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White Collar Girl
The latest novel from the bestselling author of Dollface and What the Lady Wants takes us deep into the tumultuous world of 1950s Chicago where a female journalist struggles with the heavy price of ambition...
Every second of every day, something is happening. There’s a story out there buried in the muck, and Jordan Walsh, coming from a family of esteemed reporters, wants to be the one to dig it up. But it’s 1955, and the men who dominate the city room of the Chicago Tribune have no interest in making room for a female cub reporter. Instead Jordan is relegated to society news, reporting on Marilyn Monroe sightings at the Pump Room and interviewing secretaries for the White Collar Girl column.
Even with her journalistic legacy and connections to luminaries like Mike Royko, Nelson Algren, and Ernest Hemingway, Jordan struggles to be taken seriously. Of course, that all changes the moment she establishes a secret source inside Mayor Daley’s office and gets her hands on some confidential information. Now careers and lives are hanging on Jordan’s every word. But if she succeeds in landing her stories on the front page, there’s no guarantee she’ll remain above the fold.…
Every second of every day, something is happening. There’s a story out there buried in the muck, and Jordan Walsh, coming from a family of esteemed reporters, wants to be the one to dig it up. But it’s 1955, and the men who dominate the city room of the Chicago Tribune have no interest in making room for a female cub reporter. Instead Jordan is relegated to society news, reporting on Marilyn Monroe sightings at the Pump Room and interviewing secretaries for the White Collar Girl column.
Even with her journalistic legacy and connections to luminaries like Mike Royko, Nelson Algren, and Ernest Hemingway, Jordan struggles to be taken seriously. Of course, that all changes the moment she establishes a secret source inside Mayor Daley’s office and gets her hands on some confidential information. Now careers and lives are hanging on Jordan’s every word. But if she succeeds in landing her stories on the front page, there’s no guarantee she’ll remain above the fold.…
431 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2015
300 people are currently reading
6539 people want to read
About the author
Renée Rosen
12 books2,174 followersRenee is the USA Today bestselling author of 8 historical fiction including: FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL and THE SOCIAL GRACES,
Her new novel, LET'S CALL HER BARBIE, about the Barbie doll creators Ruth Handler and Jack Ryan will be published January 21,2025 by Penguin Random House / Berkley.
Most people discover their love of reading first and then decide to try writing. For Renee Rosen, it was just the opposite. From the time she was a little girl she knew she wanted to be a writer and by age seventeen had completed her first novel, with what she admits was the worst opening line of all time. Her hopes of being the youngest published author on record were soon dashed when her “masterpiece” was repeatedly rejected. Several years and many attempts later, Renee finally became a reader first.
Since then she has been fortunate enough to study the craft of writing from such esteemed novelists as Michael Cunningham, Susan Minot and Carol Anshaw.
Renee now lives in Chicago where she is working on a new novel. You can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/ReneeRosenAu..., https://twitter.com/ReneeRosen1 or visit her website at www.reneerosen.com
Praise for DOLLFACE
"DOLLFACE is as intoxicating as the forbidden liquor at the heart of it. Rosen's Chicago gangsters are vividly rendered, and the gun molls stir up at least as much trouble as their infamous men. Fans of Boardwalk Empire will love DOLLFACE. I know I did." Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
Advanced Praise for WHAT THE LADY WANTS (coming November 4, 2014)
"WHAT THE LADY WANTS is as fun and addictive and Chicago-licious as a box of Marshall Field's Frango Mints. And, sadly, you'll finish it almost as fast. A delight.” Rebecca Makkai, author of The Borrower and The Hundred Year House
Awards for EVERY CROOKED POT
2010 Popular Book for Young Adults by YALSA
2007 Booklist Editor’s Pick
Starred Reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal
Her new novel, LET'S CALL HER BARBIE, about the Barbie doll creators Ruth Handler and Jack Ryan will be published January 21,2025 by Penguin Random House / Berkley.
Most people discover their love of reading first and then decide to try writing. For Renee Rosen, it was just the opposite. From the time she was a little girl she knew she wanted to be a writer and by age seventeen had completed her first novel, with what she admits was the worst opening line of all time. Her hopes of being the youngest published author on record were soon dashed when her “masterpiece” was repeatedly rejected. Several years and many attempts later, Renee finally became a reader first.
Since then she has been fortunate enough to study the craft of writing from such esteemed novelists as Michael Cunningham, Susan Minot and Carol Anshaw.
Renee now lives in Chicago where she is working on a new novel. You can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/ReneeRosenAu..., https://twitter.com/ReneeRosen1 or visit her website at www.reneerosen.com
Praise for DOLLFACE
"DOLLFACE is as intoxicating as the forbidden liquor at the heart of it. Rosen's Chicago gangsters are vividly rendered, and the gun molls stir up at least as much trouble as their infamous men. Fans of Boardwalk Empire will love DOLLFACE. I know I did." Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
Advanced Praise for WHAT THE LADY WANTS (coming November 4, 2014)
"WHAT THE LADY WANTS is as fun and addictive and Chicago-licious as a box of Marshall Field's Frango Mints. And, sadly, you'll finish it almost as fast. A delight.” Rebecca Makkai, author of The Borrower and The Hundred Year House
Awards for EVERY CROOKED POT
2010 Popular Book for Young Adults by YALSA
2007 Booklist Editor’s Pick
Starred Reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
June 11, 2015
I must say I'm biased but I truly feel this is my strongest writing today and I'm really proud of this book. I hope others will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. Thanks!
May 7, 2019
White Collar Girl was a great reminder of why I often enjoy historical fiction stories. When well-done, as in this case, the time period, the setting and the descriptions are fun to read about.
Jordan Walsh is a young ambitious female reporter for The Chicago Tribune in the 1950s, a time where journalism was dominated by men. She gets assigned to covering high society weddings and writing articles for the White Collar Girl column. She finds these assignments trivial and craves the hard hitting news stories and investigative pieces that are routinely assigned to her male counterparts. Jordan deals with sexism regularly in the news workroom and while this has improved in many industries over the last several decades, some of these issues are unfortunately still ongoing today.
Jordan continues to push the envelope to cover more serious and exciting stories, including corruption among Chicago’s city officials and government agencies. She is also convinced her brother’s death by hit-and-run was no accident. She takes it upon herself to dig into this as well, for her family’s peace of mind.
”You’re a reporter, Jordan, and that’s what we reporters do. We question. We probe. We go into those dark places that scare everyone else. They even scare us but we still do it because we have to. We just have to.”
Overall I found Jordan to be likable, but I do think she went too far in a few instances, jeopardizing relationships just to get a story. Her ambition, while admirable, sometimes seemed blind to a lot of other aspects of life. She dealt with a lot between her family’s loss and the scrutiny of her male coworkers and other contacts, but in time, was able to prove herself credible and build a strong professional reputation. One of Jordan’s romantic relationships felt rushed and lacked believable chemistry - I wasn’t feeling it. I thought her dad was a prick for most of the book too - Everyone deals with grief differently of course, but even accounting for that, I didn’t care for him.
White Collar Girl is the first Renee Rosen book I’ve read, and I look forward to reading more from her, in particular, Park Avenue Summer.
Jordan Walsh is a young ambitious female reporter for The Chicago Tribune in the 1950s, a time where journalism was dominated by men. She gets assigned to covering high society weddings and writing articles for the White Collar Girl column. She finds these assignments trivial and craves the hard hitting news stories and investigative pieces that are routinely assigned to her male counterparts. Jordan deals with sexism regularly in the news workroom and while this has improved in many industries over the last several decades, some of these issues are unfortunately still ongoing today.
Jordan continues to push the envelope to cover more serious and exciting stories, including corruption among Chicago’s city officials and government agencies. She is also convinced her brother’s death by hit-and-run was no accident. She takes it upon herself to dig into this as well, for her family’s peace of mind.
”You’re a reporter, Jordan, and that’s what we reporters do. We question. We probe. We go into those dark places that scare everyone else. They even scare us but we still do it because we have to. We just have to.”
