I know I have probably mentioned this many times already, but I really love my local library, especially their book sales. At the most recent sale I picked up The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean. It is a sweet little book about Dora, a college student whose grandmother, Mimi, owns a vintage dress shop. When Mimi has a stroke, Dora rushes home to help. When she realizes there is not much she can do at the hospital, she fills her days keeping the dress shop running. She is surprised to find that Mimi has been writing stories about many of the dresses in the shop. Vintage clothes are something Dora knows, but that can't see herself wearing. Unfortunately for her, she rushed to town with only the clothes on her back and so is forced to dress from the closet that Mimi has been cultivating for her for years. As each day passes, Dora feels more and more comfortable in the beautiful clothing and she begins to change from the aimless student into a more determined, confident young woman.
This book wasn't perfect and I would consider it more of a beach read, but I still enjoyed it. I felt like there weren't nearly enough of the dress stories included in the book and there were a few characters that annoyed me, but overall it was good enough. I could picture it as a film with hazy sepia-toned flashbacks for each of the dress stories. The wardrobe would be fantastic. If you are looking for something light to add to your summer reading list, this could be for you.
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