Sunwise Turn

More about the book

Amid the upheavals of World War I and challenging economic conditions, two women in New York City fulfilled their dream by founding a bookstore in 1916 that quickly became a cultural hub in Manhattan. "The Sunwise Turn" embodies the ideal of a bookstore cherished by book lovers. Artists and intellectuals mingled with members of the financial elite, the middle class, and workers. Society women volunteered as assistants, including the young Peggy Guggenheim, who ran errands. This literary homage to a bookstore is particularly enchanting as many episodes and even commercial practices remain easily relatable today. Entrepreneurial risks and overwhelming competition, as well as the joy of success, reflect Jenison's "human comedy of bookselling." After reading, one is convinced that their boldness in taking risks was worthwhile.