-
The Women in Black
- Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
![Prime logo](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/Audible/Homestead/Prime_Logo_RGB.png)
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Editorial reviews
Madeleine St. John’s witty, sprightly comedy of manners, set in Sydney in the late 1950’s, is propelled by the buoyant and effervescent performance of narrator Deidre Rubenstein, who is more than up to the task in portraying Fay, Lisa, and Patty, the novel’s three central characters - all employees of Goode’s department store - united by their jaded outlook on the opposite sex and the unexpected twists and turns their personal and professional lives undergo during the whirlwind Christmas shopping season in this light-hearted and diverting audiobook.
Publisher's summary
The women in black are run off their feet, what with the Christmas rush and the summer sales that follow. But it's Sydney in the 1950s, and there's still just enough time left on a hot and frantic day to dream and scheme... By the time the last marked-down frock has been sold, most of the staff of the Ladies' Cocktail section at F. G. Goode's have been launched into slightly different careers.
With the lightest touch and the most tender of comic instincts, Madeleine St. John conjures a vanished summer of innocence.
Critic reviews
"A highly sophisticated work, full of funny, sharp and subtle observations...a small masterpiece." ( Sunday Times, London)
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Home Is Where the Bodies Are
- By: Jeneva Rose
- Narrated by: January LaVoy, Cassandra Campbell, Brittany Pressley, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.
-
-
Really Predictable… Kept Hoping it Would Change
- By JB on 05-22-24
By: Jeneva Rose
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
The Holy Bible: King James Version
- The Old and New Testaments
- By: King James Bible
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Prentice Onayemi, Ellen Archer, and others
- Length: 82 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This newer edition of the King James Bible published in 1769 is usually preferred by most that read it over the older 1611 version. This 1769 edition is highly sought after due to being more reader/listener friendly than the 1611 since many typos were fixed.... We hope your new audio bible will go everywhere with you and be a blessing for years to come.
-
-
Very Good
- By José de Ribera on 12-17-20
By: King James Bible
-
He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
-
-
Contrary to common reviews
- By Karen on 05-21-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
The Shouts Beneath
- By: Paige Cowan-Hall
- Narrated by: Jade Anouka
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emily has spent her life running away. She never speaks about what happened between her and her mother at her family home when she was a child. All anyone knows is that same night her father packed up the car and drove Emily away. For her safety, he said. She hasn’t been home since. When her mother dies on her 28th birthday, everything changes. She sees her mother everywhere. She catches glimpses at the corner of her eye. She haunts her dreams.
-
-
Okay if you like supernatural occult fiction
- By TerriSweeta on 06-30-24
By: Paige Cowan-Hall
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Home Is Where the Bodies Are
- By: Jeneva Rose
- Narrated by: January LaVoy, Cassandra Campbell, Brittany Pressley, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.
-
-
Really Predictable… Kept Hoping it Would Change
- By JB on 05-22-24
By: Jeneva Rose
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
The Holy Bible: King James Version
- The Old and New Testaments
- By: King James Bible
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Prentice Onayemi, Ellen Archer, and others
- Length: 82 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This newer edition of the King James Bible published in 1769 is usually preferred by most that read it over the older 1611 version. This 1769 edition is highly sought after due to being more reader/listener friendly than the 1611 since many typos were fixed.... We hope your new audio bible will go everywhere with you and be a blessing for years to come.
-
-
Very Good
- By José de Ribera on 12-17-20
By: King James Bible
-
He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
-
-
Contrary to common reviews
- By Karen on 05-21-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
The Shouts Beneath
- By: Paige Cowan-Hall
- Narrated by: Jade Anouka
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emily has spent her life running away. She never speaks about what happened between her and her mother at her family home when she was a child. All anyone knows is that same night her father packed up the car and drove Emily away. For her safety, he said. She hasn’t been home since. When her mother dies on her 28th birthday, everything changes. She sees her mother everywhere. She catches glimpses at the corner of her eye. She haunts her dreams.
-
-
Okay if you like supernatural occult fiction
- By TerriSweeta on 06-30-24
By: Paige Cowan-Hall
-
Liar
- By: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How far would you go to protect your family? Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children, with the help of his devoted mother, Judi. And then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben, but Judi isn't so sure.... There's just something about Amber that doesn't add up. Ben can't see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn't want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children.
-
-
Loved It!
- By TC on 07-03-17
By: K. L. Slater
-
The Dirty Ones
- By: JA Huss
- Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood, Teddy Hamilton
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They said write what you know so that's what I did. I wrote dirty, I wrote erotic, I wrote the truth. And then they called me a liar. But it's not me who's lying, it's them. Our story isn't for everyone. It's not even for us. So if you're looking for the fairy tale and the stupid prince on his dumb white horse, move along. You've got a hold of the wrong book. This is not your story, this is not your life, and this is not your opportunity to dip your frightened little toe into the dark pool of water and "try new things" and then pull it out and decide... #NotForMe.
-
-
The Truth, Best book I have read in years! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- By ♥️🎧♥️***M.R.S.***♥️🎧♥️ on 02-20-19
By: JA Huss
-
Dracula [Audible Edition]
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The modern audience hasn't had a chance to truly appreciate the unknowing dread that readers would have felt when reading Bram Stoker's original 1897 manuscript. Most modern productions employ campiness or sound effects to try to bring back that gothic tension, but we've tried something different. By returning to Stoker's original storytelling structure - a series of letters and journal entries voiced by Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, and other characters - with an all-star cast of narrators, we've sought to recapture its originally intended horror and power.
