A Real Somebody: A Novel

by Deryn Collier

From author Deryn Collier comes a smart, charming postwar historical novel based on the true story of an aspiring writer who dares to dream big. Montreal, 1947. To support her once-prosperous family, June Grant joins a steno pool in a prestigious advertising firm. For June, it’s hard to imagine having the kind of life her parents want―the kind of life her sister Daisy has , with a well-off husband and two precocious kids. But Daisy might not be a picture-perfect housewife after all. As June makes her own waves in the advertising world, she probes a hidden side of her sister’s life. June’s discoveries upend everything she thought she knew about her sister while challenging her own inner conflict about pursuing her dreams versus living up to expectations. Being a dutiful housewife might mean something else entirely. Based on the true story of the author’s aunt, A Real Somebody charts the journey of a talented young writer who dares to break the conventions of her time during one pivotal season of her life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Canada, Novels

319 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2023

About the author

Deryn Collier has dreamed of writing mystery novels since reading her first Nancy Drew in the second grade. She has written two previous novels, Confined Space, which was nominated for a Best First Novel award by the Crime Writers of Canada, and Open Secret.

Deryn moved to Montreal as a teenager and instantly fell in love with the city, later graduating from McGill University. These days she lives in a small town in the mountains of British Columbia with her family and though she has lived there for many years, she still considers Montreal to be home.

Deryn enjoys gardening, sewing and swimming year-round in a glacier-fed lake, and regularly over-shares about these hobbies on Instagram. She writes a newsletter to her readers called The Aunt June Files, where she shares a behind the scenes look at her work and research in progress. Visit her website at www.deryncollier.com to subscribe.

Reviews

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this story based upon the early career of the author's aunt, June Grant, until the last third of the book. It stopped focusing on the difficulties of a woman trying to break into advertising and became all about the erratic and frankly unbelievable behaviour of June's sister Daisy.
It all went downhill from there and the ending was very abrupt. I would have loved to have seen all of the loose ends tied up.

[Ann Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

can hardly stomach the martyrdom of June. Constantly worrying about what mother will think, covering up for privileged sister whose problems take priority, asking permission for every little thing, taking it on the chin for every one else. Lies disguised as empathy in the name of protecting the frail and vulnerable and more deserving. Lies that enable and perpetrate the social or family roles.

I enjoyed the dynamic of the office setting and professional relationships. I was rooting for June to realize her dream of stepping into her talents. But the constant lying, enabling, and poor me act was hard to swallow.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written historical fiction based on a true story. It shows how difficult it was in 1947 for a woman to break into a male dominated profession, and how secretly mental illness was dealt with.

[Talya Boerner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Post WWII Canada, June Grant is her family's breadwinner after her father suffered a massive stroke. She secures a job in the steno pool of a Montreal ad agency and has dreams of being a female copywriter. When June's flair for writing catches the eye of a high-up executive in the company, she begins to work special projects for him. During a time when women are expected to know their place, June wonders if her place and her dreams might eventually align.

A parallel storyline includes the mysterious activities of June's married sister, Daisy. While June's parents believe Daisy has followed the dream path into marriage and motherhood, June catches wind that something more sinister is at play. And, she is determined to understand.

A Real Somebody is a fictionalized story based on the author's aunt. With a Mad Men vibe and Montreal setting the story's setting was a real highlight for me. The mystery of Daisy, while not the most compelling part of the story for me, revealed a darker underbelly to that time period.

Thank you to Deryn Collier, #NetGalley, and Union Lake Publishing for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

[Jilanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it and really hope to read more about June.

[Cynthia Kumanchik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Real Somebody highlights the real-life story of June Grant, a woman ahead of her time. Author Deryn Collier writes about her aunt, who started as a stenographer in the 40s in Montreal and became an advertising writer. She writes about June’s tenacity as she strives to have a career and not just be a housewife.

