Book Summary and Reviews of Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

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Renee K. (Salem, UT)

Little Black Dress
Loved this book..it was difficult for me to get into, having not read anything by Susan McBride, but as soon as I understood her writing pattern of going back and forth between Evie and Toni, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author was able to weave the life stories of two very different sisters in such a way that I was able to relate to both; then, when I was feeling comfortable about who Evie and Anna were, there was a twist, an unexpected turn, and a surprise to keep me wanting to just finish "this page" and then "this chapter" until I finished the book. Susan's use of descriptive words made it impossible to miss seeing such details as the dimly lit shop of the Parisian gypsy, the spiders actually spinning the golden silk of the little black (once golden) dress, the clarity of the frosty, starlit night in the vineyard, or Evie, sinking deeper while treading harder in the abyss of the Mississippi river. The one person I had trouble envisioning was Toni. I had a difficult time seeing her as a forty-six year old business woman. In my mind's eye, she was always about thirty. I will be anxious to read something else written by Susan.

Laura S. (west friendship, md)

Little Black Dress
I'm not too demanding when deciding if I like a book. All I ask is that the book not become a chore to read, that I look forward to picking it up and that I regret putting it down. That said, for me, such books are often few and far between. I'm happy to report that with Susan McBride's "Little Black Dress" I've found one! Like the characters in the book, I was drawn into the mystery of the little black dress and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The magic of the dress mixed with the good and the bad in the characters along with the satisfying ending reminds me of a modern day fairy tale. If you like reading a good story that calls you back when you put it down, I highly recommend "Little Black Dress".

Kelley K. (Lancaster, PA)

Gotta Love a LBD (Little Black Dress)!!!
I enjoyed the Little Black Dress! It was a light, quick read. The story was not predictable (in the beginning!) and proved to be a page turner until the end. The characters were believable even with the magical story line!

Mary Jo K. (Rochester, MN)

little black dress
I enjoyed the book and thought the characters were well developed and there was even a bit of mystery to it.
There were clues but I didn't really figure it all out until the last couple of chapters. Interesting going back/forth in generations by chapter.
The title is correct for the subject but at first I thought it might be a more "fluffy" book but it had some depth.

Chris W. (Temple City, CA)

Magic dress
I really enjoyed this book and thought the characters were mostly well developed. The plot was a bit predictable at times. The viewpoint of the chapters alternates between Evie in the past and her daughter Toni in the present, and this flowed well. I think it would be an interesting book to discuss at a book club because most people can relate to family dysfunction to some degree. This quote will stay with me: "Sometimes you just have to accept the magic that comes into your life and leave it be."

Sharon C. (Newton, IA)

Dysfunctional family at its finest
Relationships between mothers and daughters can sometimes be intense, but when you put a magical little black dress into the mix, it's extremely life changing.

The story carries you through the tempestuous relationship between Evie (mother) and Antonia (daughter) and the little black dress that brings them together.

I literally could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Every other chapter is written in either Evie's voice or Antonia's voice and the author does a fine job in the transition.

A great summer read!

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