Cheerful—By Request

Cheerful—By Request by Edna Ferber greets listeners with sharp wit and theatrical sparkle, a collection of short fiction that illuminates the backstage life of early 20th-century America. Ferber’s keen eye for character introduces Josie Fifer and a parade of producers, press agents, performers, and mismatched lovers, each story a vignette of ambition, compromise, and the small mercies that make life bearable. Set against the Broadway and vaudeville worlds of 1918, these linked tales blend comedy, social satire, and human warmth. Ferber captures the changing roles of women, the hustle of show business, and the era’s anxieties with prose that is at once playful and observant. Themes of resilience, identity, and the tension between art and commerce run through the collection, offering both laughter and resonance without sacrificing emotional honesty. A lively slice of historical fiction and American literature, Cheerful—By Request is perfect for listeners who love character-driven short stories, vintage theater lore, and witty, observational writing. Tune in for Ferber’s sparkling dialogue and timeless portraits of people trying to make a life—and a living—on and off the stage.