The Neighborhood Dames is compelling historical fiction by Laura Stanfill that captivated me from the very beginning. It champions fierce female friendships, creativity and music, defying societal norms and expectations, and journeys of self-discovery.
What is The Neighborhood Dames about?
The Neighborhood Dames is set in early 1900s and 1920s New Jersey. We meet main character Violet right after her father dies in a mysterious fire at her family’s apple orchard (and illegal distillery, because, Hello, Prohibition!).
Violet has already lost her best friend, Minnow, and her mom. Now that her beloved father is gone, Violet fully withdraws from society. That is, until Sally — Minnow’s daughter — appears on Violet’s doorstep.
Sally and Violet discover a secret tunnel under Violet’s house that leads them to an unexpected haven of local women. They’re the Neighborhood Dames, and they might have answers to what happened to Violet’s father, as well as her mother who disappeared so many years ago.
The novel is divided into three parts:
- Part 1 shows us the “present” timeline, when Violet’s father dies and Violet meets Sally.
- Part 2 is a jump back in time to when Violet and Minnow first met as little girls and neighbors. We see their friendship grow and change over the years, watching them become a popular (and secret!) songwriting duo until Minnow’s death in her early 20s.
- Part 3 puts the reader back in the “present” where we learn more about the mysterious Neighborhood Dames.
What I liked about The Neighborhood Dames
I really enjoyed stepping into the world of The Neighborhood Dames. Violet’s an empathetic character, especially for those creative introverts among us who’d rather be writing, daydreaming, and making art instead of small talk with people we don’t know. She reminded me a lot of the MC in Meredith Alone.
Best friend Minnow is a force of nature — and the complete opposite of Violet. She’s sweet but annoying, disappointing but loveable. Minnow’s the “It Girl” who always seems like the sparkliest, prettiest person in the room. She’s the one you always hope will be your friend but fear never will because she’s so much cooler than you.
I loved reading about Violet and Minnow as little girls, then as young women, then as business partners. There’s fierce love and loyalty there, even when they seem to have outgrown each other. It’s a complicated relationship, as most girlhood-to-adulthood friendships are. Female friendship can be one of the most powerful forces, so strong that it can blur the border between platonic and romantic; that’s the kind of bond Minnow and Violet share.
The actual “Neighborhood Dames” part of the book didn’t get as much page time as I’d have thought it would, but I didn’t mind that. There are many things I liked about the group – how powerful the women in it are, how dedicated they are to their cause, and how well they look after other women, whether they’re “dames” or not.
I can’t condone all of their actions, and I liked how Violet had a problem doing that, as well. There’s a lot that’s great about the Dames, but there are problems, too. Author Stillman does a good job of addressing this.
Should you read The Neighborhood Dames?
The Neighborhood Dames is a unique, emotional, and enjoyable read for all different types of readers. Neurodivergent and queer communities are well-represented in the book, providing some insight into how women might have quietly defied societal norms back in a time that wasn’t publicly accepting of them.
Bonus: anyone living in the Bloomfield/Glen Ridge/Montclair, NJ area will especially appreciate this novel. I spent about 10 years there, and I was able to picture Violet and Minnow walking down Bay Street, around Ridgewood Ave, and over to the Kimberly Academy or Brookdale Park. It made the story come alive in a whole different way for me.
What’s the book-inspired recipe?
Check back in for the book-inspired recipe: Apple Pie Ice Cream.
