I loved this book! I love the story of Charlotte and Olivia and how their stories intertwined with each other. I loved reading about the 1940’s and the challenges that women faced with being in the workplace. Both of these women had such strong minds nd I loved that bout both of them, Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of The Sub Way Girls by Susie Orman Schnall. I also just bought the actual book to re-read and share with my friends. This is one of my personal favorites that I read in 2018. I am a huge fan of historical fiction. Plus, I love the timeline and the era of this book. I will not give any spoilers. It’s a fantastic story and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical books and cannot wait to read more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was super cute how the author tied the past and present together and she did a wonderful job showing how alike women of the past were to women of today. Just because many of the stories and women we know of from the past were likely stay-at-home mom's, they were equally as ambitious and deserving as we are today. I think this book really showed how far we as women really have come while also showing the struggles that we still run into. Equality is a touchy subject and although many say that women are equal today, there is definitely still a stigma about a working woman and what she is or isn't capable of. Reading The Subway Girls reiterated that truth by showing Olivia and her struggle to balance her work relationships and responsibilities in a male dominated field.

Charlotte's story was heartbreaking at first as her father made it very hard for her to succeed. As the time era is much different, I can see why his thoughts and actions occurred as it matched the thoughts of culture at the time. It was interesting to see how much time has really changed as most parents of today would be ecstatic for their child to be finishing college and working towards her career goals. I felt for Charlotte who had to stand up against the time period to work for what she wanted against the opinion of those who matter most in her life.

The plot was cute and I loved how both stories intertwined and became part of each other. The connection between the two stories was inspiring although extremely coincidental, a great story.

I have to say, before reading this, I knew nothing of Subway Girls. I spent some time researching them afterwards and ironically, understand how important this beauty pageant really was for some women. Although some may view Beauty Pageants as sexist, I understand how important this particular pageant was and how it actually opened up so many more outlets for the women that were involved. I also believe that it isn't necessarily a bad thing to confirm to women's stereotypes such as beauty pageants so long as you acknowledge that that is a choice you want to do because you actually want to do so and that pageants do not define a person or lessen intelligence. Some women would never step foot in a pageant believing it can demoralizing but I feel like it can be very empowering to acknowledge that women can be both beauty and brains and no woman needs to conform to either theory traditional women roles vs. feminist values. This story really helped me put that opinion into words. As I continued to read with this thought in my head, I came across a quotation from the novel stating "The irony that a woman's gender could be both a liability and an asset in business was not lost on her". I knew that once I read this, the author and I were most likely on the same page with these thoughts.

The plot was very coincidental but moving nonetheless and super cute. Although there is some heavy material in the story, it is a fairly light read. It's a quick read and super cute for the summer.

Today is Pub Day for The Subway Girls, which I read a few months ago after getting it from Net Galley. I love historical fiction, and this story took place in two time periods: post-WWII NYC and current day NYC. I liked the main character from the 40’s particularly (Charlotte) and was so interested in reading about the real Subway Girls in history! This is the first title I’ve read by Ms. Schnall and I really enjoyed it. It was part history, part romance.

Thank you for my review e-copy!

I could not put this book down! I made the mistake of starting it late last night and finally went to bed at 3:30 this morning not knowing what Charlotte would do with her life…I woke up early and finished the book before going to work. I thoroughly loved the story of both women and the portrayal of sexism that pervades so many industries even today. I am looking forward to reading more by Susie Orman Schnall!

THE SUBWAY GIRLS by Susie Orman Schall is the perfect easy reading book to pick up this summer. I loved The Balance Project and have been waiting anxiously for her next novel. The author has a way of capturing female professional and personal dilemmas with grace. She offers up relatable stories with well developed characters and, in this novel, a fascinating piece of history. The story is told in dual timelines. One follows Charlotte, a 21-year-old woman about to graduate and trying to get into the advertising industry. As it’s the 1940s, she faces an uphill battle to prove her abilities to the men around her, including her own parents. When she is entered into a contest for Miss Subways, she has to decide if she’s going to listen to her own voice or embrace the path set for her by others. Flash to 2018 which follows Olivia, a woman in her early thirties who still faces a battle to get her voice heard above her female parts. This novel is very relevant and very interesting and very entertaining. I pretty much read it one sitting and look forward to learning more about the real women that inspired the novel. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction and am always in awe when learning something new especially if well written! This story is captivating and draws you in with immediate love for the characters!