Overall I found Jordan to be likable, but I do think she went too far in a few instances, jeopardizing relationships just to get a story. Her ambition, while admirable, sometimes seemed blind to a lot of other aspects of life. She dealt with a lot between her family’s loss and the scrutiny of her male coworkers and other contacts, but in time, was able to prove herself credible and build a strong professional reputation. One of Jordan’s romantic relationships felt rushed and lacked believable chemistry - I wasn’t feeling it. I thought her dad was a prick for most of the book too - Everyone deals with grief differently of course, but even accounting for that, I didn’t care for him.
White Collar Girl is the first Renee Rosen book I’ve read, and I look forward to reading more from her, in particular, Park Avenue Summer.
October 27, 2016
I sure love the cover. The summary hinted at the stellar TV series Mad Men. Too bad for me- it is simply all window dressing on a novel which tried to sizzle with a female news reporter chasing a byline in 1950’s Chicago, which had lots of interesting pertinent history of the era but just didn't manage to breathe lives worth caring about into "White Collar Girl".
Missing was suspense, tied to tracking down the facts and exploding news on the front page of the paper. Love affairs were fraught affairs, dribbling tepidly away, such as when Jordan Walsh swore her love to a man when absolutely no chemistry had been created to make the possibility remotely credible.
Throughout the narrative, trusty Jordan acted on hot tips from great sources and published years worth of important Chicago stories. The horsemeat scandal six years earlier that led to her brother Eliot's murder haunted Jordan and she intended to solve it. I grew quite tired of horsemeat. The drifting thoughts, the passive inaction, the burgers she never ate- why couldn't she have chicken?- kept resurfacing so often, so off-plot, I wanted nothing more to do with a thread meant to unify the whole novel.
At the halfway mark, I found myself skimming, and noting how many pages I had left to go, in the e-book. When, OMG, the horsemeat was STILL hanging around less than twenty pages from the end, I knew that mystery would not end well. Yawn. If at all.
I do hate being so hard a book. Author Renee Rosen wanted to give her novel more grit and stature than it was able to carry; it manages to be adequately light fiction stacked with historical events. Someone will enjoy it, though, as a little escape with no demands and a beautiful cover.
Missing was suspense, tied to tracking down the facts and exploding news on the front page of the paper. Love affairs were fraught affairs, dribbling tepidly away, such as when Jordan Walsh swore her love to a man when absolutely no chemistry had been created to make the possibility remotely credible.
Throughout the narrative, trusty Jordan acted on hot tips from great sources and published years worth of important Chicago stories. The horsemeat scandal six years earlier that led to her brother Eliot's murder haunted Jordan and she intended to solve it. I grew quite tired of horsemeat. The drifting thoughts, the passive inaction, the burgers she never ate- why couldn't she have chicken?- kept resurfacing so often, so off-plot, I wanted nothing more to do with a thread meant to unify the whole novel.
At the halfway mark, I found myself skimming, and noting how many pages I had left to go, in the e-book. When, OMG, the horsemeat was STILL hanging around less than twenty pages from the end, I knew that mystery would not end well. Yawn. If at all.
I do hate being so hard a book. Author Renee Rosen wanted to give her novel more grit and stature than it was able to carry; it manages to be adequately light fiction stacked with historical events. Someone will enjoy it, though, as a little escape with no demands and a beautiful cover.
November 15, 2021
Chicago, 1955. Jordan Walsh is hired as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. She is ambitious and comes from a family of esteemed reporters, but she is a woman in man’s world. As male reporters see it – women’s reporting is sentimental and coated in sugar. No one takes female reporters seriously. Jordan is assigned to contribute for the food column, which doesn’t make her happy. When a lead comes her way, she takes her chance at investigating major insurance fraud.
The story is written with crisp and fun prose, having a good flow and pace. The main characters are fictional, but many events covered in this story are based on actual news stories and political scandals.
This story is plot-driven as the protagonist tries to report on certain situation, thus a lot of uncovering and investigative work is involved. Personally, I prefer character-driven stories, thus I wasn’t very connected with the plot, but I enjoyed the characters.
P.S. Highly recommend this author’s latest book The Social Graces.
The story is written with crisp and fun prose, having a good flow and pace. The main characters are fictional, but many events covered in this story are based on actual news stories and political scandals.
This story is plot-driven as the protagonist tries to report on certain situation, thus a lot of uncovering and investigative work is involved. Personally, I prefer character-driven stories, thus I wasn’t very connected with the plot, but I enjoyed the characters.
P.S. Highly recommend this author’s latest book The Social Graces.
November 17, 2015
A family of journalists, stolen bylines. struggling women reporters in the 1950's, and Chicago.
WHITE COLLAR GIRL takes us into the world of journalism and news reporting as we are introduced to the Walshes who are generation after generation of journalists.
The elder Walshes definitely have talent, but a family tragedy keeps them from continuing their careers. The tragedy didn't stop Jordan Walsh, though. This tragedy kept her pushing ahead and wanting to break into having more respect for women reporters.
Jordan Walsh was one of the few female journalists on the staff at the Tribune and along with all of the women journalists was relegated to reporting and writing about weddings and fashion. But....Jordan wanted more...she wanted a big story.
Jordan got her story....corruption in the mayor's office…as well as many more big stories. Being a woman, though, she had a tough time collecting information and being given credit as the journalist who did the research and wrote the article.
Ms. Rosen definitely knows how to skillfully spin together fiction and history. Her research and characters are always marvelous.
WHITE COLLAR GIRL is another terrific novel by Ms. Rosen where she blends a fascinating story line with historical facts and historical as well as fictitious characters.
Ms. Rosen also adds in love and life styles of the 1950's. Cigarettes hung from everyone's mouth both male and female, and liquor flowed freely.
I enjoyed WHITE COLLAR GIRL just as I enjoyed Ms. Rosen’s other two books.
Don’t miss reading this book and her other books. Historical fiction and women's fiction fans will not want this or any of her books to end. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
dnf
September 12, 2018DNF at page 208
I can't do it anymore... no no no, The story was good at first, but Jordan's "romance" with Jack Casey... and his family soon set my teeth to grinding
Those aspects started to affect the rest of the story for me too, I pushed on hoping to at least enjoy the other parts of the narrative but even that became non-interesting.
It wasn't the writing, but something was 'missing' that had so captivated me with 'Windy City Blues' I didn't care for Jordan like I did Red, Leeba, and the others surrounding them. In there, the city itself was a vibrant character and the famous faces that came through felt a natural part of the framework. Here... it mostly fell flat and didn't feel as genuine.
I was half-tempted to skip ahead to see if she dumped Jack or not but even with that, I felt like sticking the book in the freezer and leaving it there.
Discussing it with my friends Figgy and Karen helped soothe my feelings a bit... Karen urged me to abandon the book 50 pages before I decided to finally quit .
I'm not saying don't give it a try, but for this reader... can't get away fast enough.
Maybe my hopes were too high after the first of hers I read *shrugs* I will continue to read her work... Miss Rosen is very talented, but this one will not be a permanent part of my collection.
I can't do it anymore... no no no, The story was good at first, but Jordan's "romance" with Jack Casey... and his family soon set my teeth to grinding
Those aspects started to affect the rest of the story for me too, I pushed on hoping to at least enjoy the other parts of the narrative but even that became non-interesting.
It wasn't the writing, but something was 'missing' that had so captivated me with 'Windy City Blues' I didn't care for Jordan like I did Red, Leeba, and the others surrounding them. In there, the city itself was a vibrant character and the famous faces that came through felt a natural part of the framework. Here... it mostly fell flat and didn't feel as genuine.
I was half-tempted to skip ahead to see if she dumped Jack or not but even with that, I felt like sticking the book in the freezer and leaving it there.
Discussing it with my friends Figgy and Karen helped soothe my feelings a bit... Karen urged me to abandon the book 50 pages before I decided to finally quit .
I'm not saying don't give it a try, but for this reader... can't get away fast enough.
