Five Brides
This is a charming story set in Chicago during the early 1950s. At the heart of the tale are five working-class women who are bonded together by a shared wedding dress. Joan, Betty, Evelyn, Magda, and Inga all come from very different backgrounds, but because of similar hopes and dreams, they find themselves rooming together in a tiny apartment. One day on a shopping excursion, the women find the most perfect wedding dress that magically fits them all. Together, they buy the dress, vowing that each woman will, in turn, wear it at their wedding. This promise binds the women in friendship, despite their eventual varying paths in life.
Chapters switch between each of the women as they struggle with day-to-day life, romance, and women’s rights. As the five women experience life’s heartaches, joys, and challenges, they become close friends. It was interesting to experience the different careers, morals, and backgrounds of each girl. I particularly enjoyed Evelyn’s experience as a small-town girl in a big city. At times though, it was hard to follow because of the great number of characters introduced, and with five different stories, it was often difficult to remember who was doing what and why. Overall though, the themes of friendship, love, and trust in God endured. Recommended for fans of Christian romances.
