Saturday's Child

"Saturday's Child" by Kathleen Thompson Norris is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around the lives and struggles of a group of young women working at a wholesale drug establishment in San Francisco. The main character, Susan Brown, navigates her daily challenges and the ambitions of both herself and her colleagues, while yearning for better opportunities and recognition in a world constrained by gender roles and societal expectations. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to the dreary office environment and the camaraderie shared among the women who work there, despite their mundane tasks. The pivotal character, Susan, is characterized by both her friendly demeanor and her burgeoning ambitions. As the narrative unfolds, the dynamics among the office workers become clear, particularly highlighted by the presence of Miss Thornton, a more experienced clerk who influences the younger workers, including Susan. Themes of aspiration, camaraderie, and the challenges of addressing both professional and personal ambitions in a restricted societal framework are introduced as Susan learns of a promotion opportunity and the arrival of a handsome new colleague, Mr. Peter Coleman, which captures her imagination and adds complexity to her already daunting path. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Kathleen Thompson Norris was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. Norris was a prolific writer who wrote 93 novels, many of which became best sellers. Her stories appeared frequently in the popular press of the day, including The Atlantic, The American Magazine, McClure's, Everybody's, Ladies' Home Journal, and Woman's Home Companion. Norris used her fiction to promote family and moralistic values, such as the sanctity of marriage, the nobility of motherhood, and the importance of service to others.