Maybe my hopes were too high after the first of hers I read *shrugs* I will continue to read her work... Miss Rosen is very talented, but this one will not be a permanent part of my collection.
September 27, 2015
This book captures what it was like to be a journalist in the '50's in Chicago, without question, one of the great newspaper towns. At one time Chicago had 5 daily newspapers that competed with each other for breaking news, investigative journalism and Chicago's past time, POLITICS. Renee Rosen has done a marvelous job of capturing the feel of working in a newsroom and I should know having worked at NBC5, CBS2, ABC7, FOX32 and WTTW as either an executive or as a director (member of Directors Guild of America). WHITE COLLAR GIRL chronicles the story of a young woman who has to crack that glass ceiling that relegated women in newsrooms to society news coverage at best and at worst, nothing more than news assistants to the men who had a lock on the big stories and the bylines. If you want to know about Chicago's political history and how the machine politics of the Richard J. Daley administration worked, this book is for you. I highly recommend it.
January 31, 2016
My first book by Rosen, now I know why she is a well-loved author. I loved everything about this book. The setting, the clothes, the characters, the vision, the descriptions of newspaper life, the suspense, the messages. Rosen transports you to 1950s Chicago and what it's like to be a woman beginning her career at a newspaper at that time. Rosen is a skilled writer. Every word has purpose, and this book is brilliant. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction with great female leads.
November 16, 2015
A special thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
From the author of Dollface and What the Lady Wants, Renee Rosen delivers the well-researched, and captivating WHITE COLLAR GIRL infused with glam, scandal, injustice, and corruption --with human emotions, historical significance, and real life events and people, into the fabric of this exciting, yet tumultuous journalism world of Chicago in the 1950’s.
Historical fiction and journalism fans will devour. Powerful. Well-plotted. Absorbing. The pains and joy. The wins and the losses. The sacrifices. The raw passion, the energy, and adrenaline highs.
Jordan Walsh, twenty-one, a journalism major, ready to prove herself to the world, a daughter of a journalist and a poet. Using her name and background she is ready to tackle the world as a reporter at the Chicago Tribune.
It was time for her to carry on the family tradition. Her father had been a war correspondent during WWII, and before that during the Spanish Civil War, working alongside Ernest Hemingway. Her mother was the daughter of a newspaperman and during the war in Europe she took a job as a reporter at the CityNews Bureau. Her parents were regarding as an intellectual, literary couple.
Jordan wants to honor her brother, Eliot, who had worked at the newly formed Sun-Times. He was named after her mother’s favorite poet, T.S. Eliot, poet, dramatist, literary critic, and editor. Some part of her motives for becoming a reporter is to dig up dirt on his mysterious death. He believed in her. He was a rising star at the paper when he was killed at age twenty-five years old. A stand- up comic and journalist. A hit and run. Accident, or not?
Now, it is up to her to live out that dream for the both of them. A promise she had made at his funeral two years earlier. At the time of his death he was working on a big story, an expose, and she always wondered if one had something to do with the other. He was hit near the subway station in 1953. She knew she would not find peace until the person who killed her brother, was caught and prosecuted. Her anger is still raw.
However, she soon learns, the men who dominate the city room of the Chicago Tribune have no interest in making room for a female reporter. Instead Jordan is relegated to society news, weddings, reporting on Marilyn Monroe sightings at the Pump Room and interviewing secretaries for the White Collar Girl column.
Walsh finds herself dealing with office politics, sexist comments, in a male dominated work: chauvinist, sexism, the stealing of bylines, injustice, and prejudice—in and out of the office. How dare they treat her like some school girl, stealing her bylines?
However, she will let nothing stand in her way, using every opportunity, her intelligence and her strong drive and will, to get her story-- and make a mark. She quickly rises from the Chicago Tribune’s society page to the city desk, as she covers breaking news stories and scandals from dirty politics, and crime.
From the main characters to the array of secondary characters, we get both sides of the coin from the strong, aggressive, and driven, to the M, a woman of the 50s, supporting herself, while looking for a husband and family. Everyone has a path to their ultimate goal, and many go about it a different way.
Covering a ten year period, a female reporter in a man’s world-- fighting against all odds in a time, when woman were frowned upon for having a marriage, family, and a career. The price of ambition. An unforgettable story of an ambitious woman’s struggle to break into the male-dominated newspaper world of the 50s—bringing Chicago alive.
At the heart, an underlying story of her brother’s murder, and reopening the investigation. Justice. In a time when newspapers played a huge role in the lives of millions of Americans, from news stories to political scandals. The world counted on the news media to uncover the truth. The watchdog, reporting the down and dirty of society. The judges, politicians, lawyers, and police officers, to the corporate giants.
Jordan has people in her life, some good and some bad. Conflicting emotions, she falls in love with fellow journalist—Jack Casey, threatened by her professional accomplishments. Scott Trevor was the love of Jordan’s life, however, she had had choose between a story and her loyalty in Operation K. Marty Sinclair, the Pulitzer Prize journalist is Jordan’s hero at the beginning of the novel; however, as the story progresses he falls from grace.
In the Author’s Note (Outstanding)… she addresses history and scandals covered in the column, White Collar Girl. Many powerful stories, controversies, fraud, corruption, cover-ups, arrests, corrupt judicial system, robbery sprees, politicians, food administration, and others rocking Chicago and the nation, were covered from Operation Greylord, the horsemeat scandal, to the Kennedy/Nixon election.
Love the title, the story, and the stunning cover— White Collar Girl, the name of the actual column written by Ruth McKay, which ran in the Chicago Tribune during the 40s and 50s. Enhancing your overall experience of the novel, blending fact and fiction--- the author uses main characters, editors, reporters of fictional nature, infused with many events covered in White Collar Girl, based on actual news stories and political scandals.
An ongoing theme in White Collar Girl, of course is women in the workplace, and the challenges faced on a daily basis. In some areas of the country, and specific industries, there is still a lingering problem even in today’s society, comparable to the 1950s, particularly in the "good ole' boys" South. However, many more advantages in today’s world.
Personal Note:
I can relate, growing up in the 50s and 60s, even in the South, my mother was a strong career woman, (against a lot of odds), and at one point as a child, my mom was the main bread-winner in the family, when my father was temporarily laid off. She continued to work, long after my dad who took early retirement.
If you grew up in the 50s and 60s, you will enjoy revisiting all the fun filled times and places, such as sitting at the Woolworth’s counter (where my aunt took me so she could flirt with the men). I recall as only yesterday, in the 6th grade school classroom, the day Kennedy was shot; when the teacher delivered the announcement with tear stained eyes.
Online versus Print:
The journalism and media world has drastically changed over the years due to the digital age, where the dirty laundry is out there, due to social media, and camera cell phones, making it easy to capture videos and on the scene scandals. Also the newspapers play less of a role as a watchdog. As we compare the former world of print news media, versus today’s social world, the author, proposes some thought-provoking discussion questions:
Are we less informed about local, national and world events due to the decline of newspapers, or are we better informed due to the immediacy of social media, Twitter, web, and cable news?
Each person will have an individual opinion; however, for me, in today’s world, it is almost too over whelming. Overkill. You receive so many tweets, news feeds, you only hit highlights—everyone is on a fast paced life schedule. Whereas in the older days of print, you may spend more quality time reading an article at your leisure, versus hundreds of postings coming at you at once.
Summary:
I loved Jordan’s tenacity, and at times confronted with moral issues, bending the law, to get a story—in order to expose the truth, using those opportunities to her advantage.
Rosen’s passion and attention to details, reflective through each page --from page one to the epilogue. She places you in the setting, as you feel the vibrant energy of the newsroom.
Upcoming Book: The Blues and Chess Records
Bringing us to Rosen’s next book, all about The Blues and Chess Records, and famous artists Chicago put on the map; Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Etta James.
“There’s the pretty marble Chicago, there’s the gritty Chicago. I like being right here so I can see it, touch it, feel it,” says the author.
