Journey into the world of business with "Emma McChesney and Co" by Edna Ferber. This collection of short stories revolves around the fictitious character Emma McChesney, a businesswoman and traveling sales personnel. Ferber's engaging narratives provide a unique perspective on the challenges faced by women in the business world, making it a compelling read for fans of American literature and those interested in tales of perseverance and ambition.
"And d'you know what I'll do meanwhile, out of revenge on the sex? I've just ordered three suits of white flannel, and I shall break every feminine heart in the camp, regardless' Oh, say, that's what I came in to tell you! Guess whom I saw at the tailor's?" "Well, Mr. Bones, whom did you, and so forth?""Fat Ed Meyers. I just glimpsed him in one of the fitting-rooms. And they were draping him in white."Emma McChesney sat up with a jerk."Are you sure?""Sure? There's only one figure like that. He had the thing on and was surveying himself in the mirror' or as much of himself as could be seen in one ordinary mirror. In that white suit, with his red face above it, he looked like those pictures you see labeled, 'Sunrise on Snow-covered Mountain.'"*Includes "Broadway to Buenos Aires," "Thanks to Miss Morrissey," "A Closer Corporation," "Blue Serge," "'Hoops, My Dear!'," "Sisters under Their Skin," and "An Etude for Emma."
Edna Ferber, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Show Boat and Giant, achieved her first great success with a series of stories featuring Emma McChesney: a smart, stylish, divorced mother who in a mere twelve years rose from stenographer to traveling sales representative to business manager and partner of the T. A. Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company.
Edna Ferber, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Show Boat and Giant, achieved her first great success with a series of stories featuring Emma McChesney: a smart, stylish, divorced mother who in a mere twelve years rose from stenographer to traveling sales representative to business manager and partner of the T. A. Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company.
The door marked "MRS. MCCHESNEY" was closed. T. A. Buck, president of the Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company, coming gaily down the hall, stopped before it, dismayed, as one who, with a spicy bit of news at his tongue's end, is met with rebuff before the first syllable is voiced. That closed door meant: "Busy. Keep out." "She'll be reading a letter," T. A. Buck told himself grimly. Then he turned the knob and entered his partner's office. Mrs. Emma McChesney was reading a letter. More than that, she was poring over it so that, at the interruption, she glanced up in a maddeningly half-cocked manner which conveyed the impression that, while her physical eye beheld the intruder, her mental eye was still on the letter. "I knew it," said T. A. Buck morosely. Emma McChesney put down the letter and smiled. "Sit down—now that you're in. And if you expect me to say, 'Knew what?' you're doomed to disappointment." T. A. Buck remained standing, both gloved hands clasping his walking stick on which he leaned.
Emma McChesney & Co. is the final instalment of Edna Ferber’s trilogy, and the comedic novel is full of new beginnings, frightening leaps of faith, and life-altering revelations. First published in 1915, Emma McChesney & Co. brings the trilogy to a close as Emma McChesney’s son, Jock, moves to Chicago with his new wife, leaving his mother to debate the nest stages of her life. Alone in the overwhelming emptiness of her New York flat, Edna Ferber’s protagonist decides to throw caution to the wind and reverts back to her travelling saleswoman career. Boarding a ship to South America, Emma McChesney visits Brazil, Buenos Aires, and Argentina in an effort to drum up a new wave of custom for T. A. Buck’s Featherbloom Petticoats before their competition can. But when she returns to New York, Emma McChesney faces a life-altering decision. Should she marry her sweetheart, T. A. Buck Jr? And if so, will she give up her job to become a dutiful housewife? Edna Ferber turns early twentieth-century expectations for women on their heads in this surprisingly modern classic. Emma McChesney & Co. is not to be missed by fans of Ferber’s hilariously entertaining trilogy.
"Fanny Herself" by means of Edna Ferber is a charming novel that delves into the lifestyles of Fanny Brandeis, a younger Jewish woman developing up in the early twentieth century in Winnebago, Wisconsin. As Fanny navigates the challenges of adolescence and younger maturity, she grapples with questions of identity, ambition, and the pursuit of success in a rapidly converting world. From her humble beginnings working in her father's keep to her upward thrust as a success businesswoman within the male-dominated international of publishing, Fanny faces numerous obstacles and setbacks alongside the manner. Yet, with willpower, resilience, and an eager mind, she overcomes adversity to attain her dreams. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant immigrant network and the bustling streets of Chicago, Ferber's novel paints a bright portrait of turn-of-the-century America, shooting the spirit of the instances with warmth and authenticity. Through Fanny's journey, Ferber explores issues of own family, friendship, love, and the pursuit of happiness, supplying readers a poignant and insightful glimpse into the human revel in. At its heart, "Fanny Herself" is an undying coming-of-age story that resonates with readers of all ages, celebrating the indomitable spirit of a young female decided to carve out her personal path within the world.
