Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Vintage: A Novel
    Vintage: A Novel
    Vintage: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Vintage: A Novel

    Written by Susan Gloss

    Narrated by Karen White

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Vintage is Susan Gloss’s sparkling debut novel in the Vein of The Friday Night Knitting Club, centered around a Midwestern vintage clothing shop and a group of women who eventually transform the store and each others’ lives.

    At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell . . . and so do the women who are drawn there.

    Violet Turner has always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. When she is faced with the possibility of losing it, she realizes that, as much as she wants to, she cannot save it alone.

    Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect 1950s wedding dress, she discovers unexpected possibilities and friends who won’t let her give up on her dreams.

    Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her old clothes, remnants of her past life. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears she has nothing more ahead for her.

    An engaging story that beautifully captures the essence of women’s friendship and love, Vintage is a charming tale of possibility, of finding renewal and hope when we least expect it.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 25, 2014
    ISBN9780062308979
    Author

    Susan Gloss

    Susan Gloss is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin Law School. When she's not writing fiction, Susan can be found working as an attorney, blogging at GlossingOverIt.com, or hunting for vintage treasures for her Etsy shop, Cleverly Curated. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.

    Related to Vintage

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Women's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Capsule Wardrobe

      May 7, 2018

      Capsule Wardrobe
      4 min read

    • Article

      A stitch IN TIME

      Nov 18, 2018

      A stitch IN TIME
      4 min read

    • Article

      As Time Goes By

      Aug 1, 2021

      It was gifs of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe on Tumblr – the microblogging site popular in the late 2000s – that first got Lily Chen interested in old Hollywood films. She was around 15 and studying at a Canadian international school in China whe

      9 min read

    • Article

      HOPE & HARLEQUIN

      Jul 26, 2022

      I trained originally in sculpture and metalwork at Camberwell in London, then went on to work in interiors, jewellery and as a fashion buyer, as well as working in bridal. It's all quite visual, so vintage clothing is a natural extension of that and

      2 min read

    • Article

      Meant To Be

      Aug 22, 2018

      Meant To Be
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Wang Factor

      Jun 19, 2020

      NOT so long ago, wedding dresses were so big and bouffant they looked like they belonged on a dessert trolley. Brides the world over have a lot to thank Vera Wang for – it’s largely because of her that they don’t have to look like puffed-up meringues

      8 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Sep 14, 2022

      I am a committed reader of Woman’s Weekly, and for the special occasion of the Queen’s Jubilee this summer I made a post box topper for one outside a primary school in Wallington. It’s such a lovely school, where my daughter works, and the children,

      3 min read

    • Article

      In Her Own FASHION

      Mar 8, 2020

      In Her Own FASHION
      3 min read

    • Article

      We're Op Shop Experts!

      Jan 29, 2023

      We're Op Shop Experts!
      2 min read

    • Article

      Human Contact

      Aug 10, 2022

      Beer tasted like wet money—or maybe just bad beer did. Viola had never tried any other kind. She preferred white wine, but there was no white wine at this party. “Drink it like medicine,” the guy manning the keg said. “It’ll loosen you up.” He wore a

      18 min read

    • Article

      I’m Allergic To The 21st Century!

      Dec 14, 2023

      Seeing the sticker stuck to my friend’s bed frame, I turned away my eyes. I was a kid having a sleepover at their place, and that sticker kept me awake all night! It turned out my fear of stickers was a phobia called pittakionophobia! If I saw a stic

      3 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Apr 3, 2024

      I have had either knitting or crochet on the go for more years than I care to remember. Apart from my needles and hooks, I have one favoured trusty tool that I use daily, and that is my pattern line magnifier. A fellow crafter saw it this week and co

      3 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Oct 25, 2023

      On your Here to Help page [20 June], I read a letter by a woman who has been told by her daughter that it’s morbid to write her life story. My friends and family strongly disagree. I am 77 and recently, my husband paid to get my life story profession

      3 min read

    • Article

      MY 2000 DOLLS Hundreds of years OF HAPPINESS

      Jan 13, 2021

      Mary Holden, 86, Gerogery, NSW I couldn’t stop grinning as I carefully loaded the car with my newly acquired goods. ‘You girls are going to look just fantastic in my home,’ I told them. I’d just splurged on a collection of 100 dolls at an antique a

      3 min read

    • Article

      Inspiring Kindred Spirits

      Jan 23, 2024

      The pages of Victoria magazine brim with lush photographs of another era where beauty and refinement reign, with none more lovely than those pertaining to the art of taking tea. This special break to sit with a warm cup and diminutive treat is a seda

      3 min read

    • Article

      Fashion ROYALTY

      May 5, 2020

      Fashion ROYALTY
      7 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Mar 20, 2024

