White Collar Girl

PRAISE FOR

White Collar Girl

“An unforgettable novel about an ambitious woman's struggle to break into the male dominated newspaper world of the 1950s.”

—Sara Gruen,
New York Times
bestselling author of
At the Water's Edge

“
White Collar Girl
has it all—a plucky girl reporter, a colorful cast of newsroom characters, a gripping mystery, and, best of all, a terrific depiction of the 1950s.”

—Melanie Benjamin,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Aviator's Wife

“A thoroughly enjoyable dive into 1950s Chicago
 . . .
part historical drama, part mystery, part romance, and all cleverly told. An intriguing page-turner!”

—Susan Meissner, author of
Secrets of a Charmed Life

“This story had me from the first sentence
. . . .
With spare, elegant sentences, Rosen plants the reader in the middle of midcentury politics and family tragedy.”

—Jeanne Mackin, author of
A Lady of Good Family

“With verve, pace, and style,
White Collar Girl
conjures
 . . .
a world you will not want to leave.”

—Priya Parmar, author of
Vanessa and Her Sister

“Impeccable storytelling makes
White Collar Girl
as insightful as it is exciting.”

—Shelley Noble,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Whisper Beach

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF RENÉE ROSEN

“A lively, gutsy romp of a novel that will keep you turning pages.”

—Karen Abbott,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Sin in the Second City

“Prepare to lose yourself in the unforgettable story of a quintessential flapper.”

—Tasha Alexander,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Death in the Floating City

“With
Dollface
, Renée Rosen crafted an unforgettable portrait of Prohibition-era Chicago; in
What the Lady Wants
she does the same for the city during its Gilded Age.”

—Jennifer Robson, international and
USA Today
bestselling author of
Somewhere in France

“Rosen skillfully charms, fascinates, frustrates, and moves her readers in this turn-of-the-century tale.”

—Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of
The House of Hawthorne

“
What the Lady Wants
is a story that opens with the Great Chicago Fire and keeps on smoldering to the end.”

—Suzanne Rindell, author of
The Other Typist

“Once again, Renée Rosen brings Chicago history alive
 . . .
captivating with a surprisingly contemporary twist.”

—Stephanie Lehmann, author of
Astor Place Vintage

“A story
Boardwalk Empire
fans won't want to miss.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Quirky and heartfelt.”

—Chicago Tribune

“A heartfelt coming-of-age story, told with the perfect combination of humor and drama.”

—
Chicago Sun-Times

Also by Renée Rosen

What the Lady Wants

Dollface

Every Crooked Pot

NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY

Published by New American Library,

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

This book is an original publication of New American Library.

First Printing, November 2015

Copyright © Renée Rosen, 2015

Readers Guide copyright © Penguin Random House, 2015

Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

New American Library and the New American Library colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

For more information about Penguin Random House, visit
penguin.com
.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Rosen, Renée.

White collar girl: a novel/Renée Rosen.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-698-19256-0

1. Women journalists—Illinois—Chicago—Fiction. 2. Reporters and reporting—Illinois—Chicago—Fiction. 3. Chicago (Ill.)—Social life and customs—20th century—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3618.O83156W48 2015

813'.6—dc23 2015016495

Designed by Tiffany Estreicher

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To John Dul. At last.

Acknowledgments

•   •   •

When I started writing
White Collar Girl
I knew very little about the Daley machine of the 1950s and had never set foot inside a newspaper office. Thankfully, I met many kind and generous people along the way who helped bring me up to speed. Without them, I could not have written this book.

Thank you to Eric Charles May, who is not only a former reporter but also a very talented author. Meeting him was really the jumping-off point for me. It was through Eric that I met Dorothy Colin, a former
Tribune
reporter who offered further insights. Elizabeth Taylor, former
Time Magazine
correspondent and the current Literary Editor of the
Chicago Tribune
, was enormously helpful and provided encouragement early on. Her book,
American Pharaoh,
which she coauthored with Adam Cohen, is a fascinating look at the Daley machine. It was through Elizabeth that I was able to interview Barbara Mahany, a writer and former
Chicago Tribune
columnist. My friend Julie Anderson introduced me to Mark Damisch, a critically acclaimed classical pianist, lawyer and former mayor of Northbrook who gave me a crash course on the inner workings of Operation Greylord. As mentioned in my author's note, Rick Kogan gave me a tour of the
Tribune
and led me to Shirley Baugher, a historian for Old Town who shared many stories with me and her many books, which are listed in the back. Thank you also goes to Claire Dolinar for the guided tour.

Two people who went above and beyond for me are Charles Osgood, a former
Chicago Tribune
staff photographer who not only read and vetted the book for me but who introduced me to Marion Purcelli. Marion inspired more aspects of this book than I can count. Her generosity with her time, her knowledge and sensitivity to the writing process are forever appreciated. Yes, she is the girl with the attaché case and so much more.

Where would we be without friends? Thank you to Julia Lieblich, Marianne Nee, Tasha Alexander, Andrew Grant, Nick Hawkins, Amy Sue Nathan, Kelly O'Connor McNees, Karen Abbott, Javier Ramirez, Stephanie Nelson and the Sushi Lunch bunch.

Extra-special thanks go to Joe Esselin, Mindy Mailman, Brenda Klem and Sara Gruen—your friendship and support know no bounds and for that I'm forever grateful—I love you all.

To my team, starting with my amazing agent, Kevan Lyon, who has taken such good care of me and my books and has the ability to make me think I'm her only client. Thank you for all that you do and continue to do on my behalf. To her assistant, Patricia Nelson, thank you for all your feedback and the countless early reads of this manuscript. To Claire Zion, my dream editor, I couldn't ask for a better collaborator or champion. Thank you for your faith in me. I'm beyond thrilled about our future projects together. To Jennifer Fisher, thank you for your fresh eyes on the manuscript and insightful critiques. To Jessica Butler for her tireless efforts to get my books noticed. To the Penguin Random House marketing and sales teams, especially Stefan Moorehead and the one and only Brian Wilson—so very grateful to have you in my camp. You're the best.

To my family, Debbie Rosen, Pam Jaffe, Andy Jaffe, Jerry Rosen, Andrea Rosen, Joey Perilman and Devon Rosen—you have celebrated every step of the way with me and I thank you all for your love and encouragement.

And lastly, to John Dul. Thank you for coming into my life and taking this journey with me. I love you so.