After reading a nerve-wracking psychological thriller I often find myself yearning to read something happy,something with magic in it,something to take the edge off and sometimes when this happens,I let the book choose me.So when The Dress Shop Of Dreams came into my hands,I did not waste a minute and tumbled head-long into the magic it created.
Etta is an elderly lady who owns an ordinary seeming charming little store on a small street in Cambridge which sells beautiful dresses in beaded silks,delicate laces and jewel-toned velvets.However there is more to it than meets the eye and we soon find that these gorgeous dresses choose their owners and have the power to free a womans deepest desires and find a lost piece of themselves that they are desperately searching for and Etta gently nudges this magic by stitching a tiny little star into each dress.
However Etta's granddaughter Cora is nothing like her and finds comfort in the plain and predictable.They are polar opposites.Coras parents were killed in a tragic fire on her fifth birthday and as a coping mechanism she has locked away her heart to any possibilities and refuses to acknowledge the love of the handsome but shy bookseller next door who has loved her for as long as he can remember.He however is unsure of himself,fears that he is not good enough for her and shies from declaring his love.This is when Etta takes matters into her hand and stitches a little star into his collar thus setting in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform all of their lives forever.
My Views:I hadnt read any book by this author before and didnt know what to expect.This book talks about true love,life,romance,soul-mates,second chances,BOOKS,gorgeous dresses,Cherry pies and Chelsea buns!!How can a woman not enjoy a book like this??!!I loved the setting and Etta's lovely little store with silk-lined walls that transform with the seasons and with changing music tracks for each customer which enters it.I loved Walts little bookstore and all the wonderful books that are talked about and which hold a special place in my heart.This novel has a few more characters in it and their lives intersect and overlap and propel the story forward.It is the sort of book where you cannot not like any character.I admit the characters are flawed but they are all so utterly oblivious and deeply regretful that you cant help but be charmed by them.We all need to be reminded of a little magic in our lives sometimes,of cherished bonds,of lasting relationships.Isn't that what life is all about?!When Etta says that 'Some people dont see the things right under their noses.They mistake the everyday for whats ordinary and unimportant.They dont know exactly what they're looking for,but they always imagine it'll be far away and hard to find.Those people need shaking up',I felt this could exactly sum up the way I felt most days.
In addition to the wonderfully etched characters there was a mystery too which kept me intrigued when Etta tells Cora that her parents deaths might not be accidental and Cora decides to find her own answers.
My only regret was that I havent been to Oxford and Cambridge and felt I would have enjoyed it even more if I had been to these places and seen them for real.I wanted to be on the Bridge Of Sighs and have Chelsea buns at Fitzbillies,something I could only imagine at this point.Maybe someday,till then arm-chair travel more than makes up for it.Also after all these years I finally dicovered the molecular formula for love-One proton of faith,three electrons of humility,a neutron of compassion and a bond of honesty.This is something I will remember forever.
My verdict:-I gobbled this book like chocolate and am still savoring it slowly like soft caramels coating my tongue.If you like magical realism you will undoubtedly enjoy this one like I did.
I rate it a 3 out of 5.
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