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| Goodreads Barnes & Noble Amazon Source: Library Published: April 2012 Thomas Nelson Publishers |
One dress. Four women. An amazing destiny.
Charlotte Malone is getting married. Yet all is not settled in the heart of Birmingham's chic bridal boutique owner. Charlotte can dress any bride to perfection-except herself. When she discovers a vintage mint-condition wedding gown in a battered old trunk, Charlotte embarks on a passionate journey to discover the women who wore the gown before her.
Emily in 1912. Mary in 1939. And Hillary in 1968. Each woman teaches Charlotte something about love in her own unique way. Woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte's heritage, the power of faith, and the beauty of finding true love.
One of my favorite things in life is finding a book that, for me, is ALL THE THINGS. This one is. I usually steer clear of books with a strong religious theme because they can be preachy, but I didn't this time. And it wasn't necessarily one religion, which I appreciated. It was more spirituality than anything. I got the metaphors and liked how the author used them. It really was a story of faith, more than anything. It's the exact thing I usually run screaming from, but it was exactly what I needed at the moment.
I loved the story and how it tied together. Usually, multiple POVs drive me insane, but this time, it was absolutely seamless and necessary for the book to work. I loved getting Emily's story (I felt a kinship with her, probably because we share a name) and I loved learning more about the history of the dress. It was stunning, really.
I really liked Charlotte. I feel like her responses to a lot of things mirror how I would LIKE to react in similar situations. Not that I do, but I'd sure like to. I want her brand of calm. I just felt like she was so real. I cried my eyes out with her and rejoiced with her. I feel like I walked a path with her and that's so rare.
I really don't know what more to say, other than stating for the record that I LOVED this book. I didn't know that I would, but I'm so glad I did. I almost passed it up because of the religious themes, but Deb's (of A Bookish Libraria) review (read it HERE) made me think twice about passing it by. Y'all really should read it. It's such a beautiful story and so gorgeously written.
In the end, I was moved to tears so very often and it left me feeling great. It's a 'Pick Me' read for sure!
Content
Advisory:
Language: Mild (pretty much NONE, but I better go mild, just in
case)
Sexuality:
Mild (infidelity is discussed a very little bit, but NO details)
Violence:
Mild (there might be a slap or two)
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