Based on the true story of Chess Records and the birth of the Blues, as told through the eyes of a young immigrant woman of Jewish Polish descent who helped bring the blues sound to Chicago and the world, again to NAL, in a two-book deal, for publication in Fall 2016,
Now this will be a book, not to be missed. Cannot wait to see the cover reveal, and read this one!
JDCMustReadBooks
From the author of Dollface and What the Lady Wants, Renee Rosen delivers the well-researched, and captivating WHITE COLLAR GIRL infused with glam, scandal, injustice, and corruption --with human emotions, historical significance, and real life events and people, into the fabric of this exciting, yet tumultuous journalism world of Chicago in the 1950’s.
Historical fiction and journalism fans will devour. Powerful. Well-plotted. Absorbing. The pains and joy. The wins and the losses. The sacrifices. The raw passion, the energy, and adrenaline highs.
Jordan Walsh, twenty-one, a journalism major, ready to prove herself to the world, a daughter of a journalist and a poet. Using her name and background she is ready to tackle the world as a reporter at the Chicago Tribune.
It was time for her to carry on the family tradition. Her father had been a war correspondent during WWII, and before that during the Spanish Civil War, working alongside Ernest Hemingway. Her mother was the daughter of a newspaperman and during the war in Europe she took a job as a reporter at the CityNews Bureau. Her parents were regarding as an intellectual, literary couple.
Jordan wants to honor her brother, Eliot, who had worked at the newly formed Sun-Times. He was named after her mother’s favorite poet, T.S. Eliot, poet, dramatist, literary critic, and editor. Some part of her motives for becoming a reporter is to dig up dirt on his mysterious death. He believed in her. He was a rising star at the paper when he was killed at age twenty-five years old. A stand- up comic and journalist. A hit and run. Accident, or not?
Now, it is up to her to live out that dream for the both of them. A promise she had made at his funeral two years earlier. At the time of his death he was working on a big story, an expose, and she always wondered if one had something to do with the other. He was hit near the subway station in 1953. She knew she would not find peace until the person who killed her brother, was caught and prosecuted. Her anger is still raw.
However, she soon learns, the men who dominate the city room of the Chicago Tribune have no interest in making room for a female reporter. Instead Jordan is relegated to society news, weddings, reporting on Marilyn Monroe sightings at the Pump Room and interviewing secretaries for the White Collar Girl column.
Walsh finds herself dealing with office politics, sexist comments, in a male dominated work: chauvinist, sexism, the stealing of bylines, injustice, and prejudice—in and out of the office. How dare they treat her like some school girl, stealing her bylines?
However, she will let nothing stand in her way, using every opportunity, her intelligence and her strong drive and will, to get her story-- and make a mark. She quickly rises from the Chicago Tribune’s society page to the city desk, as she covers breaking news stories and scandals from dirty politics, and crime.
From the main characters to the array of secondary characters, we get both sides of the coin from the strong, aggressive, and driven, to the M, a woman of the 50s, supporting herself, while looking for a husband and family. Everyone has a path to their ultimate goal, and many go about it a different way.
Covering a ten year period, a female reporter in a man’s world-- fighting against all odds in a time, when woman were frowned upon for having a marriage, family, and a career. The price of ambition. An unforgettable story of an ambitious woman’s struggle to break into the male-dominated newspaper world of the 50s—bringing Chicago alive.
At the heart, an underlying story of her brother’s murder, and reopening the investigation. Justice. In a time when newspapers played a huge role in the lives of millions of Americans, from news stories to political scandals. The world counted on the news media to uncover the truth. The watchdog, reporting the down and dirty of society. The judges, politicians, lawyers, and police officers, to the corporate giants.
Jordan has people in her life, some good and some bad. Conflicting emotions, she falls in love with fellow journalist—Jack Casey, threatened by her professional accomplishments. Scott Trevor was the love of Jordan’s life, however, she had had choose between a story and her loyalty in Operation K. Marty Sinclair, the Pulitzer Prize journalist is Jordan’s hero at the beginning of the novel; however, as the story progresses he falls from grace.
In the Author’s Note (Outstanding)… she addresses history and scandals covered in the column, White Collar Girl. Many powerful stories, controversies, fraud, corruption, cover-ups, arrests, corrupt judicial system, robbery sprees, politicians, food administration, and others rocking Chicago and the nation, were covered from Operation Greylord, the horsemeat scandal, to the Kennedy/Nixon election.
Love the title, the story, and the stunning cover— White Collar Girl, the name of the actual column written by Ruth McKay, which ran in the Chicago Tribune during the 40s and 50s. Enhancing your overall experience of the novel, blending fact and fiction--- the author uses main characters, editors, reporters of fictional nature, infused with many events covered in White Collar Girl, based on actual news stories and political scandals.
An ongoing theme in White Collar Girl, of course is women in the workplace, and the challenges faced on a daily basis. In some areas of the country, and specific industries, there is still a lingering problem even in today’s society, comparable to the 1950s, particularly in the "good ole' boys" South. However, many more advantages in today’s world.
Personal Note:
I can relate, growing up in the 50s and 60s, even in the South, my mother was a strong career woman, (against a lot of odds), and at one point as a child, my mom was the main bread-winner in the family, when my father was temporarily laid off. She continued to work, long after my dad who took early retirement.
If you grew up in the 50s and 60s, you will enjoy revisiting all the fun filled times and places, such as sitting at the Woolworth’s counter (where my aunt took me so she could flirt with the men). I recall as only yesterday, in the 6th grade school classroom, the day Kennedy was shot; when the teacher delivered the announcement with tear stained eyes.
Online versus Print:
The journalism and media world has drastically changed over the years due to the digital age, where the dirty laundry is out there, due to social media, and camera cell phones, making it easy to capture videos and on the scene scandals. Also the newspapers play less of a role as a watchdog. As we compare the former world of print news media, versus today’s social world, the author, proposes some thought-provoking discussion questions:
Are we less informed about local, national and world events due to the decline of newspapers, or are we better informed due to the immediacy of social media, Twitter, web, and cable news?
Each person will have an individual opinion; however, for me, in today’s world, it is almost too over whelming. Overkill. You receive so many tweets, news feeds, you only hit highlights—everyone is on a fast paced life schedule. Whereas in the older days of print, you may spend more quality time reading an article at your leisure, versus hundreds of postings coming at you at once.
Summary:
I loved Jordan’s tenacity, and at times confronted with moral issues, bending the law, to get a story—in order to expose the truth, using those opportunities to her advantage.
Rosen’s passion and attention to details, reflective through each page --from page one to the epilogue. She places you in the setting, as you feel the vibrant energy of the newsroom.
Upcoming Book: The Blues and Chess Records
Bringing us to Rosen’s next book, all about The Blues and Chess Records, and famous artists Chicago put on the map; Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Etta James.
“There’s the pretty marble Chicago, there’s the gritty Chicago. I like being right here so I can see it, touch it, feel it,” says the author.
Based on the true story of Chess Records and the birth of the Blues, as told through the eyes of a young immigrant woman of Jewish Polish descent who helped bring the blues sound to Chicago and the world, again to NAL, in a two-book deal, for publication in Fall 2016,
Now this will be a book, not to be missed. Cannot wait to see the cover reveal, and read this one!
JDCMustReadBooks
December 15, 2016
I loved this vivid look at 1950s Chicago where a young female journalist struggles to be taken seriously in a world dominated by men, until she finds a secret source in the mayor's office who might change it all... A fun read!
September 22, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
3.5 stars
This promised to be a great book. Set in the 1950's, an ambitious young woman is determined to succeed in the male dominanted, smoke clouded, alcohol soaked heyday of newspaper journalism. The author did a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the newspaper bullpen, but somehow it just didn't seem to come together as a cohesive story. It almost felt more like vignettes of journalistic life with the storyline of the novel taking a backseat to homages of actual news articles of the time.
Interesting peek into that era, but ultimately left me wondering where the story was hiding.
