Friday, April 11, 2014

Book Review - I Wish I Had a Red Dress by Pearl Cleage


I fell in love with Pearl Cleage when I read "What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day." That book made me feel good and wanting to experience the emotions of new love again. I Wish I Had a Red Dress does the same combined, with old mature love, history and social activism.

The main character - Joyce was widowed and misses what she had with her husband; he was the only man and perfect man for her. To distract her from her grief, she runs the Sewing Circus - an all girl group she founded to provide needed services to young women at risk, many of whom are single mothers. Joyce has a mainstay in her best friend Sister and her husband.  Through this couple she meets Nate, who eventually becomes a permanent part of her life.

This book is about falling in love and starting over. It's about knowing that just because one door is closed it does not mean another one won't be opened. It's about never giving up and learning about yourself in the process. It's about how horrible things can happen to the most needy among us and the resilience of the human spirit. It's about friendships that energize and keep us sane. It's about forging ahead in your black dress, until you get your head right, and you're wanting to wear a red dress again.

If you're a bit worn down by life, this book will pick your spirits up, because that's what Pearl Cleage does best in her writing.



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