Whenever I go downtown I feel so glamarous! There’s just something about the city- the hustle, bustle, the self-importance of “The Suit” or “The Pump” as they power walk around you. The skyscrapers that just mesmerize, soaring above you in all their glory and power, dazzling you with their staggering heights.
Before my father retired he used to be a Banker downtown, and I thought he was so glamourous. He would put on his suit, grab his briefcase and catch the GO Train to travel to his office in the heart of the city. He loved it!
“There’s no place like Downtown kiddo” he would say, ‘Whenever I step into this building, I feel like I’m really doing something big, ike I am a part of important and life-changing.”
I hear ya Dad, I hear ya…
*Sigh* Yes, I love Downtown. The city vibe is infectious and you can’t help but become enamoured with it. Especially that one stop. Every city has it, a particular place that exudes excitement, charm, sophistication and magic. Where you feel glamourous and oh-so-Sex-And-The-City just peering through the windows. Its different for everyone. You take awhile to find it, but when you do, you just feel it you know?
For me, it’s The Hudsons Bay Company, or as us Canadians affectionately pin it, ‘The Bay’. While most people would find The Eatons Centre to be the commercial cornerstone of Canadian history, for me it is the 300 year old Hudsons Bay Company- the wonderful department store on the corner of Bay and Queen that has always made me tingle with delight.
From the iconic sign, to the beautiful store windows, to the main entrance directing you to the cosmetic lobby, I love every single thing about The Bay. It is the epitome of Downtown glamour for me.
As I oohed over the Chanel counter and aaahed over the ballgowns display, I couldn’t help but get a sense of deja-vu all of a sudden.
‘I’ve felt this before…’ I thought, ‘Recently too! But where?’
Then it hit me. A charming little book that I picked up last week, with brilliant cover art and a mystery that involved one of the most glamourous department stores in Kid lit history- Sinclair’s.
Yes, author Katherine Woodfine is back with the third addition to her Sinclair’s series entitled ‘The Painted Dragon’ and it was amazing. The gang is back and this time Sinclair’s plays host to a wonderful art exhibition until the most famous painting gets stolen. And that’s where the adventure begins….
Aside from the brilliant mystery and action-packed plots Woodfine creates, what I love the most about her books is how wonderfully she describes Sinclair’s Department Store. The most famous department store in downtown London ignites the same charm, excitement and magic I feel every time I set foot in Downtown Toronto. It’s glamourous, it’s exciting, it’s special, it’s exotic and, most of all, it’s mysterious. There’s a secret at Sinclair’s, a big one; and I can’t help but feel that our protagonist Sophie is tied to it, some way, some how. One thing I do know though is that Slowly but surely, with each mystery the ladies solve, the secret will come to Life, and I will be buying every single book until I find out what it is!
Go out and grab a copy of The Painted Dragon today, and then head Downtown and find your own spot. It may take a bit of searching, but you’ll know it when you see it. And then grab a hot chocolate, settle down and get on this book! You will love it 🙂
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