The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis
Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It’s said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline’s world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget.
Decades later, while coping with her own tragic loss, aspiring gallery owner Rory Grant leases Soline’s old property and discovers a box containing letters and a vintage wedding dress, never worn. When Rory returns the mementos, an unlikely friendship develops, and eerie parallels in Rory’s and Soline’s lives begin to surface. It’s clear that they were destined to meet—and that Rory may hold the key to righting a forty-year wrong and opening the door to shared healing and, perhaps, a little magic.
Review: It is 1985 and Rory Grant has been left spiraling after her fiancé goes missing, presumed abducted while serving with Doctors Without Borders. She is adrift and cannot find solace in the tense relationship with her mother Camilla. Until her dream of opening an art gallery connects her to Soline Roussel. For years, Soline ran a successful bridal salon and was trained by her mother in Paris. But during World War II, Soline faced devastating losses that landed her in America with only a box of memories of her former life and love. An unlikely friendship develops between Rory and Soline, who have many surprising parallels in their lives. And to shock of them both, Rory may hold the key to righting a wrong that occurred forty years ago in Soline's life.
I loved this novel. The two alternating perspectives worked so well, especially as the two women's lives became increasingly intertwined. The connection between the two women was heartwarming but also made sense since they had so much in common, not least of all the same building where once Soline sold bridal dresses and now Rory hopes to showcase up and coming artists. I was also intrigued by the relationship between Rory and her mother, which is complicated and nuanced. Despite the tension, you can feel Camilla's love for her daughter throughout. The author did such a great job of tying all the ends of the novel together into a beautiful conclusion. This novel is historical fiction, a tale of love and family, and redemption all in one.
Like many other readers, I did find the happy ending for all just a little too good to be true, but we can't say we weren't warned with a title like the book has. And who doesn't love a happy ending, however unlikely? I listened to the audio version of this and thought the narrators did a great job. However, Soline's narrator used a very thick French accent, which I found difficult to follow at times.
Stars: 4
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