June is the sole supporter of her family. The family downgraded their lifestyle after her father suffered a stroke. June’s two older sisters have married and moved out, and her mother must care for her incapacitated father. But June is a poet with a flair for writing but is stuck in the steno pool until she is asked to work as a secretary in the executive offices. Her job expands, and she provides copy for campaigns and assists in choosing models for the ads. But she is pulled in many directions—trying to find a suitable husband, providing monetary support, and caring for her troubled sister.

I enjoyed the descriptions of Montreal, women’s treatment in the workplace in the ’40s, and June’s struggles between family and career. However, I would have liked the author to write more about how June obtained her success. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review A Real Somebody. #NetGalley #A Real Somebody #historical fiction.

[LindaS · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novelised account of a few pivotal weeks in the early life of real life advertising executive, writer and radio personality, June Grant. The author (and niece) swept me back in time and I felt like I was really there, walking the streets of elite Westmount, dodging traffic in bustling downtown and revelling in the hushed luxury of Eaton’s department store.
We vicariously experience the changed circumstances many faced after the war. Cherished heirlooms are now squashed into tiny rooms where tinned soup and cheese sandwiches are served on fine bone china. Fur coats are worn as dressing gowns as the oil needs rationing.
By necessity, youngest daughter June has become the breadwinner of the family. Working in the stultifying atmosphere of the steno pool at an ad agency, June discovers her talent with poetry lends itself perfectly to copywriting. Will June risk the security of her current job to reach out for a career that no woman has ever held before? What’s up with older sister Daisy? Can June keep the secrets and lies that seem to hold her family together?
While the book focuses on daughters June and Daisy, I really came to admire their mom for adapting as best she could to a life she never imagined living.
Evocative and emotional. Highly recommend.

[Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war is over and the Grant family has ended up on harder times. The father can no longer work and June (the unmarried daughter) starts working as one of the girls in the steno pool at a well known advertising firm; head down and take notes...
Not the easiest, when she really wants to be is a writer in her own right; but that is not what is expected by her family, or society for that matter - and they need the income!

Her older sister, Daisy, is married with two children and seems to have it all - at least according to the expectations at the time.

I liked how this story is based on the true story of Collier's aunt, and how she managed to create a, for her, more fulfilling life than what marriage and children would have offered. We all want/ need different things and there is no life that would fit everyone.

A Real Somebody by Deryn Collier will be available on 11 July 2023, but you can preorder your copy now. I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

[Kayla Beckham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked the book, but I really do wish that it ended with more of a focus on June, than on Daisy.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel written by June Grant's great niece, I think, about her famous aunt's early career. Not being Canadian, I am unfamiliar with June and her career in copywriting along with her radio segments and newspaper columns and sadly I did not get much information on any of that here except for a brief mention in the author's note. Instead, we see a young June overburdened with supporting her older parents while her selfish, spoiled brat of a sister, Daisy, tramps all over town, still pouting that the family is not as well off as it was before the war. The author readily admits that this is a fictionalized version of her grandmother but she was such a deplorable character that I wonder if the author wasn't releasing some pent-up anger by writing this novel. I would have much preferred the book to focus solely on June and her many accomplishments than some fake storyline about Daisy.
We meet June in 1947 when she is working in the steno pool of an ad agency in Montreal. Her oldest sister, Daisy, is married to Jeff and has two young boys who she forces on her mother every chance she gets. It is no secret that Daisy is put out that she has to be a wife and mother without the aid of servants like she had when she was growing up. But her parents fell on hard times and now live solely on June's meager salary since their father's stroke and Daisy refuses to believe that they aren't just being tightfisted. June is called up to be secretary to one of the writers for a week and is able to show off her own writing skills. She is encouraged by one of the writers to apply for the open copywriting job but most of the other women shun her and think that she is behaving above her station and would do better to remember her place. Meanwhile, when her father lays dying, Daisy is nowhere to be found because she has been hiding her secret life. She went back to working as a model, a big no-no for a married woman at the time, because she is just sick to death of not being able to have new clothes every second. But now she is too old for modeling so she started working as a manager of sorts who finds girls who want to serve as escorts to men visiting from out of town and want to have pretty women to party with. But even this isn't enough money for her so she has to steal the money that June set aside to pay the utility bill. I just cannot tell you how much I hated Daisy. And then, when it just all gets to be too much pressure, with her father dying and all, she really loses it and spends lavishly on a hotel suite so that she can have all sorts of funeral attire delivered from all of the biggest department stores in town. When June can't control her, she calls an ambulance and Daisy is admitted to a mental hospital. This is just deplorable because she is not mentally ill, just a spoiled adult throwing a major temper tantrum. Anyway, not much happens after that. June applies for and gets the copywriting job and the book ends. The only glimpse that we get of the rest of June's impressive life is in a side note from the author. I feel cheated and think that June deserved a better story.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of eBook