The Subway Girls is about two women, Olivia and Charlotte, striving for the same goal decades apart. Both women want to succeed at a career in the male dominated field of advertising. Both face similar prejudices and challenges, even with the changes in the workforce and society views over the years. Charlotte and Olivia make decisions based on choosing themselves, rather than choosing what others would like them to do and realize that maybe they can actually do both.

This novel is easy to read and follow, switching between the 1947 and the current year. The characters are strong-willed, independent, ambitious and relatable. The way the two stories eventually interconnect is seamless and endearing. I enjoyed reading their stories and stayed up later than my bedtime to read more. I loved the theme throughout the novel that being a women is the same as 70 years ago - we have the same challenges and decisions to make concerning motherhood, being a wife, and working outside the home as they did decades ago. It resonates that as much as times and things change, they really just stay the same, just with different approaches and appearances.

4.5/5

In 1949, Charlotte is a young coed with big dreams of landing an exciting career in advertising—even if it means starting in the typing pool along with the majority of female employees. Family, friends and societal obligations create stumbling blocks for Charlotte, until she happens upon a casting call for the Miss Subways advertising campaign. Fast forward to 2018, and advertising executive Olivia competes against a male coworker to develop a unique advertising campaign for a new client. Amidst a hostile work environment and workplace romance going nowhere, Olivia decides to chart her own path.

Susie Orman Schnall’s alternating stories of Charlotte and Olivia provide a fascinating look at what connects us as women, how women can work together to achieve a common goal, and how women throughout history have found success through sheer fortitude, persistence, and confidence in their own dreams and abilities. As Charlotte’s mother says, “Hard times will always hurt…but changing the picture frame around those hard times changes the way you see them.”

If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will love the immersion into late 1940s New York City, and the intriguing Miss Subways campaign. Contemporary fiction lovers will cheer for Olivia and how she navigates her career and personal life while staying true to herself and her convictions---just like Charlotte did in 1949. Warning: this book will cause many readers to see their grandmothers and great-grandmothers with a whole new perspective!

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Lovely dual time line read that matches Charlotte, who wants nothing more than to be in advertising, with Olivia, who is. Olivia is struggling but she's got a chance to wi a big campaign when she settles on the post-WW!! subways girls effort and seeks to revive it. Charlotte, who was turned away from every job she applied for, won the month and now, many years later, she's Olivia's next door neighbor. Her grandson Ben makes a nice love interest. The secret doesn't come out for a long time but it's one with a lot of weight. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. This is a light, quick read with engaging characters you will root for.

This is a fast and enjoyable read. Subway Girls is the story of two women living in very different times. Their stories are told flawlessly with very likeable characters. Don't let the knowledge that this is a very light read fool you; Susie Orman Schnall examines the limits and expectations society and even family puts on a woman. We see how these societal norms effected a woman's job opportunities and even family life in 1949. When the storyline moves to 2018 we see that although women have made tremendous progress, some limits and expectations are still there, but changed. I finished this book surprisingly quickly and was sad to finish it. Will be looking at any other works by this author.

This one snuck up on me. I started out in a leisurely pursuit only to sprint to the end—I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the “past” story, angering at the expectations set on Charlotte by the antiquated women’s rights of her time—ladies, we owe a lot to these pioneers—and by her father. I loved it even more when Charlotte triumphed over the road blocks by going her own way.

I enjoyed Olivia’s story as well. Especially that she, like Charlotte, became the champion of her own future. And Ben? Well, every girl should be so lucky as to have a Ben in their life.

