There was never a Woolworth's Five and Dime in my hometown, but we did have a Sterling's and Kress's Five and Dime and those stores have some pleasant memories for me. While I wasn't born in the 1880s when these stories took place, there are still aspects of the stories that bring fond memories.
These are four novellas that overlap in time and sequence, yet each story holds its own charm and allure. Hattie, Essie, Lizzie, and Maggie all work in different departments of the Woolworth's in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Hattie is working to bring in extra money for her family after her father dies and her mother becomes ill. She takes on an extra secretarial job to help ease the finances for Christmas. It turns out her boss is also a customer that she sees frequently in her section of the store.
Essie likes the challenge of the work she is doing and when she meets a pastor who is fostering six young boys to keep them off the streets, she decides to do what she can to help out the boys.
Lizzie has lost her whole family and is working to hold onto her house. Her department is adjacent to the tools and hardware section of the store where Henry works. Henry wants to prove himself instead of just being handed a position in his father's company.
Maggie was left at the altar on her wedding day and she's lost her faith in God. Daniel is a widower with a young daughter and a dairy farm. Every Friday he comes to the lunch counter where Maggie works and has lunch with his daughter who has taken a shine to Maggie.
Some events of these stories are simultaneous and seem to work really well together in spite of being written by four different authors. The styles and plot developments are seamlessly woven together to make an entertaining read for a couple of afternoons to get you into the mood for Christmas. Four Strong Stars.
Barbour Books supplied the copy I read for this review. These are solely my own opinions.
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