The girls

In this witty portrait of three generations of unmarried women, the story opens with great‑aunt Charlotte, a seventy‑four‑year‑old spinster whose quiet, cathedral‑like presence anchors a long‑standing Chicago family. From her perspective we glimpse the steady, modest rhythms of a life spent watching the world change from a porch swing, while her niece Lottie, a lively thirty‑two‑year‑old, constantly pushes against the expectations of “respectable” singlehood with brisk walks, daring fashions, and a restless desire for freedom.

The narrative then swings to Charley, the youngest at eighteen and a half, who bursts onto the scene with modern ideas, a fierce love of tennis, and a disdain for sentimentality. As each woman navigates love, work, and the social codes of the early 1920s, their overlapping stories reveal humor, affection, and the surprising resilience that binds them together. Listeners are treated to a warm, observant look at family, independence, and the evolving role of women in a bustling Midwestern world.