The war is over; women waiting to get married continue to work. June Grant works in the steno pool at McAulay Advertising. The once-prosperous Grant family has fallen on hard times since the Depression and her father’s stroke. June has two older sisters, both married and with families of their own; her parents depend on the salary June earns.

June writes poetry, has a talent for writing advertising copy, and isn’t at all certain her future will be one her mother tries to arrange for her, the one that includes a date with an acceptable young man and marriage.

The expectations for women in post-World War Two society are firmly rooted in marriage and children. Women only work until they achieve their true calling: marriage. What lies ahead for June? Will she be bound by expectations or will she find a way to be true to herself, to the person no one, not even her family, seems to see? And what will the family’s secrets mean for June’s future?

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Set in Montreal in 1947, this story has its basis in the true life story of the author’s aunt. Told from June’s point of view, the narrative pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the outset. The expectations for women in postwar society left little room for June to follow her dreams.

With its strong sense of place and nuanced, believable characters, the unfolding narrative, with its focus on June’s struggles and responsibilities, keeps the pages turning. Pulled in many directions . . . supporting her parents, finding a husband and marrying, seeking more in her career . . . allow readers to focus on how societal expectations often put women in untenable situations, forcing them to abandon their own hopes and aspirations. Knowing this June did not give up her dreams feels like a victory for June and readers alike.

Readers who enjoy historical tales, who enjoy stories based on true events and people, and who enjoy family stories will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley
#ARealSomebody #NetGalley

[Paul Wagenbreth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deryn Collier’s “A Real Somebody," with its story of a young female stenographer in post-World War II America who aspires to be an advertising copywriter, defies easy categorization. One reviewer, for instance, called it charming, and while I can appreciate the appellation – the tribulations of the protagonist under the eye of a harridan of a female boss are the stuff of a soap opera – “charming” seems hardly the most appropriate tag for a novel in which the protagonist’s sister, under the weight of the oppressive pressures on women of the Mad Men era, comes finally to a very dark place indeed. And there are just the slightest indications – when the protagonist, for instance, comments on the plight of displaced persons or when there’s a passing reference to the Boer War, or still more overtly to my mind, a pretty clear indication of prostitution – to suggest that a larger canvas might have been at the back of Collier’s mind. But that's perhaps for a later day for a novelist who just with her depiction of a certain time and place in America acquits herself admirably and does it with deceptively simple prose that's not just harder than it looks but well-nigh impossible. Count me a fan.

[Talya Boerner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Post WWII Canada, June Grant is her family's breadwinner after her father suffered a massive stroke. She secures a job in the steno pool of a Montreal ad agency and has dreams of being a female copywriter. When June's flair for writing catches the eye of a high-up executive in the company, she begins to work special projects for him. During a time when women are expected to know their place, June wonders if her place and her dreams might eventually align.

