Harry Harding's Year of Promise

The Year of Promise begins under a horse-chestnut tree, where young Harry Harding finishes a book about a king who declared his reign would be one of meaning and purpose. When his mischievous friend Teddy Burke arrives, full of reckless schemes, Harry proposes they make the same vow for themselves: their year at McMartin Brothers' department store will be one of fulfillment, not merely survival. What follows is a portrait of early twentieth-century working youth, the small victories and defeats, the friendships tested by rivalry and loyalty, the challenges of balancing responsibility with the irrepressible urge to cause delightful chaos. Harry is thoughtful and introspective; Teddy is impulsive and carefree. Together they navigate workplace intrigue, playful pranks, and the delicate art of holding onto friendship when your best friend seems determined to get you fired. It is a period piece that captures something universal: the attempt to make a year, any year, matter.