This novel (1930) is about a girl who works in a draper's shop just before WW1 and then sets up her own dress shop. It is as readable, touching and interesting as all of Dorothy Whipple's books. The Preface is by Jane Brocket, who has a very popular website about the domestic arts. She writes: 'As well as being a marvellously engrossing and deeply caring novel, High Wages has tremendous historical value. And because of the author's light touch, her enjoyment of the subject matter and her desire to tell a good story rather than lecture the reader, the book chimes in with serious present-day discussions of our consumer culture, concepts of 'retail therapy', debates about women's clothing, and the question of whether intelligent, educated women should be interested in something as frivolous as fashion. This is a gem of a novel with a very special, endearing character and charm.