After Lilly leaves her first husband, she takes a job at Sunderland's Department Store. The Mecca of luxury in 1950s' Downtown Montreal, Sunderland's is the place to be and Lilly can't believe her luck. What Lilly finds at Sunderland's is more than independence-she meets Vivian, a vivacious, sharp-tongued whirlwind woman-and they soon become best friends.

Vivian and Lilly face ups and downs together-sexism, antisemitism, and the limits of their own ambition. But when Vivian almost loses everything she's worked so hard for, and Lilly leaves the store to embark on a brand-new life, the pair will never be the same again. Their friendship might not survive-even if it was the most important part of each of their lives.