A parallel storyline includes the mysterious activities of June's married sister, Daisy. While June's parents believe Daisy has followed the dream path into marriage and motherhood, June catches wind that something more sinister is at play. And, she is determined to understand.

A Real Somebody is a fictionalized story based on the author's aunt. With a Mad Men vibe and Montreal setting the story's setting was a real highlight for me. The mystery of Daisy, while not the most compelling part of the story for me, revealed a darker underbelly to that time period.

Thank you to Deryn Collier, #NetGalley, and Union Lake Publishing for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

[Karen Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was well written and kept me engaged and wanting to continue reading.

June Grant works in the steno pool of an ad agency in post-WWII Montreal. She seems to want more than just working until you find a husband and then be set for life as a housewife. She has a talent for writing poetry and aspires to become a copywriter for the agency, a job never held by a woman in that time period. She is the primary wage-earner for her household which consists of a father who’s suffered a stroke and is no longer able to work, her mother and herself. They are living in reduced circumstances and are totally dependent on June’s wage. Her two sisters are both married and living elsewhere.

The author’s note reveals to us that June Grant was a real person and was in fact the author’s aunt. Interesting look at a time when women’s roles were very different from the are today.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Four stars!

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story, based on the life of the author's aunt, takes us back to post-WWII Canada. The author does a wonderful job of setting the scene and immersing the reader in the atmosphere of the time - not only that of a family in terribly straitened circumstances, desperately trying to keep up appearances, but also that of a talented and creative woman who is bound by a straitjacket of familial and societal expectations. Despite everything holding her back, this woman takes the small opportunities given her and we see her blossom and step into a role that - at the time - was unheard of for a woman. There were a lot of threads, and I wish we had heard more about the main protagonist, and less about her sisters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book based on the author’s real life aunt is an interesting story about life in Canada after World War II. The main character, June is a stenographer in an advertising agency, she has drive, ambition, and a desire to write, but is suppressed due to What society’s expectations for woman are especially after the war. I enjoyed this story about June’s struggle to get ahead with many obstacles against her, namely her boss, family, and the fact that she was not like the other young women that she worked with, manly bidding their time until marriage and children. I believe that this is a good story for someone wanting to read about a ambitious young woman in the post World War II era.

[Ann Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always wanted to visit Montreal and this was like visiting from afar. June is one of 3 daughters, she works her rest end off to care for her parents. - Daisy, stubborn privileged woman with 2 kids and Misey who is pregnant but lives far from Montreal, June is the heroine of the story. The Father has had a stroke and he’s paralyzed and not able to work; therefore, they had to leave their wealthy home and move to an apartment. It’s 1947 and there is still rationing in Canada and salaries are very low. Daisy has lots of issues, whether it’s woh her sisters, her husband. She’s managing a group of “ladies of the night. Her husband knows nothing. Lots of family dynamics and it is a sad situation.

[Jen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book (I was lucky to receive an ARC). As someone who grew up in the suburbs of Montreal, I found the descriptions of the city are perfect. The story is captivating. The family reminds me of my own grandmother and extended family in many ways (except in religion) - so proper and strict.

I also think Deryn Collier captured life in the steno pool - not to mention the strictures of life as a woman in the 1940s so well. Her depiction of June is spot-on. I was rooting for June the whole time.

Even the minor characters are really well drawn. It all adds up to an excellent read. I highly recommend this book!!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that this story is based on the life of a real woman lends added weight to this tale of a woman determined to come into her own in a time period where a woman doing so was a very steep uphill climb. The author did a great job of putting us squarely in June’s shoes: seeing what she saw, experiencing what she experienced, feeling what she felt. All the hope and frustration and expectations.

I enjoyed this book and could definitely identify with June’s desire to go against the grain.

