyed the setting but this was so much more about women’s rights during these years. The author did a great job making the characters come to life involving you in all their disappointments and accomplishments. Great job and I highly recommend! #WeCameHereToShine #SusieOrmanSchnall #NetGalley

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This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely love books and stories focused on empowerment and strength women have in succeeding in what they do and it is no different Viv and Max. Viv is determined to become a famous actress and even making it in LA lead her back to New York where she will stop at nothing to be back on top and develop her career on her terms in her own way. Then we have Maxine who lands a job at The New York Times but because she is the only female in the room, she lands the beat writing pop up jobs and it is her destiny to be the lead featured reporter even if it means at times she has to be the only voice in the room. The realtionship between Max and Viv and the correlation of their stories was so inspirational and invigorating to read that not only women back then appreciated, but women in 2019-2020 will appreciate as well. These books do very well at our library and I can not wait to share it with our community.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

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