3.5 stars
This promised to be a great book. Set in the 1950's, an ambitious young woman is determined to succeed in the male dominanted, smoke clouded, alcohol soaked heyday of newspaper journalism. The author did a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the newspaper bullpen, but somehow it just didn't seem to come together as a cohesive story. It almost felt more like vignettes of journalistic life with the storyline of the novel taking a backseat to homages of actual news articles of the time.
Interesting peek into that era, but ultimately left me wondering where the story was hiding.
November 9, 2015
I received this book for free through Goodreads' First Reads.
I enjoyed this book. I previously read her other book, Dollface, and loved it.
This book really highlighted how hard it was to be a female reporter in the male dominated newspaper world of the 1950's.
One of my favorite characters was M. I really liked how she changed and progressed throughout the book.
I also liked the name dropping, particularly Simone de Beauvoir.
I enjoyed this book. I previously read her other book, Dollface, and loved it.
This book really highlighted how hard it was to be a female reporter in the male dominated newspaper world of the 1950's.
One of my favorite characters was M. I really liked how she changed and progressed throughout the book.
I also liked the name dropping, particularly Simone de Beauvoir.
October 5, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up.
Chicago, 1955. Jordan Walsh is desperate to become a full-fledged journalist at the Chicago Tribune, but she is relegated to society news and women’s stories, while the male journalists are out there pursuing important stories. So she finds her own stories, develops a confidential source in the Daley administration and uncovers some good leads. But its never enough to get her own byline. Until she uncovers something that the men in the newsroom can’t ignore.
Jordan Walsh is a terrific character. She is intelligent, self confident, ambitious and has spunk (and unlike Lou Grant, I like spunk!) She also thinks things through, and for the most part, makes smart choices. One of her major ambitions is to follow up on an article that her brother, Eliot, a reporter for the Sun-Times, was writing when he was killed in an apparent hit and run accident a few years earlier. His death devastated her family and her parents never recovered from it.
The workplace in the 1950s was not very welcoming for women. They faced sexism, misogyny, and demeaning physical contact from men. Many women were just waiting to marry and start a family, and the men knew it. The women almost seemed to be in competition with each other, instead of supporting each other, which was also not helpful.
There are some interesting cameo appearances in this story: Mike Royko, Nelson Algren, Eppie Lederer aka Ann Landers, Simone de Beauvoir, Richard Daley among others. Some of the scandals that are documented in this book actually did happen, under different names and at different times. But you get a good sense of what Chicago was like in the 1950s during the first Daley administration and under the influence of The Mob.
Some good quotes:
“Never put a man first. Ever.”
“I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but a man isn’t always the answer.”
“You can’t fuck with a member of the press.” (I wanted to cheer when I read this, given where it appeared in the story.)
One thing I have to point out about the story: all people seemed to do in the 50s was smoke and drink coffee and booze. If there was a sequel to this book set in the present time, all the characters would be dead from lung cancer and alcoholism.
This is a great read and I recommend it. Renee Rosen has become a favorite author.
Chicago, 1955. Jordan Walsh is desperate to become a full-fledged journalist at the Chicago Tribune, but she is relegated to society news and women’s stories, while the male journalists are out there pursuing important stories. So she finds her own stories, develops a confidential source in the Daley administration and uncovers some good leads. But its never enough to get her own byline. Until she uncovers something that the men in the newsroom can’t ignore.
Jordan Walsh is a terrific character. She is intelligent, self confident, ambitious and has spunk (and unlike Lou Grant, I like spunk!) She also thinks things through, and for the most part, makes smart choices. One of her major ambitions is to follow up on an article that her brother, Eliot, a reporter for the Sun-Times, was writing when he was killed in an apparent hit and run accident a few years earlier. His death devastated her family and her parents never recovered from it.
The workplace in the 1950s was not very welcoming for women. They faced sexism, misogyny, and demeaning physical contact from men. Many women were just waiting to marry and start a family, and the men knew it. The women almost seemed to be in competition with each other, instead of supporting each other, which was also not helpful.
There are some interesting cameo appearances in this story: Mike Royko, Nelson Algren, Eppie Lederer aka Ann Landers, Simone de Beauvoir, Richard Daley among others. Some of the scandals that are documented in this book actually did happen, under different names and at different times. But you get a good sense of what Chicago was like in the 1950s during the first Daley administration and under the influence of The Mob.
Some good quotes:
“Never put a man first. Ever.”
“I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but a man isn’t always the answer.”
“You can’t fuck with a member of the press.” (I wanted to cheer when I read this, given where it appeared in the story.)
One thing I have to point out about the story: all people seemed to do in the 50s was smoke and drink coffee and booze. If there was a sequel to this book set in the present time, all the characters would be dead from lung cancer and alcoholism.
This is a great read and I recommend it. Renee Rosen has become a favorite author.
October 28, 2015
I am familiar with author, Renee Rosen's writing. I fell in love with Dollface and the roaring 1920s. Then there was What a Lady Wants, which I felt like I got to know more about the great Chicago fire. So I was very looking forward to reading this book. After having just recently attempted to read Copy Girl. Another book about the journalist world that did not draw me in, I instantly noticed a difference between that book and this one. It was obvious that Renee Rosen's polished writing style had the upper hand when it came to telling a story focused in the journalist world.
Sadly, the world that Ms. Rosen built up was great but that was about all I liked about this book. I had and still have a hard time connecting with the characters. I struggled through the first seventeen chapters and could not proceed any further. This is the first book that I have experienced this way by this author. I am looking forward to the next book by this author and hope it finds the magic I experienced with the prior novels.
Sadly, the world that Ms. Rosen built up was great but that was about all I liked about this book. I had and still have a hard time connecting with the characters. I struggled through the first seventeen chapters and could not proceed any further. This is the first book that I have experienced this way by this author. I am looking forward to the next book by this author and hope it finds the magic I experienced with the prior novels.
June 1, 2021
Renee Rossen does it again. I have been enamored with Ms. Rosen's writing style since I read Park Avenue Summer. I was hooked, which led me to read the very gossipy The Social Graces, and it was all uphill since then. I wonder if I had started with this book if I would have been so eager to keep reading her works? Yes, yes, I would have because I love how Ms. Rosen blends fact with fiction.
This book does have a bit extra going for it-it also has a mystery. So in its favor, we have:
1) a powerful woman breaking into what has been typically a man's career.
2) Someone with the testicles to risk it all to get what she wants.
3)Wonderful researching.
4) A strong woman not afraid to admit when she has made a mistake.
5)Love/relationship but not true romance.
6) Personal growth.
So there you have it. This novel has everything I love in historical fiction/ strong women genres.
This book does have a bit extra going for it-it also has a mystery. So in its favor, we have:
1) a powerful woman breaking into what has been typically a man's career.
2) Someone with the testicles to risk it all to get what she wants.
3)Wonderful researching.
4) A strong woman not afraid to admit when she has made a mistake.
5)Love/relationship but not true romance.
6) Personal growth.
So there you have it. This novel has everything I love in historical fiction/ strong women genres.
September 24, 2015
This is my favorite novel by this author so far, and I've read every one. Rosen has skillfully gone from the roaring twenties to the gilded age to the fifties newsroom. In this novel we follow a career woman as she tries to make it in the newspaper industry in a time when women were expected to be homemakers ala I Love Lucy (minus all the hilarious antics) and when a woman daring to carry an attache case instead of a purse darn near makes headlines.
We journey with Jordan as she starts her first reporting job, determined to go from society news to the city desk. At first she starts doing this in honor of her dead brother. But by the end of the story, it's not just about him anymore. She just may find her niche. Sometimes it takes a tragedy or some heartache for us to realize that.
She not only deals with sexist problems--stealing of her byline, callous remarks, prejudice--but has issues at home with two parents who don't know how to bounce back from the death of their son.
There's a wealth of Chicago history here, from politics, dirty cops, FBI investigations, White Sox bomb raid sirens, the Mob... The author tells us in the end what's real and what's not. Most of it adapted from real-life stories and situations that occurred.
