"tremendous historical fiction"
By 1865, the war is over, but Virginia still has to
recover. Sisters Victoria and Julia Atwater mourn the
losses of their husbands, Confederate soldiers who died
fighting, but have little time to grieve as survival is a
daily chore. However, their seventeen-year-old younger
sister Claire is depressed because she has no future as
there are no men to marry and no prospects of starting a
new life. Julia persuades Victoria that they must find a
way to make Claire dream again. They decide to make their sister a wedding dress though she
has no suitor. Though they cannot afford the money wasted
on so frivolous an activity, the sisters dive headfirst
into the tasks. As they work on THE WEDDING DRESS, word
spreads that Claire is marrying a returning soldier. The
neighbors needing escape from the dismal aftereffects of
the war join the three sisters as this event provides a bit
of solace. THE WEDDING DRESS is a tremendous work of historical
fiction that demonstrates the need for hope in the future
even when the present is so dark that there looks like
there is no tomorrow. The story line is cleverly written
so that the audience feels the deepest emotions of the
sisters struggling with their lot and the symbolism
represented by the dress. The use of "ghost riders" though
exciting and a metaphorical representation of the loss
still seems an unnecessary diversion from the primary theme.
Virginia Ellis provides a strong tale that is mindful of
Viktor Frankel's classic Man's Search for Meaning as the
community desperately needed something to live for. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 15, 2002
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