Thank you Deryn Collier, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Laura Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
At times I felt the protagonist, June Grant, was drawn awfully flat for a character inspired by a real person, but she filled out and became a force of nature as the story unfolded. Perhaps intentional? but not in a satisfactory way because many of the secondary and supporting cast were rather one dimensional as well.
It was most definitely an advantage knowing that the basic details of the woman’s life as they unfolded in the book were real and I thrilled at the things she experienced and accomplished so many years before second wave feminism.
Recommended, especially for women in media as a peek at those who laid the foundations.

[Wendy Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book as part of a decades challenge because it was free on Kindle Unlimited and Audible. I listened to a big chunk of it, and I read a smaller chunk of it. It was pretty slow, but it was well-written. All the settings were described in such a way that I felt like I was there in the office or in the house or in the jazz club. I think the character development was also done well. It wasn’t my favorite book, but there was nothing really wrong with it. I learned a little of the time period as this took place in Montreal in the 1940s. It can’t be easy to write a novel about a girl that works on a typewriter all day, but considering that, it was good.

[Rebecca O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist of this story, June, evokes sympathy from the reader initially. She is unmarried at a time when women aspire only to a successful marriage, she is supporting her ailing father and her mother and she has two older sisters who have each married and left home to seemingly happy and successful lives. As the story evolves, all is not as it seems and June begins to see both her own "lot in life" and her sisters' through a different lens. I know this book is based on a true story. The description of the times - social and societal expectations as well as the male dominated work world were interesting and great context for June's struggles with managing her own future. The ending of this story was really on point - unlike other stories that sometimes end on what seems like a "fantabulous" note.

[June Lorraine Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fan of Collier's writing, I'm doubly impressed by this post-war era book and the story of June and her family.

The narrative of a family fallen on hard times is richly portrayed in the actions and thoughts of the characters. That the book is based on the story of her Aunt June is equally compelling.

There are secrets in this family though, and as June moves tentatively into the world of copywriting, unravelling them may be more than bargained on.

[Yolanda Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of A Real Somebody after a CBC radio interview with Deryn Collier. During the interview she did a reading that brought an uncomfortable dinner date in 1947 Montreal come to life. That scene made me want to get to know the main character, June, better. And her story did not disappoint! The back story behind the novel is also intriguing and if you're interested, I recommend signing up for the author's newsletter so you can read the Aunt June Files.

[Joyceanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book follows the life of three sisters as they navigate the world after their father's bankruptcy and stroke. The book can be tedious, because it is telling the story about the day in and out life of the sister whose entire paycheck supports the parents and herself.
Why did I give three stars, because the date scenes, work dynamics of the forties make reading , " A Real Somebody," worthwhile.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I didn’t realize June was a real somebody until the end. The story clearly captures the role of women in the family, in the workplace and in their relationships at the turn of the century as well as other discriminations and biases. The advertising environment feels real and the characters are all very individual—each with their own strengths, flaws and challenges. Nicely told with just the right ending.

[Truthmonkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

May book for the decades challenge (1940s) I know this was a personal book for the author, so I hesitate to critique it. But she fictionalized much of the life of her great aunt in order to make it a mystery. For me, the mystery was unsatisfying, and I would have been more interested in learning more about the real life of June. Also there was a lot of talk about June writing poems and there weren’t any in the book, despite the author having all of them in her possession.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story, set in 1947 Canada made me think of Lessons in Chemistry. June Grant is a ‘steno- girl’ for an ad agency. Through a variety of events, June discovers that she has a knack for writing copy for print ads. However this is not what is expected of women during this time. The story goes on to depict the difficulties she faces as she strives to break the barriers of a life she doesn’t desire and aim for what makes her heart soar.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable historical fiction based on the life of the author's aunt. June Grant, in 1947 Montreal, is struggling like everyone in the post WWII period - struggling with rationing, with jobs, with life in general, But she starts in the steno pool and is determined to make changes in her life and in the lives of her family. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

[Morgan Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful and poignant read. The writing was well done, the look back into history was fascinating, and the characters were well developed! This book felt like just the right amount of feminism without totally disparaging society or men. I truly loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to review!