      This is a photo of my mum’s copy of the first edition of one of your old series of puzzle specials. And she is still doing puzzles, even now, when she is in Portugal on holiday. Gayle Caswell, Stoke-on-Trent This week’s puzzles start on page 54. He

      3 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Oct 4, 2023

      In your 27 June issue, a reader asked Keren’s advice about both her children living out of the UK. She doubted if she and her husband had been good parents. When I was faced with that same situation, I spoke to my daughters about my similar fears. Bu

      3 min read

    • Article

      HEART Of The Community

      Aug 3, 2021

      HEART Of The Community
      12 min read

    • Article

      I Quit Shopping

      May 1, 2019

      I Quit Shopping
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Creative Path

      Jun 6, 2022

      The Creative Path
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Passion For Vintage Fashion

      Apr 20, 2021

      NOW THAT NON-ESSENTIAL shops are back open, it means I can once again indulge in my obsession of pre-worn clothes shopping in person, not just online. Etsy and eBay are my online vintage shopping outlets of choice, but I’m just as partial to a good r

      2 min read

    • Article

      Making Memories

      Jan 18, 2022

      Making Memories
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Style Diaries

      Jun 12, 2019

      The Style Diaries
      3 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Nov 29, 2023

      I just wanted to comment on Hannah Fisher’s letter and picture in a recent issue [5 September]. The cardigan her nanny knitted her is from the same pattern my nanny used to knit me one, back in about 1952! Mine was in blue with little flower buttons.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Good to SHARE

      Aug 24, 2022

      From you to us Your article about Nicola Buckley and her dad, Ricky [28 June issue], was interesting. However, finding care can be difficult and you may not have much choice or care timed to suit your exact needs if the local authority is meeting the

      3 min read

    • Article

      Blanket Fever

      Jun 6, 2021

      Blanket Fever
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Ecstasy Of A Great Out Fit

      Apr 7, 2023

      The Ecstasy Of A Great Out Fit
      8 min read

    • Article

      Retro Style

      Oct 25, 2022

      Retro Style
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Vintage

    3.5/5

    99 ratings10 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      Too predicable. I did enjoy the setting in Madison, WI.
    • 4/5
      Another quick read--which is what I'm needing during this pandemic. Violet runs a vintage clothing store, and becomes friends with a pregnant teenager, a disenchanted Indian housewife, and a would-be actress turned mom. They are all running from different things, are all broken in some way(s), but all have gifts and insights to offer each other. Bonus: it takes place in Madison.
    • 4/5
      This is the story of Violet, April, and Amithi, three women in various stages of life who form a friendship. Violet owns a store called Vintage, and she buys not just items - clothing, jewelry, dishes, etc. from people, but she also supplies the story of the item with potential buyers. April, young, pregnant, alone, becomes an intern at the store during her pregnancy. Amithi has been in Madison for 30 years, but is from India originally. Hers was an arranged marriage, but over the years she and her husband formed a bond of respect and comfort, until one day that bond is broken. All three women discover that family comes in a variety of packages, and does not necessarily have to include blood relationships.

      I like the quirkiness of Violet, the sweet shyness of April, and I admired Amithi's strength and courage in attempting to change her life. The characters are well formed, and the story flows well. It was not a book I picked up and could not put down, but I still enjoyed reading it.
    • 4/5
      A vintage clothing store and the friendship of the women involved.
    • 4/5
      Best read so far this year, lol. Very good story. Great characters. Moving situations. Wonderful descriptions of vintage clothing. Hope to see more from this author.
    • 5/5
      I've always loved books where people’s lives intersect and they all become happier as a result. This is one of those stories. At the beginning, I thought I might be getting tired of that story. I thought this particular story might feel clichéd and exactly like all the others. However, the more I read, the more I was convinced this was something special. The writing did remind me of The Wedding Bees or Lost Lake. Susan Glass does a wonderful job creating a vivid world with a cheerful atmosphere. Her writing is bright and colorful, making reading this book a delightful experience. Initially, I wasn’t sure I liked the fashion references, especially since I’m not fashionable enough to get all of them. I did, however, think the idea of focusing each chapter on one item from Violet’s store (described at the beginning of the chapter) gave this book a unique character. I eventually got used to the in-chapter fashion references too.

      What really won me over though was the fantastic message of this book. The characters are incredibly diverse, including: Violet, the vintage store owner from a small midwestern town; Amithi, a traditional Indian wife; April, a teenage mother-to-be; Betsy, a wealthy philanthropist; and , a retired actress and mother of three. Throughout the story, all of these women come together and help one another in a beautiful example of female friendship. Their differences are sometimes challenging, but they also enable these women to support one another. Each woman has very different goals and dreams, both professionally and personally. And this book makes it very clear, that all of their goals are equally admirable. Whether a woman chooses to be mothers or have a career or both or wants to do stereotypically feminine things or not, it’s all ok. I think this is something that needs to be said more often. I am deeply grateful to the author for making this a book which not only gave me warm fuzzy feelings because of a happy story, but a book that could make a difference with it’s positive message for women at any stage of their lives.

