Hey all, as promised earlier this week, I am back with the lovely Marjorie Hart. Marjorie is the author of Summer At Tiffany, the book that we just read for the online book club Wordshakers. The book was wonderful and my pre-chatting with Marjorie was as well. I am so excited to have her here and ask you all to warmly welcome Marjorie Hart.
Marjorie Hart
Welcome Marjorie! Right off the bat I have to ask my signature first question, how do you take your coffee?
Marjorie: Wonderful to be here–only cream, thank you.
When you were back in New York in 1945, did you and Marty have a coffee spot you frequented or were you not really coffee drinkers?
Marjorie in 1945, the year of Tiffany's
Marjorie: Interesting question, for I don’t remember any coffee spots on Manhattan that summer. In any case, a luxury we couldn’t afford. We stirred our pwd. Nestle’s chocolate with water!
You probably get asked this all the time but I am so curious, what made you decide to write this book about your summer at Tiffany’s?
Marjorie: I was really inspired by my children and grandchildren to write after I had told them bed-time stories about Tiffany’s and that amazing summer. I wanted to leave a personal history as a legacy for them. I feel passionately about everyone writing their story.
Book Signing!
Did you approach Marty with the idea of this book, and if so what was her reaction?
Marjorie: Marty was an incredible help when I was writing and very excited when the book was published. Though we lived on opposite coasts, can you imagine the fun we had reliving that summer over the phone? Her memory of our costs–like the train trip from Iowa–was accurate to the dime!
At the time you were in New York, did you realize that you were living in a time that would have such huge historical significance?
Marjorie: We were at war all during my college years and war casualties were heaviest that summer. What a total surprise when the atom bomb was dropped– that secret bomb– and the war ended in August. VJ Day, was, to us, the greatest historical event ever!
Marjorie, I can only imagine! Do you have any favorite memories of New York in 1945?
Marjorie: I’ll never forget the thrill of entering Tiffany’s, wearing our Tiffany-blue dresses and waiting for the diamond rap on the glass counter from the salesmen. Every day was a glamorous event!
When you went back in 2004, what really stood out to you from the New York you remembered?
Marjorie: So many landmarks were gone! No Astor Hotel, Bonwit Teller, Automat or Schrafft’s to name a few. Thankfully, there was–and is– the wonderful art-deco Tiffany building on Fifth Avenue and 57th St.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the whole brandy sniffing memory. For me, I learned a little bit about brandy from reading your book. Did you ever put that lesson to use in the future?
Marjorie: I still laugh when I think of that day! I’ve never owned a brandy snifter, but a friend in our writing group did and he loved to demonstrate the best way to swirl brandy!
Book signing have to be interesting and from other authors I have heard all sorts of funny stories. Do you have any funny or interesting happenings while doing a book signing?
Marjorie: I hear wonderful stories, but one that stands out was in Coronado at Bay Books a few years ago. A lady told me she had been working that summer in the Empire State Building the morning the bomber crashed into it. She was one of the fortunate to survive.
Wow, Marjorie that is quite the memory! It is tradition that when I chat with an author I ask them to share a little known fact about themselves.
Marjorie: As you know, I play the cello. What is unusual, is that I play with three other cellists and we have a quartet. This morning we played a great arrangement of Eleanor Rigby which attracted the dog-walkers passing by!
Oh I love that Marjorie! Thank you so much for stopping by, sharing a cup of coffee with me and chatting about your book!
The tea kettle as mentioned in the book, was a going away gift from her co-workers at Tiffany
Readers, you can see more about Marjorie on her website and her blog. Her twitter is @tiffanylady
Oh and be sure to sign up for a chance to win a copy of this delightful book in hard cover and signed!
16 thoughts on “Author Chat with Marjorie Hart (author of Summer At Tiffany)”
That is very interesting interview! i never been in New York and will never know how it was like in 1945 or at the present. But glad I know it from you. Cello? Wow, that is incredible. Have you ever dream of being a cellist instead of writer before? *wink*
I love reading books or watching movies about New York. It’s one of my dreams to go there someday, preferably with my daughter who loves fashion and Sex and the City. ( I would haunt the great bookstores).
I was a kid during the 1940s, so those are times that resonate with me, even though I wasn’t in New York.
Marjorie sounds like a delightful woman! I love reliving history through the eyes of older generations, their insight into times that most of us will only read about in history books is priceless! Thank you for this fascinating interview, this book will definitely be added to the TBR list!!
Delightful chat/interview. Oh to be young again. It is amazing what we will do when we don’t know any better. Unfortunately we often don’t fully appreciate how amazing some of our experiences are and just how fortunate we are until much later.
Marjorie, I am so glad you have these memories to cherish and are sharing them with us.
Book Journey 
That is very interesting interview! i never been in New York and will never know how it was like in 1945 or at the present. But glad I know it from you. Cello? Wow, that is incredible. Have you ever dream of being a cellist instead of writer before? *wink*
I love reading books or watching movies about New York. It’s one of my dreams to go there someday, preferably with my daughter who loves fashion and Sex and the City. ( I would haunt the great bookstores).
I was a kid during the 1940s, so those are times that resonate with me, even though I wasn’t in New York.
Thanks for the great interview.
Laurel I am surprised you have never been to New York…. perhaps next years BEA?
What a magical time these two interesting women had and it is wonderful how they wrote this book together. What a
legacy…Thanks, Cindi
What a lovely interview. How wonderful to be one of her grandchildren and be able to hear all of Marjorie’s stories about her time in NYC!
I cannot imagine how glamorous Tiffany’s was when Marjorie and Marty worked there. And I had no idea they had to wear uniforms!
Great tidbit that Marjorie is a cellist. So cute that the dogs & sogwalkers love her quartet’s playing!
Thank you Marjorie and Sheila, this is a wonderful interview.
~ Amy
Aimala127@gmail.com
Loved seeing the tea kettle – wow! Great interview and such a great story! I love Marjorie’s blue jacket, it’s so Tiffany! 🙂
Jill I thought it was relaly cool she still had the tea kettle too. 🙂
Marjorie sounds like a delightful woman! I love reliving history through the eyes of older generations, their insight into times that most of us will only read about in history books is priceless! Thank you for this fascinating interview, this book will definitely be added to the TBR list!!
What a really neat interview. I love that she told stories of that summer as bedtime tales.
Delightful chat/interview. Oh to be young again. It is amazing what we will do when we don’t know any better. Unfortunately we often don’t fully appreciate how amazing some of our experiences are and just how fortunate we are until much later.
Marjorie, I am so glad you have these memories to cherish and are sharing them with us.
Ooh, I love the cello! A cello quartet sounds fantastic!
Lovely interview. I loved the brandy sniffing part too! I loved hearing more from Marjorie. Thanks so much for sharing this amazing interview!
Awesome interview. Just through accounting that one summer in her book, Marjorie is one of my favorite “book character”!
great chat! love her book and I’m so glad you got Marjorie to discuss her book with you.
I read this book last summer and liked it a lot! Great interview. I happened to stumble upon it and am glad I did!