In 1949 in New York City, Charlotte hopes to become an advertising girl. But her father is forcing her to drop out of college and start working in the Brooklyn family store. Her boyfriend, Sam, is pressuring her just to settle down and get married. When she hears the "Miss Subways" campaign is looking for a new face, Charlotte puts in her name on a whim. To her astonishment, she's chosen as one of the finalists, with a chance to be advertised all over the city's subway cars. She is sure that this is what she needs to change her life, if only she can become Miss Subways.
In 2018, Olivia works in advertising and is in despair. She's kind of in love with her boss, and their small firm is in danger of folding if they don't attract a new, large client. Determined to succeed, partly to save the firm, and partly to attract Matt, Olivia throws everything into a proposal for the MTA. Intrigued by the historical Miss Subways campaign, Olivia begins to research it in the hopes of creating a retro advertising blitz, only to discover a Miss Subways connection much closer to home than she expected.
Compelling and inspired by the real Miss Subways campaign, The Subway Girls explores love, ambition and how women in every age struggle to balance careers with their lives. Susie Orman Schnall (On Grace, The Balance Project) has created a novel with alternating historical and contemporary plotlines that is sure to appeal to fans of Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.