      This review first published on Doing Dewey.
    • 3/5
      This is a cute novel--it won't change your life, but its delightful to read. Three women and assorted characters brought together by a charming vintage clothing shop. The author manages to incorporate an item of vintage clothing into each chapter, which is a nice touch. The author is also able to describe Madison in a lovely way, with all its quirkiness. If anything, this novel could have used some greater conflict and tension, just to drive more interest. The characters are almost too good to be true, even in difficult moments. Nevertheless, I think this is a fun read for readers who don't want to get bogged down with something super serious.
    • 5/5
      I took a chance on this book. So glad that I did. This book is a delightful treasure of a read! Violet would be happy that I called this book a treasure. I loved all three women in their own ways. The one thing that they all had in common is that they did not just sit around feeling sorry for themselves, they got up did things that empowered them as strong, independant women. Thus this is why I liked all the women a lot. Plus, each of their stories were good ones. The flow of the voices of each woman to the next was an easy transaction. Classic line in book on page 226 "Happy endings aren't just for fairy tales and massage parlors."Yes, happy endings do exist not just in books and you don't have to purchase them.
    • 3/5
      Have you ever wondered about the stories behind old things? Vintage furniture, cars, clothing? Anything that had owners before you? I certainly have. But it's more than just things that have past stories. People do too. And they carry those stories, good, bad, or neutral, with them forward into the future. Susan Gloss's new heart warming women's fiction novel, Vintage, shows this quite clearly. Violet owns a vintage clothing store in funky Madison, Wisconsin. She is living her dream, working and owning Hourglass Vintage. She has built her store up to be successful and she is generally happy with her life, even if she sometimes wants just a little more, like the family her best friend now has. When the story opens, a teenager comes in to try and return a wedding dress she bought at the store. When Violet tells her that she doesn't accept returns, the girl leaves the dress and disappears before Violet can speak more to her. Then an older Indian woman comes in to sell some of her saris and jewelry, items for which her Americanized daughter has no need or want. As Violet is consulting with this customer, a man comes in to serve her eviction papers. Her landlord wants to sell the building to a developer. Violet has first right of refusal but there's no way she can raise the funds to buy the building. Determined to keep running her shop and not think about what moving would entail, both the teenager with the unneeded wedding dress and the older Indian woman come back into Violet's store and then her life as friends. April is all alone since her mother's death several months prior. She is only eighteen and she's pregnant. Her college senior fiancé has called off their wedding and dumped her. She is quite smart and has a scholarship to college in the fall if she can figure out how to juggle the coming baby with school. When she meets with Betsy Barrett, one of the women in charge of the scholarship and tells Betsy about her situation, Betsy promises to try and find an internship for April until school starts. As a wealthy philanthropist and an advocate for women, Betsy lights on Violet's store as the perfect place for April to gain some real world working experience. Violet is uncertain about letting anyone touch her beloved store despite needing help with bookkeeping and organization. But when Betsy tells her April's story and she discovers that April is the girl who returned the wedding dress, Violet takes her on. When April helps Violet come up with an idea that could help save the store, lovely Amithi, the older Indian woman, who has continued to sell off the things that her husband has given her over the years, is enlisted as a master seamstress. Each of the three main characters has unhappiness and difficulty in her life but they all stand on the threshold of something new. And as they each face the different challenges that life has thrown their way, an unplanned pregnancy, long term infidelity, the death of a parent, the search for love, and a growing desire for a child, they do so stronger for the relationship and support they've built amongst themselves. Each of the women is very different and has a distinctive voice. And Gloss has described the feel of Madison as a small but vibrant city beautifully. The chapters all start with the description of a vintage piece from the store and the tie in between the article and the action of the chapter is well done. While the resolution of this sweet novel isn't hard to figure out and may be a little too easy, the loving way that Gloss celebrates female empowerment through these women's choices and the value of what has typically been considered "women's work" or solely the prerogative of women and the domestic sphere, like sewing and clothing and fashion, is definitely appealing. A light and charming read, this take on unexpected friendship and the ways in which women support each other to grow and change is engaging and inviting.
    • 4/5
      This is a first novel for Susan Gloss. It is very well written and I really enjoyed it. Violet Turner owns a vintage clothes shop in Madison Wisconsin and the novel is about her and the friends that she makes in her shop. Each chapter is about a different article of clothing in the shop because Violet believes that you should know the history behind the clothes and as we learn more about the clothes, we learn more about the people who come into the shop. Its a very engaging story and I really enjoyed reading it. I am looking forward to the next book from this author.