The Women in Black

I'm listening to The Women in Black by Madeleine St John read by Deidre Rubenstein (does good voices: from posh to stridently 'strayan, to hammily continental). It's about the lives of four women who work in the frocks section of a big department store in Sydney in the late 1950s.

I'd seen this audio book in the library a few times but passed over it. Without fully forming the thought, I  dismissed it as chic-lit. I should know better than this (as I've said many, many times, books about women are not necessarily bad) and The Women in Black is very funny and warm and well observed. St John is economical, yet interesting with words.

The only problem with listening to such a cracker jack tape is that it will be difficult to find something to follow it. I just want The Women in Black to go on and on.

Here is a sample.