Stepping onto the floor of Sunderland’s means stepping into a whole new world for two young women whose lives will never be the same again.

After Lilly leaves her first husband, she takes a job at Sunderland’s Department Store. The Mecca of luxury in 1950s’ Downtown Montreal, Sunderland’s is the place to be and Lilly can’t believe her luck. What Lilly finds at Sunderland’s is more than independence–she meets Vivian, a vivacious, sharp-tongued whirlwind woman–and they soon become best friends.

Vivian and Lilly face ups and downs together–sexism, antisemitism, and the limits of their own ambition. But when Vivian almost loses everything she’s worked so hard for, and Lilly leaves the store to embark on a brand-new life, the pair will never be the same again. Their friendship might not survive–even if it was the most important part of each of their lives.

Born in Montreal, Sharon Neiss-Arbess is the author of two prior books, Me and My So-Called Friends and Get Up, and the producer of Brave the Waves, a teacher’s manual for middle school students. Sharon has written for Living Legacies: A Collection of Narratives by Contemporary Jewish Women and The Toronto Star, among many other publications. She is an alumna of Concordia University's Communication Studies program and Algonquin College's Creative Advertising program. Sharon lives in Toronto with her husband and three children. Keep in touch with her at www.sharonneissarbess.com.

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