Book Reviews

October 2021 Book Review

Liz Says Read this Next

The Keeper of Happy Endings

Barbara Davis

Women’s Fiction

415 pages

Published 10/1/21

It is said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. The family wedding shop in Paris has a long-standing tradition of including happy endings along with the thread used to make their gowns. With the invasion of the Nazis during WWII, the shop and its mysterious magic is gone. Soline, left alone after the death of her mother, quickly falls in love with an American soldier and dreams of her own wedding in America. After her young lover is captured, she is sent alone to America for safe keeping and a life much different from her dreams. After unbearable loss, and a lonely career running a dress shop of her own, a fire destroys the building and leaves her scarred and lonely. 

Years later, Rory Grant is mourning the loss of her fiancé who has been kidnapped in the Mideast with little hope of a safe return. She is reluctant to move forward with her life. Will he return? Should she continue with what has become a meaningless study of art or reach out for the dreams he encouraged her to create for herself.

When Rory rents the old dress shop from Soline to renovate it into an art gallery, she discovers a box of letters, mementos and a beautiful hand stitched wedding dress. The two women begin a friendship that seems destined to uncover secrets that will pull them closer. 

This is a beautiful story of connection, love and redemption with a happy ending we could only hope for as the novel concludes. Well done.

Happy Reading

Liz