The Signature of All Things, paints an animated portrait of Vivian’s life in 1940s’ New York before America “inevitably did enter the War”.Įmbellished with striking details, all things come alive - the beautiful costumes Vivian sews her shopping expeditions to Orchard Street and Ninth Avenue the flurry of rehearsals for the productions at the Lily Vivian’s nights Gilbert, a skilled storyteller who endeared herself to readers with her bestselling novels,

Told from the perspective of an aged Vivian, Elizabeth Gilbert’s new novel is both a coming-of-age tale and a glorious, if occasionally wistful, remembrance of things past. Wild nights and drunken dancing follow, love and lust are Vivian’s for the taking in the city. She puts her formidable sewing skills to good use by taking on the challenge of designing costumes for the impoverished company’s productions. Vivian, “a girl so freshly hatched that there is yolk in her hair”, is thrilled to hang out with a bunch of sexy showgirls, dancers, playboys, eccentric actors, and writers. Aunt Peg’s theatre company is a whole new universe.

The listless college dropout is instructed to stay with her Aunt Peg who owns the grand but crumbling Lily Playhouse in New York City. Vivian is 19 and without any discernible plans for the future. City of Girls, is bundled off to Manhattan by her parents in the spring of 1940.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert