Four-Party Line

by Dorothy Gilman Butters

There is Francine, with whome snobbery was a rule until her at first sight love of Tom gave her a compassion for all people, and Peggy whose restless ambition brought her marriage to the brink of ruin, and Tippy, who in her loneliness, looked with despair even upon her own good disposition, and Mary, who came from the wrong side of the tracks with a secret wish, and attained it

Genres: Young Adult

198 pages

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Author Dorothy Gilman Butters wrote children's stories for more than ten years, before she switched to writing adult novels under the name Dorothy Gilman . She is most well-known for the Mrs. Pollifax series about a woman in her 60s who chooses to become a spy.

Gilman attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1940–1945 and the University of Pennsylvania 1963–1964.

Gilman was a Unitarian Universalist.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever, Gilman (Butters) delivers a well-written story with three-dimensional characters and situations that elevate it above the candyfloss variety of "malt shop" teen read (granted, those are fun sometimes!) In this story, the four protagonists are all about 17/18 and have jobs as telephone operators (this, in itself, I found fascinating from a historical perspective! And how they lamented that the jobs would soon go away with the arrival of the new-fangled dial phones; what would they think of cell phones and the internet!!!)

The four girls come from a variety of backgrounds and have diverse aspirations.

Francine is lovely and accomplished, from a well-to-do family, and has always planned to go to Wellesley like her sister. She looks down her nose at the operator job, as only a summer stop-over on her way to college and a bright future; yet she doesn't really know herself and may be ignoring her true calling.

Peggy is an 18-year-old bride from Utah who moved to NYC with grand aspirations for her photographer husband; but reality dropped heavily upon their rosy dreams when she found herself pregnant just a few months into their marriage and she had to take a night shift as an operator to help pay the rent. Now, her husband is ill and she is forced to grow-up and reassess what truly matters in her life.

Tippy is cheerful, bright, fun and caring--and her mother feels she is entirely too wrapped-up in caring for others. But Tippy truly loves to be of service, and she is content with her cozy life in her little apartment, which she lovingly decorates, and her work at the phone company. Yet she doesn't believe anyone could see her as anyone other than "good ol' Tippy" -- and when she finds herself unexpectedly in love, she begins to doubt that her quiet lifestyle and personality could be attractive to anyone.

Mary comes from "the wrong side of the tracks" and sees her job as an operator as a way out for herself and her mother. She feels the growing pains of striving to want more when those she has grown up with see no reason to change. But she also feels the joy that comes from depending on herself and reaching the goals she sets for herself, such as being able to afford a better diet and make a "better figure" (I should note here that modern readers might object to some of the focus on Mary's weight--it's certainly not the "curvy is beautiful" that we hear about today--but I believe the intention here is that she is doing it for herself, for her health and to prove something to herself, not to attract a man or be popular.)

I really love some of the "life lessons" in this book and that these girls are all dealing with real problems and not just the typical "high school drama" of boys and grades and dances. I've always felt a wisdom from Gilman's work and it is present here. If I have any faults, it's that people tend to fall in love rather swiftly, but even within that I feel there is a deeper level of "real life" about the relationships and it's not all perfect. And perhaps there's a bit of a coincidence for how the girls lives weave together. And there's a bit of a melancholy feel to much of the book since the girls do face such real troubles--but overall I found it very enjoyable and I keep thinking about the characters even days after finishing the book.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 I loved this book! I've been on a Dorothy Gilman kick for the past month or so (this being my 5th book by her recently) and I think it's my favorite.

The four young girls in this novel are flawed, but very real and very likable. Francine, Mary, Peggy and Tibby are all working at the local telephone company during the summer and this job completely changes their lives.

I don't want to give out any spoilers, but it was just the type of book I needed right now. Easy-to-read, light, hopeful, full of friendship and very well written. I need to find more YA books by Dorothy Gilman to read as soon as possible.

It was a joy to read and I'm adding it to my "sparkling books" collection!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I was pleasantly surprised that for a book written in 1954, the four young women in this story were very independent and forward thinking gals. All are operators at the local phone company, and from vastly different backgrounds. One is even a young married, working opposite her new husband, since they have a three month old baby. The town Markham seems to be big enough to have its' share of class and emotional strife. Whether being accepted at Wellesley, or trying to move up and out of poverty, these strong young women really made the story interesting.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and craft of this vintage read. And of course I loved the details of what telephone operators did, and what they wore, and where they lived, and how they got around.

[Christi Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series, so when I found this one online I had to read it. It's a quick read, meant for teens, about four young women who work as telephone operators. Very good story about four women from different backgrounds.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific writing. Well rounded, interesting characters.

[Jan McNamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and refreshing. For those who want to remember telephone operators, dressing up every day regardless of working or not, and just the simple pleasures in life.

[Tashina Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story. Her books are very calming. I don't have a need to ever read it again but I don't regret buying it. I'm liking Calico Year better.