-
-
IS THAT NOT SO?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-05-15
By: Bram Stoker
-
The Jane Austen Collection
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Claire Foy, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Billie Piper, and others
- Length: 45 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renowned as much for her wit and satirical social commentary as for her stories of love and romance, Jane Austen remains unfailingly relevant and one of Britain’s best loved authors. In this Audible Original collection, an all-star list of narrators (Billie Piper, Claire Foy, Emma Thompson, Florence Pugh and Gugu Mbatha-Raw) capture Austen’s pin-sharp humour and tone in these dramatisations of her six beloved novels accompanied by a full cast.
-
-
Not a faithful rendition
- By Anne McClain on 12-13-20
By: Jane Austen
-
Dietrich
- By: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ed Harris
- Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s the summer of ’77 in New York City, and the only thing more unnerving than the scorching heatwave is the rampant murder, leaving washed-up homicide detective Richard Dietrich on edge. When Dietrich investigates a brutal mob hit the brass doesn’t want him to solve, he goes from phoning it in to getting in over his head. Caught up in a mysterious second homicide with an even more perplexing perpetrator, Dietrich starts to second guess his instincts—and his memory—as he searches for answers at the bottom of a bottle.
-
-
Very good!
- By Kathleen on 04-17-24
By: Don Winslow
-
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
- A Novel
- By: Bryn Greenwood
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house until one night her stargazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.
-
-
So many 'hard to listen to' moments
- By jksullycats on 12-27-16
By: Bryn Greenwood
What listeners say about The Women in Black
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nora Frado
- 11-08-20
Fun !
This was a good escape from the current climate! Thoroughly enjoy this book.
Deidre Rubenstein did a wonderful job.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Millamant
- 04-27-10
A Slice of Literary Sunshine
When Text Publishing recently re-released Madeleine St John's The Women in Black, I was thrilled. My copy of the original edition, published in the early 1990s, was borrowed by someone who enjoyed it so much she never troubled to return it, and I was always extremely annoyed, because it is a truly marvellous novel that deserves to be recommended to a wide audience as a minor Australian classic.
The story covers six weeks in the lives of a group of women who work in a thinly fictionalised version of Sydney's flagship David Jones store in the 1950s. Each is at a different watershed in her life. Lisa (her name is really Lesley, but Lisa is more romantic) is a schoolgirl waiting for her matriculation results. Faye is a burnt out party girl, always falling for Mr Wrong, and seeing her chances of settling down with Mr Right fading rapidly as she moves into her thirties. Patty is trapped in a boring marriage with a drongo, with whom she shares little but a desperate desire for children who have never come. And in the midst of everything is Magda, the exotic Slovenian 'New Australian', who rules over Model Gowns like a benevolent despot, and who manages to be fairy godmother while scheming like Machiavelli behind the scenes.
It is hard to underestimate the charm of The Women in Black. On the one hand it is an intelligent feel-good novel, but it was written by a uniquely talented stylist, and manages to be far more than that. It is one of those rare books that can be recommended to practically anyone; so elegantly written, so wryly observed, and so beautifully peopled with thoroughly believable characters that it bears repeated re-readings. As an evocation of a particular moment in Australian history, it is hardly to be excelled. The audio performance was thoroughly enjoyable, even by somebody who has read the book as many times as I have. Please, give this slice of literary sunshine a go. It is hard to imagine being disappointed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RueRue
- 05-17-20
Delightful
A delightful little book ! The characters are just wonderful, especially Magda. There is an retro quality to the story, with its setting in an exclusive women's clothing department of a fancy store. It was perfect escapism for me in the midst of the COVID shutdown. The narration by Deidre Rubenstein was fantastic, too. She gave each character a distinctive voice, and her reading of Magda was so fun !
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SJ
- 09-01-21
A light story
The book is a easy and a light story . That’s not a criticism, the book is a look into the diverse lives of the women who work in a department store in the 1950’s. The narration leaves much to be desired.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TiffanyD
- 03-26-20
Cotton Candy
If you are a lover of books like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, this must be your next listen. Charming, funny, light, with just the tiniest bit of weight provided by the hint of social issues that women were dealing with in an Australia post WWII but pre-1960s. This will definitely be a book I turn to again in trying times when I need a little pick me up.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- anne
- 01-19-21
A total delight!
Narration was supurbly performed. A heartwarming story that examined our fears, hopes, and humanity. Would definitely recommend
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jane
- 02-23-13
Read with a melodius and versatile voice
This is the sort of book that can be described as a 'little gem'. It's about the women in the black clothes that were de rigueur for sales staff in the department stores for the wealthy in the 1950s.
Temporary assistant Lesley ('I want to be called Lisa') nervously awaiting her Leaving results, arrives and becomes part of the dress section. All her workmates have their stories, life styles so far apart from their monied customers. There is an interweaving of support and care among some of the women, while others are detached and present their work-face only.
Some of the lives are pleasingly resolved through moving into paths of what will 'surely be' love and security -- and the author, St John, gently determines that these paths should support their individual hopes and dreams.
The reader, Diedre Rubinstein, has a melodious and versatile voice and delightfully acts out all these endearing characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 04-19-20
A great beach read
The reader will enjoy following the progress of these women as they pick and stumble their way through one frantic Christmas retail season and are forever changed
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Deanne Gibbs-Brown
- 06-27-20
Australia in the 1950’s comes to life
Loved the story. Felt I lived in Australia through the character’s lives and dreams. Disappointed in the ending . “Don’t stop now!” Looking for the other books by Madeleine St. John.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lili
- 12-31-20
Exquisite narration!
A rather lighthearted romp thru the cocktail dress section of a Sydney department store in the 1950s. The characters are voiced beautifully and add to the fun. Not heavy on plot, this small book merely peeks briefly into the lives of these women. If you're looking for something fun and breezy, give this one a try.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!