There's romance, but if you're looking solely for a romantic story with a happy ending, this isn't the novel for you. This heroine has her romance and she feels love, but when it comes right down to it, she knows she needs more in life. Here we finally have a heroine who doesn't become what a man wants her to, but stays true to herself. Take it or leave it, fellows.
Full review and favorite quote: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
We journey with Jordan as she starts her first reporting job, determined to go from society news to the city desk. At first she starts doing this in honor of her dead brother. But by the end of the story, it's not just about him anymore. She just may find her niche. Sometimes it takes a tragedy or some heartache for us to realize that.
She not only deals with sexist problems--stealing of her byline, callous remarks, prejudice--but has issues at home with two parents who don't know how to bounce back from the death of their son.
There's a wealth of Chicago history here, from politics, dirty cops, FBI investigations, White Sox bomb raid sirens, the Mob... The author tells us in the end what's real and what's not. Most of it adapted from real-life stories and situations that occurred.
There's romance, but if you're looking solely for a romantic story with a happy ending, this isn't the novel for you. This heroine has her romance and she feels love, but when it comes right down to it, she knows she needs more in life. Here we finally have a heroine who doesn't become what a man wants her to, but stays true to herself. Take it or leave it, fellows.
Full review and favorite quote: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
September 6, 2015
I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.
White Collar Women is about a woman named Jordan Walsh who works in journalism in the 1950’s. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Peggy from Mad Men. There is a lot to this book and not only is Jordan dealing with family issues, like the loss of her brother, but she is also trying to make her way in journalism where she clearly isn’t wanted because she’s female.
Jordan was a very likeable character and also very relatable. Even though there is almost 70 years between us, I couldn’t help but see parts of myself in her.
White Collar Women started on a slow note, but after about 60 pages or so I wasn’t able to put it down. The writing was fantastic and I will definitely have to read other books from this author.
I also love this cover!!
White Collar Women is about a woman named Jordan Walsh who works in journalism in the 1950’s. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Peggy from Mad Men. There is a lot to this book and not only is Jordan dealing with family issues, like the loss of her brother, but she is also trying to make her way in journalism where she clearly isn’t wanted because she’s female.
Jordan was a very likeable character and also very relatable. Even though there is almost 70 years between us, I couldn’t help but see parts of myself in her.
White Collar Women started on a slow note, but after about 60 pages or so I wasn’t able to put it down. The writing was fantastic and I will definitely have to read other books from this author.
I also love this cover!!
February 1, 2016
The novel is more a series of experiences that are told through the eyes of Jordan Walsh, a cub reporter in the 1950s whose eyes are set on the City Desk. She endures the misogyny of the age with a spine of steel, never letting them see her cry, while chasing down leads provided by a well-placed whistleblower.
Her love life suffers as she puts her career ahead of marriage, preferring to chase down important stories that will win her the respect of her male colleagues.
I found the novel to be enjoyable, and would recommend it for a sun holiday or summer read.
Her love life suffers as she puts her career ahead of marriage, preferring to chase down important stories that will win her the respect of her male colleagues.
I found the novel to be enjoyable, and would recommend it for a sun holiday or summer read.
August 16, 2022
Jordan Walsh comes from a family of reputable reporters. She wants to make her mark in a field dominated with men. Its 1955 and she works at the Chicago Tribune and wants a break. Her column White Collar Girl has her reporting on high society and not what she aspires to work on. When she did catch her first break, a male reporter took credit.
Her connections in journalism including her family and other famous people don’t seem to help. One day she gets break with an inside source from Mayor Daley’s office. Can she be taken seriously? Is this a real story? You have to read to find out. You won’t be disappointed. She is also in the midst of planning a wedding.
Her connections in journalism including her family and other famous people don’t seem to help. One day she gets break with an inside source from Mayor Daley’s office. Can she be taken seriously? Is this a real story? You have to read to find out. You won’t be disappointed. She is also in the midst of planning a wedding.
August 29, 2015
I really wanted to like this book. Renee Rosen had some stellar potential here, but fell into the trap of "I did a lot of research and must reference as many historical and cultural things as I can!" at the expense of the story not being as strong. In fact, it was super irritating. Oh, here's another namedrop. Here's another reference to something happening or a will-be-famous person that has nothing to do with the story. It didn't add to the atmosphere, it just confused me. Rosen needed an editor to tell her to cool it and "show" more of the actual story rather than "tell" it, which happened a lot. A lot of interesting detail is just brushed over to move on in a story that seemed to lack purpose.
I wish the story had begun with Jordan's career already in place as opposed to the first day. All I got was this young woman was already dissatisfied with a job she had yet to perform, and that was pretty irritating. I didn't have much sympathy for her aspirations and drive because it wasn't clear from the start that she could actually do what was asked of her. I was already annoyed with the character because a 21 year old straight from college has not proven herself in anyway, and I really just wanted her to get pushed down a notch or two to give her some humility.
Rosen has A LOT of plot lines going on, some relevant to the story, and some not, and the timeline jumps forward a lot without clearly establishing where we are. I got confused. Certain scenes could have been cut. Plot lines should have been trimmed. A running mention of a baby carriage was so overlooked by the end I couldn't understand why it was included in the story at all. I think the story overall could have been accomplished in the span of a couple of years rather than close to a decade.
There was just too much going on in this story that the overall atmosphere of the novel suffered. Mostly I just wanted to yell at Jordan instead of rooting for her. Yeah, there will be readers for this book, and I know people will enjoy it, but for me it wasn't a pleasant reading experience.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I wish the story had begun with Jordan's career already in place as opposed to the first day. All I got was this young woman was already dissatisfied with a job she had yet to perform, and that was pretty irritating. I didn't have much sympathy for her aspirations and drive because it wasn't clear from the start that she could actually do what was asked of her. I was already annoyed with the character because a 21 year old straight from college has not proven herself in anyway, and I really just wanted her to get pushed down a notch or two to give her some humility.
Rosen has A LOT of plot lines going on, some relevant to the story, and some not, and the timeline jumps forward a lot without clearly establishing where we are. I got confused. Certain scenes could have been cut. Plot lines should have been trimmed. A running mention of a baby carriage was so overlooked by the end I couldn't understand why it was included in the story at all. I think the story overall could have been accomplished in the span of a couple of years rather than close to a decade.
There was just too much going on in this story that the overall atmosphere of the novel suffered. Mostly I just wanted to yell at Jordan instead of rooting for her. Yeah, there will be readers for this book, and I know people will enjoy it, but for me it wasn't a pleasant reading experience.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
February 3, 2016
4.5 Stars
This book started out slow and irritating; I think a large part of that was due to how I viewed the main character in the beginning. However, things quickly picked up pace as I got to know Jordan and got sucked into her story. The book finished on a fantastic note.
Like I mentioned, at first, I had a hard time liking or sympathizing with Jordan. Her thirst for advancement and achievement came off as too eager and immature; she seemed to view the world through rose-colored glasses which seemed a bit unrealistic.
Yet, once I got drawn more and more into her story, I started to see the gutsy side of her, the courageous woman in her core that went to many lengths to get her story, regardless of the cost to her personally. Some of her calls might be in the gray area ethically when it comes to her personal relationships or the law. But one has to admire her tenacity in getting her facts right and her bravery in facing some truly scary opponents as she got her stories. At the end, I really ended up liking her.
The overall story just sucked me in. I’ve read other reviews that compare this story with Mad Men, and I have to agree with the comparison. Jordan’s struggle for respect in her field rings very similar to Peggy’s advancement struggle. There’s sexism in the workplace and the disrespect for a junior reporter on top of that. Watching Jordan as she slowly gains the respect of her colleagues, enough that they go to bat for her at the end during a personal struggle, was a treat to explore. She also has some very personal losses to go through, family deaths and some very black grief processes. Seeing her struggle with both aspects made for some great reading.
