The Secret Lives of Dresses
by Erin McKean
5 Spot
Dora has always taken the path of least resistance. She went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows the least dirt. She falls into a job at the campus coffee shop and a crush on her cute boss. . . and has no idea what she's going to do next.
But when Mimi, the grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke, Dora rushes back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running Mimi's vintage dress shop. The store has always been a fixture in Dora's life, though she grew up more of a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl. Before Dora even knew how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress could lift a woman's spirit. While there, Dora befriends Mimi's adorable contractor, Conrad. Is he after Dora, or is he working from a different blueprint? She also makes a curious discovery: Mimi has been writing down -- and giving away -- the stories of the dresses in her shop.
Battling building codes and selfish relatives, Dora ultimately finds herself willing to face whatever may stand in the way of her staying in Forsyth. She can trade her boring clothes for vintage glamour, but can she trade her boring life for one she actually wants?
About the author: Erin McKean is the blogger behind A Dress A Day, the inspiration for this novel. Her writing has been featured in many media outlets from The NY Times Magazine to Foreign Affairs. She currently works as the editor of VERBATIM, and was previously at OUP. Follow Erin at her blog A Dress a Day or on Twitter.
~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books. Watch for my review in February.~
The Secret Lives of Dresses
Publisher/Publication Date: 5 Spot, Feb 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-55572-2
304 pages