Women seeking to please others in their lives, rather than coming to terms with their own needs and desires, is a common theme in two generations separated by 69 years in THE SUBWAY GIRLS. In this tale, the two women also share a desire to work in advertising in New York, admittedly a rarefied profession. In 1949, the best the young college grad can hope for is the typing pool, as she watches young men constantly pass her by on their way up the corporate ladder. In 2018, the early 30-something watches her male co-workers steal her ideas as her boss winks and allows it. The story is filled with nice historical details and a compelling drama that resolves well. This is a fast read that is engaging in all the right ways. A good summer read. I received by copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Unable to find a job after college, yet determined to be independent, 21 yo Charlotte enters the Miss Subways beauty contest. Unbeknownst to Charlotte, taking this step towards independence, and away from her obligation to help out at her father's paint store, will change her life in unexpected ways.

The dual timeline follows Charlotte in 1948 as she struggles to gain a foothold in the mostly male business world and Olivia seven decades later in 2018 as she navigates the current world of advertising. Both women must face sexist and misogynistic foes in order to succeed. It was interesting to see how differently—and unfortunately, similarly—the women were addressed and treated so many decades apart.

"The chances of you getting anywhere near an ad are slim. You're more likely to get bitten by an alligator." - Professor Oldham to Charlotte on why she'll never by anything but a typist

Since I work in Marketing, I was particularly intrigued by the advertising campaigns depicted in this story. Overall, I loved learning about this piece of NYC history and wished the book had been longer because I'd love to know more about Charlotte, Olivia and Ben! This was my first book by this author, and I look forward to more.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advance copy won in a Goodreads giveaway!

Location: New York City

What a beautiful story. When I began this, I had no idea that this contest, Miss Subways, was actually a real occurrence in the 1940s. Knowing that it was real brought this book to life. The Subway Girls has a very “Mad Men” feel to it; 1940s New York and the way women were treated in the work force, and 2018 New York with women still fighting to be heard in a male dominated industry.

Olivia and Charlotte are written with very strong personalities and they are very lovable. The struggle Charlotte goes through—her whole story, really—broke my heart.

I haven’t always been a fan of historical fiction, but this is a book that has pulled me into the genre. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Subway Girls was un-put-down-able. Alternating between 1949 and 2018, Schnall tells the story of two women, both of which are at turning points in their lives. This amazing work of fact-based fiction smoothly rotates between Charlotte (1949) and Olivia (2018) every other chapter. Though almost 70 years apart, the issues they face are frustratingly similar. Charlotte longs to work in advertising, much to her father’s dismay, while Olivia already does, but is always in competition with her douche canoe rival/coworker. In the Subway Girls, women are still fighting for their place in a man’s world.

Based on the history of the Miss Subways campaign in 1940s New York, Susie Orman Schnall writes a tale that stands the test of time. Charlotte will do anything to help save her father’s store, if it means she gets to become the professional woman she’s longed to be. Fiercely competitive Olivia is determined to win the account that will save the company, and her job- The account with the NYC Subway System. The history of the subway and the determination of these women put them on a path straight toward each other. Do they overcome it all?

The Subway Girls was a fantastic read, and I even found myself giving my daughter a play by play as I read through. I absolutely loved how everything came together and while the ending was not what I expected, it was still extremely satisfying.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Received an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

I started out completely loving The Subway Girls because it was my catnip: historical storyline and present day storyline that alternate and will eventually intersect. However, at about the halfway point, I started feeling like the author was telling and not showing. Characters were making major choices "off-screen" and then telling us later that they'd thought a lot about something and made a decision but we never saw the thought process.

The story follows Charlotte, a young woman about to graduate from college in 1949 and wants to work in advertising (it's never clear how she thinks she will get from the pink ghetto of the typing pool to a creative role at an ad firm) but can't find a job. Floundering, avoiding marrying her supportive boyfriend and desperately afraid of being forced to work in her dad's store forever, she gets called in to be a possible "Miss Subways" and voila, plot.