As I’ve experienced in this author’s previous work, her skills at setting and world-building stand right up there with the best. She makes the reader smell the ink and feel the rumbling of the floor as the presses start their work. The frenetic energy of the news room and the tense world of journalism really come to life here. The author also draws on real historical events to give Jordan events to report on and grow with. Corrupt Chicago politics, disasters, and scandals abound.
With a rocky start, this book quickly became tons better and drew me. I grew to love Jordan as a person and to watch her strive for respect and journalistic greatness. The author’s skill with background building didn’t hurt either. I’d definitely recommend this one to historical fiction lovers, especially those who love strong female leads and to explore areas not often written about in HF.
Note: Book received for free from publisher via GoodReads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out slow and irritating; I think a large part of that was due to how I viewed the main character in the beginning. However, things quickly picked up pace as I got to know Jordan and got sucked into her story. The book finished on a fantastic note.
Like I mentioned, at first, I had a hard time liking or sympathizing with Jordan. Her thirst for advancement and achievement came off as too eager and immature; she seemed to view the world through rose-colored glasses which seemed a bit unrealistic.
Yet, once I got drawn more and more into her story, I started to see the gutsy side of her, the courageous woman in her core that went to many lengths to get her story, regardless of the cost to her personally. Some of her calls might be in the gray area ethically when it comes to her personal relationships or the law. But one has to admire her tenacity in getting her facts right and her bravery in facing some truly scary opponents as she got her stories. At the end, I really ended up liking her.
The overall story just sucked me in. I’ve read other reviews that compare this story with Mad Men, and I have to agree with the comparison. Jordan’s struggle for respect in her field rings very similar to Peggy’s advancement struggle. There’s sexism in the workplace and the disrespect for a junior reporter on top of that. Watching Jordan as she slowly gains the respect of her colleagues, enough that they go to bat for her at the end during a personal struggle, was a treat to explore. She also has some very personal losses to go through, family deaths and some very black grief processes. Seeing her struggle with both aspects made for some great reading.
As I’ve experienced in this author’s previous work, her skills at setting and world-building stand right up there with the best. She makes the reader smell the ink and feel the rumbling of the floor as the presses start their work. The frenetic energy of the news room and the tense world of journalism really come to life here. The author also draws on real historical events to give Jordan events to report on and grow with. Corrupt Chicago politics, disasters, and scandals abound.
With a rocky start, this book quickly became tons better and drew me. I grew to love Jordan as a person and to watch her strive for respect and journalistic greatness. The author’s skill with background building didn’t hurt either. I’d definitely recommend this one to historical fiction lovers, especially those who love strong female leads and to explore areas not often written about in HF.
Note: Book received for free from publisher via GoodReads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2016
Rating 3.5 Stars
A reporter's job was to expose the truth...easier said then done
Jordan Walsh comes from a family of writers...Her father a novelist, her mother a poet, and her beloved brother a reporter. Jordan is determined to make her mark in the world of journalism. Set in the 1950's in Chicago where the mob ruled, power was king, and women were making their stand in the work place, Jordan found her place at the Tribune writing for The White Collar Girl.
Because of her families background, she had much to prove especially with her brothers untimely death at the height of his own career. His death has put a strain on the family he left behind. Not being able to make sense of his death, Jordan's father turned to drinking and her parent's marriage and life in general was put in limbo. Not having the answers is what eventually drove Jordan in her own career.
It is a fantastic historical fiction of journalism in our nation's history. The mob and corrupt government was enemy of justice. It was in journalism that truth was exposed. It also was a time for women to show their mark in the work-force and the barriers that they had to overcome due to sexism.
Jordan's story is unique as it is told in her voice, with her insecurities, vulnerabilities, and desires. Her drive for the truth at the cost of relationships however, the payback was integrity.
A Special Thank You to Penguin Group and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A reporter's job was to expose the truth...easier said then done
Jordan Walsh comes from a family of writers...Her father a novelist, her mother a poet, and her beloved brother a reporter. Jordan is determined to make her mark in the world of journalism. Set in the 1950's in Chicago where the mob ruled, power was king, and women were making their stand in the work place, Jordan found her place at the Tribune writing for The White Collar Girl.
Because of her families background, she had much to prove especially with her brothers untimely death at the height of his own career. His death has put a strain on the family he left behind. Not being able to make sense of his death, Jordan's father turned to drinking and her parent's marriage and life in general was put in limbo. Not having the answers is what eventually drove Jordan in her own career.
It is a fantastic historical fiction of journalism in our nation's history. The mob and corrupt government was enemy of justice. It was in journalism that truth was exposed. It also was a time for women to show their mark in the work-force and the barriers that they had to overcome due to sexism.
Jordan's story is unique as it is told in her voice, with her insecurities, vulnerabilities, and desires. Her drive for the truth at the cost of relationships however, the payback was integrity.
A Special Thank You to Penguin Group and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
January 2, 2017
I admit I am a fan of Renee Rosen's books. I have read her two previous books (also great reads) and I looked forward to reading this new story. I was elated to receive an ARC of this book.
White Collar Girl is the story of Jordan Walsh, determined female, entering the male dominated world of Journalism. It is 1955 and she accepts a job with The Chicago Tribune as a reporter. She soon finds out that she will have to grow a strong backbone to survive in the industry. She comes from a family of reporters and she wants to make them proud. Jordan eventually finds her groove and becomes a respected reporter who uncovers scandals within the White City, some of which will cause unpleasant consequences within her own life, family and her profession.
This book grabbed me and didn't let go till the last page. It's loaded with lively characters, locations, and historically correct events. I adored it.
White Collar Girl is the story of Jordan Walsh, determined female, entering the male dominated world of Journalism. It is 1955 and she accepts a job with The Chicago Tribune as a reporter. She soon finds out that she will have to grow a strong backbone to survive in the industry. She comes from a family of reporters and she wants to make them proud. Jordan eventually finds her groove and becomes a respected reporter who uncovers scandals within the White City, some of which will cause unpleasant consequences within her own life, family and her profession.
This book grabbed me and didn't let go till the last page. It's loaded with lively characters, locations, and historically correct events. I adored it.
January 13, 2016
There's so much I liked about this novel and related to. It tells the fictional story of Jordan Walsh, a female reporter starting at the Chicago Tribune in the 1950s. All she wants is to be taken seriously as a reporter amidst all the men. She does whatever she can to report on the real news stories, not the society ones they assign to her. It was fascinating to see this perspective considering how different times are now with reporting. As a journalism major, I was intrigued to learn how it used to be in newsrooms where women had to fight just to be treated with respect. And growing up in Chicago, I also enjoyed the bits of history during that time period. I look forward to reading Renee Rosen's earlier novels. Thanks to Goodreads and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2015
My first Renee Rosen and certainly not my last. I've already purchased What The Lady Wants! I would also like to thank the author for the ARC copy of White Collar Girl that I received in a giveaway.. As soon as I saw this cover I loved it and had a feeling it was going to a great book. The author does an excellent job of portraying 1950's Chicago and working inside a big city newspaper. The characters and setting just leap off the page. There's mystery, suspense, and romance, in addition to plenty of history woven in. Ms. Rosen does a wonderful job of including real historical happenings into her story. I was such a pleasure to read and ended too quickly, but I have another Rosen novel waiting in the wings.
abandoned
March 26, 2016I really wanted to like this, but it is not what I was hoping for. I saw on a review she was like Peggy Olsen of Mad Men. Not even close. Jordan is ambitious and determined and a great feminist, but other than that she has no personality. She's boring. I didn't really find anything that made me care whether she showed the men up in the newspaper world. She didn't make me root for her. It has taken me 3 months to read 1/4 this book. I don't want to pick it up and I make excuses for not reading it and pick up another book. She is one-dimensional and so is the story. I say pass on this one, readers.
November 22, 2015
Renée Rosen brings the reader up close and personal with controversies of the times, roadblocks to women’s independence, and a family in crisis.
November 27, 2020
This is the third novel I've read by Renee Rosen, and I am definitely sold on reading everything else she has written. I'm especially excited for her upcoming novel, The Social Graces.
