THE MOST AMAZING DEPARTMENT STORE

Two young women face antisemitism and forge a friendship while working in an elegant Montreal department store in Neiss-Arbess’ novel.

When Vivian Steiner, the fashion-obsessed 17-year-old daughter of two Jewish Polish immigrants, goes to work as a salesgirl in the cosmetics department of Sunderland’s Department Store, she is fulfilling her dream of surrounding herself with beautiful clothing and sundries, all waiting for her to pull them together in perfect combinations of color, texture, and style. It’s 1942, the same year that Lilly Krovchick, the fifth child of her Jewish Russian immigrant mother, meets the handsome Jewish doctor she’ll marry right out of high school. Marriage to a respected professional with a stable career offers Lilly the promise of security. Unfortunately, the doctor (to whom the author intentionally denies a name) turns out to be abusive. After giving birth to three children, Lilly divorces him, and she must now support her young brood; she needs a job. Meanwhile, Vivian has become Sunderland’s most sought-after cosmetician, an expert at choosing the perfect makeup combinations for her customers. In a moment of serendipity, the two women meet, and Vivian encourages Lilly to apply for a sales position at the store. It’s the beginning of a friendship that will span the following decades, although it becomes seriously compromised. Despite dealing with a variety of potent themes (including antisemitism, misogyny, bullying, career disappointment, and the joys and challenges of friendship), Neiss-Arbess’ prose has a buoyant touch, a tone that is set in her opening descriptions of the magic and excitement upon entering a luxe department store (she includes a plethora of minutiae about fashion coordination, and a genuinely funny scene when the young women capture a shoplifter). There are a few narrative glitches, such as some anachronistic terminology such as Ms.and pantyhose. But the overall message is positive: “You keep going on your own path. Get your goal. Ignore all that interfere.”

A fashionista fantasy in an ode to female independence.