In 2018, Olivia is working in advertising and her company is struggling when a serendipitous opportunity to pitch to the MTA comes up and in her research she finds the old "Miss Subways" campaign. She befriends her neighbor, a former Miss Subways who may or may not be Charlotte (there's some twists) and her grandson while dealing with her crush on her boss and a sexist coworker competing to make the pitch.

Both storylines are interesting and had some great plot twists but my complaint about telling and not showing stands. As we got into the meat of the drama, I felt like the writing got very surface and did not explore these women's thoughts enough as they made tough choices. The author also gave the sexist and controlling men a pass in both stories, putting neat bows on their characters without them having to reckon with their unacceptable behavior.

The Subway Girls should have been one of my favorite books of the summer, but it just fell flat by the end.

In 1949 Charlotte had dreams of having a career in advertising but her father would not allow that. She had to help with the family store. But she enters the Miss Subways Beauty Contest as a way to get freed from her father and the family store.
Then one day her friend and fellow contestant does “something unforgivable” Charlotte must make a hard decision that will effect everyone.......
Now fast forward 70 years and We meet Olivia. She is an advertising executive who is trying to save her job by pitching the NYC subways account, which has her looking into Miss Subways campaign. Now she finds herself with a post broken heart crush but most importantly a personal connection to Miss Subway!!!!!

The Subway Girls was such a good read. The tail of these two strong ladies a generation apart was amazing! The book will empower you I promise!h

Soooo charming and loads of girl power!!

The Subway Girls had me roped in from the second I heard about the story. Being in advertising, having lived in Brooklyn, and ALL about being a strong, independent and confident chick - I soared through this book and cannot believe I didn't know about this campaign before! Now, I'm gobbling up every book and article across the internet about it!

The Miss Subways campaign was basically a beauty/modeling contest, which translated into posters of beautiful women splashed across subway as advertising to encourage New Yorkers to ride. But it was also so much more than that. It opened doors for these women, when there weren't many available. Some went on to modeling careers, while others went back to their quiet lives at home with their family - thrilled to have such an exciting experience, even if just once in their lives. One contestant even received 278 marriage proposals!

The book is told by two women: one in the past, one present day. Both strong and ambitious, trying to find and make their way in the world. A world as we know - basically ruled by men.

Charlotte, dreams of a career in advertising - not an easy feat in the 1940's for a woman. Her boyfriend Sam supports her ambitions, while her family, for the most part - does not. She strives to get into any position at these prestigious firms, but when her efforts fail, she aims for a new way of achieving opportunity - the Miss Subways contest. Swept up in the whirlwind of beauty contests, meeting glamorous new friends, all the while fighting with her father - her struggle between doing what's expected of her and what is in her heart threatens to upend all her dreams.

Fast forward 70 years to Olivia, an advertising exec workaholic, desperate for a normal family and steady, loving relationship. While just like Charlotte - she has lofty ambitions to make her mark in the world - but struggles to make herself shine in a (still, of course!) man's world. When Olivia's firm gets a chance to land the NYC subways account - she dives into researching the history of the Miss Subways campaign. The juxtaposition of these two amazing women's lives is so clever and interesting!

I totally understand the personal and professional juggle struggle! And also the strength it takes to accomplish some things that come WAY easier in this world to men. The power of the story in this book is pleasantly overwhelming and so creatively done. I fell in love with Charlotte, her spunk and determination. And Olivia's history is a bit painful, but she never gives up. The girl power is real here, and I loved the story from beginning to end!

This was a fabulous read from Schnall. The characters were well written and the back and forth between past and present were woven together so well in the story. Schnall is an excellent storyteller who uses the common challenges of women and shows that these are not new. Present day women's challenges of balancing work and home are not that different than those of previous generations, even with the change in attitudes between the sexes. The Mad Men mentality is still alive and well in 2018 in certain circles.