Author: Madeleine St. John
The Women in Black is a short novel by Madeleine St. John that left me wanting more. The Women in Black is a 1993 Australian novel set in late 1950s Sydney, and centers on the women’s clothing department in Goode’s department store. The ‘women in black’ is a reference to saleswomen dressed in black attire at work, and the story unfolds in the run-up to Christmas.
The novel is centered on stories of women who work in the department store, young Lisa entering adulthood and doing a temp job while waiting for school results; Patty and her marriage problems; Fay’s quest for a romantic relationship and marriage, and Magda, a cosmopolitan figure from Slovenia who sells couture and who sees Lisa’s transformational potential. So, the novel is a story of women and their everyday lives, as well as their work lives. However, work life is not central; it is just something that provides commonality in their lives, but their life stories and desires are otherwise different, signaling a message from the author about the diversity of women’s inner and private lives, which I enjoyed reading.
The novel also contrasts older Australian social expectations with migrant European sophistication, in some cases also snobbery of Europeans, but also xenophobia of Australians who refer to Europeans as continentals, and express subtle prejudice of the unknown. A new form of female aspiration is also nicely portrayed through Lisa, but what I particularly liked is how women who have no big career ambition cheer and support Lisa on her educational quest, thus showing and celebrating the power of women’s solidarity.
In terms of fashion, The Women in Black portray fashion not merely as clothing but also as a system through which women learn aspiration, recognition, taste, and independence. Set in. Sydney department store at the end of the 1950s, the novel also shows how women’s lives are shaped by work, class expectations, marriage, education, and encounters with more cosmopolitan versions of femininity.
The Women in Black is a rich novel despite its length, and it is written in a very elegant way. It goes without saying that I will look for further books from this author. Interestingly, I recently encountered Australian authors, first Rosalie Ham and her remarkable The Dressmaker book series (see here, here, and here), and now this gem. This Australian storytelling is very new to me, particularly since I have never been to Australia and cannot imagine places from real experiences, but that revealed even more about the writing talent of Rosalie Ham, and now Madeleine St. John, because I had a very realistic picture of Sydney and Melbourne in my head, which was confirmed when I googled some places and found historical and contemporary photos. Remarkable, and so different storytelling, plus historical focus, which has always been one of my favorite genres.
Thank you for reading!