The Women in Black, originally published in 1993, is a small masterpiece of a novel by Australian author Madeleine St John. Set in Sydney’s F.G. Goode department store in the 1950s, the novel centers around the women in black who work in Ladies’ Cocktail Frocks, so called for the black dresses they wear as uniform. There’s Patty, thirty-one and stuck in a rut with her husband Frank; Fay, twenty-eight and chronically unlucky in love; the silver-haired Mrs. Jacobs who’s been working at F.G. Goode’s since before the war; and Lisa, the young seasonal hire hoping to start university in the fall. It’s just about time for the Christmas sales to begin—in Australia, this means that summer is about to reach its sweltering peak—and the women of Ladies’ Cocktail Frocks are girding themselves for the inevitable rush of customers. But, as in any workplace, the life that happens outside the nine-to-five is often more exciting than the life that happens within it, and Patty, Fay, and Lisa all find themselves confronting big changes in their personal lives. Even Magda, the mysterious manager of Model Gowns across the way, feels herself being pulled into the exciting energy swirling around the women in black… Filled with nostalgia for a time when store-bought dresses were crafted with as much care as hand sewn clothes and a trip to the department store meant a full day affair complete with a milkshake at the soda fountain, The Women in Black reminds us of the ecstasy to be found in the details and the joy to be found in simplicity.

As someone who has very little willpower when it comes to buying books (I’m sure many of you can relate!), I often have unread books on my shelf that have been waiting there for months or more. The Women in Black had been gathering dust for almost a year before I finally picked it up, but once I started, I instantly fell in love. A true hidden gem! Exquisitely written, this novel reads like a lighter, modernized Jane Austen; there’s sly humor and sharp social commentary, but instead of diving deep into one storyline, St John creates what feels like three distinct short stories that intersect at the department store. I loved reading about the minutia of these women’s lives and the various moments that bring them joy and pain, whether it was Lisa discovering her first taste of independence as Magda treats her to luncheon and a new shade of lipstick, or Patty sighing as she walks past the bedroom that was meant to be a nursery. And the best part is that it’s all quite joyful, despite addressing serious matters; happy endings abound in this slim novel. The Women in Black is a classic to be treasured—I absolutely loved it.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone who loves nostalgic settings and female protagonists on the cusp of change… it’s similar in theme to Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
• Anyone in the mood for something refined and quiet but majorly captivating… it’s similar in style to Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin
• Anyone looking for a quick dose of joy… it’s similar in tone to The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim