We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall: Book Review

We Came Here to Shine is an interesting story of historical fiction. Set primarily at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, it is the story of two women – Vivi, a young aspiring actress, and Max the ambitious journalism student. The story exemplifies the inequality that women faced at this point in history and, to some extent, today.

The story begins with Vivi in Hollywood as a contract actress working for Worldwide Pictures. She learns she has not been selected for the role in which she has auditioned but rather has been chosen to star in the aquatic show at the World’s Fair in New York. Vivi is not happy, but is told that if she successfully performs in the show until the Fall’s conclusion of the fair, she will return to Hollywood and receive a starring role. Feeling she doesn’t have a choice, Vivi decides to make the best of it.

Max is a NYU student who is hopeful that she will be selected to intern at a major newspaper during the summer. Instead, she is told that she and another student, Charlie, will be spending the summer writing for the daily paper of the fair. Unfortunately, the leaders of this paper are clearly misogynist – Charlie is given the task of writing articles, while Max is relegated to the task of preparing the daily schedule of events.