White Collar Girl was really good. The story was interesting and featured a sympathetic lead character. I felt so frustrated for Jordan, due to all the sexism from that time period. She was meant to be coming of age in a more recent time. Jordan seemed surrounded by drama and couldn't catch a break sometimes. However, I appreciated her ambition and drive and am glad she didn't give up. I also felt bad for Jordan over the situation with her brother and was wondering how she'd get some answers.
I liked the feel of this story that was a cross between Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I definitely recommend it for fans of historical fiction, or even those who want to give this genre a try.
Movie casting ideas:
Jordan: Odeya Rush
Jack: Dylan Minnette
Scott: Noah Centineo
M: Lili Reinhart
Mrs. Angelo: Kate Walsh
Mr. Ellsworth: Luke Evans
White Collar Girl was really good. The story was interesting and featured a sympathetic lead character. I felt so frustrated for Jordan, due to all the sexism from that time period. She was meant to be coming of age in a more recent time. Jordan seemed surrounded by drama and couldn't catch a break sometimes. However, I appreciated her ambition and drive and am glad she didn't give up. I also felt bad for Jordan over the situation with her brother and was wondering how she'd get some answers.
I liked the feel of this story that was a cross between Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I definitely recommend it for fans of historical fiction, or even those who want to give this genre a try.
Movie casting ideas:
Jordan: Odeya Rush
Jack: Dylan Minnette
Scott: Noah Centineo
M: Lili Reinhart
Mrs. Angelo: Kate Walsh
Mr. Ellsworth: Luke Evans
November 3, 2015
4.5 stars.
Set in the 1950's, White Collar Girl by Renee Rosen is a riveting novel about a female journalist's attempt to break into the historically male dominated field. Fighting to be taken seriously during a time when female reporters were relegated to writing "fluff" pieces, Jordan Walsh never loses sight of her goal although she sometimes questions her motivation for trying so hard to make a success of her chosen career.
Jordan comes from a long line of reporters and after her brother Eliot's death two years earlier, she is determined to make him and their parents proud. Excited by the job offer at the Chicago Tribune, she is brought back to earth in a hurry when she discovers she will be writing society pieces and articles about women's issues. With one eye on achieving her goal of writing hard hitting news stories, Jordan never hesitates to take risks and investigate the leads that come her way but convincing her editor to take her seriously takes grit, patience and perseverance.
Jordan is definitely a woman ahead of her time and her drive to succeed eclipses nearly everything in her life. She is frustrated by her colleague's attitudes toward her and the other women she works with but she never lets them deter her from her goals. She is smart, savvy and inquisitive and although she sometimes rushes into situations without thinking things through, her instinct about newsworthy material is sound. Although her career is her top priority, Jordan does have a serious relationship with a fellow news reporter but her success threatens to derail their romance.
Unlike some of her friends and co-workers, marriage and family is oftentimes the last thing on Jordan's mind. Although she becomes engaged, planning her upcoming wedding is low on her list of priorities. She is also ill-prepared for her very traditional fiancé's and his family's expectations about her role after the wedding. Jordan often minimizes her success at the Tribune in order to protect her fiancé's ego and his frustration about her higher profile assignments and news scoops leads to discontent for both of them.
White Collar Girl is a mesmerizing novel that is quite fascinating and based on many historically accurate scandals and newsworthy events of the late 50s and early 60s. The characters are multi-faceted and brilliantly developed with realistic flaws and imperfections. Renee Rosen's meticulous attention to detail, the captivating plot and an interesting main protagonist bring the story and the time period vibrantly to live. An informative and enthralling novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend.
Set in the 1950's, White Collar Girl by Renee Rosen is a riveting novel about a female journalist's attempt to break into the historically male dominated field. Fighting to be taken seriously during a time when female reporters were relegated to writing "fluff" pieces, Jordan Walsh never loses sight of her goal although she sometimes questions her motivation for trying so hard to make a success of her chosen career.
Jordan comes from a long line of reporters and after her brother Eliot's death two years earlier, she is determined to make him and their parents proud. Excited by the job offer at the Chicago Tribune, she is brought back to earth in a hurry when she discovers she will be writing society pieces and articles about women's issues. With one eye on achieving her goal of writing hard hitting news stories, Jordan never hesitates to take risks and investigate the leads that come her way but convincing her editor to take her seriously takes grit, patience and perseverance.
Jordan is definitely a woman ahead of her time and her drive to succeed eclipses nearly everything in her life. She is frustrated by her colleague's attitudes toward her and the other women she works with but she never lets them deter her from her goals. She is smart, savvy and inquisitive and although she sometimes rushes into situations without thinking things through, her instinct about newsworthy material is sound. Although her career is her top priority, Jordan does have a serious relationship with a fellow news reporter but her success threatens to derail their romance.
Unlike some of her friends and co-workers, marriage and family is oftentimes the last thing on Jordan's mind. Although she becomes engaged, planning her upcoming wedding is low on her list of priorities. She is also ill-prepared for her very traditional fiancé's and his family's expectations about her role after the wedding. Jordan often minimizes her success at the Tribune in order to protect her fiancé's ego and his frustration about her higher profile assignments and news scoops leads to discontent for both of them.
White Collar Girl is a mesmerizing novel that is quite fascinating and based on many historically accurate scandals and newsworthy events of the late 50s and early 60s. The characters are multi-faceted and brilliantly developed with realistic flaws and imperfections. Renee Rosen's meticulous attention to detail, the captivating plot and an interesting main protagonist bring the story and the time period vibrantly to live. An informative and enthralling novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend.
October 22, 2015
I really liked this book. A book about a girl in the 1950's who wants to tread up the ladder to no woman's land and be a journalist.
She takes a lot of knocks, abuse and harassment, but she is determined.
This was another book that I just could not put down. Jordan wants so bad to be a journalist that she sometimes forgets that it could put her in life and death situations, but all she thinks about is the story. A good thing for her career and a bad thing for her social life.
If you started early enough in business like I did, you will remember those days when it was hard to break the walls of the good ole' boys and the author has done a stupendous job of portraying just how hard it was in those days. The boys not only will not help Jordan, they hand their coffee cups over for a refill. Jordan has to find someway, somehow to stump those boys and get the stories first. They certainly are not going to hand them to her.
Meanwhile, Jordan battles with herself. She doesn't think the hit and run death of her brother was an accident. But, the case is old, how can she prove he was murdered?
This had everything you could want in a book and I just sped through it. As I said I just could not put it down. I was rooting for Jordan and all females as I read this book. While it is about equality, it is also about other issues of the time as well. It truly portrayed an excellent rendering of the late 1950's and early 1960's. You could feel the vibe, the clothing, the cars and the atmosphere. A truly well written book.
Thanks Penguin/NAL and Net Galley for this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I truly recommend this book! It was awesome!
She takes a lot of knocks, abuse and harassment, but she is determined.
This was another book that I just could not put down. Jordan wants so bad to be a journalist that she sometimes forgets that it could put her in life and death situations, but all she thinks about is the story. A good thing for her career and a bad thing for her social life.
If you started early enough in business like I did, you will remember those days when it was hard to break the walls of the good ole' boys and the author has done a stupendous job of portraying just how hard it was in those days. The boys not only will not help Jordan, they hand their coffee cups over for a refill. Jordan has to find someway, somehow to stump those boys and get the stories first. They certainly are not going to hand them to her.
Meanwhile, Jordan battles with herself. She doesn't think the hit and run death of her brother was an accident. But, the case is old, how can she prove he was murdered?
This had everything you could want in a book and I just sped through it. As I said I just could not put it down. I was rooting for Jordan and all females as I read this book. While it is about equality, it is also about other issues of the time as well. It truly portrayed an excellent rendering of the late 1950's and early 1960's. You could feel the vibe, the clothing, the cars and the atmosphere. A truly well written book.
Thanks Penguin/NAL and Net Galley for this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I truly recommend this book! It was awesome!
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