The Dress by Kate Kerrigan (Book Review)

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This non-linear narrative, set in the 1930s, 1950s and 2014, will take you on a fashionable mystery of love and loss that ties two different stories together with one thing in everyone's mind, 'The Dress'!

With one storyline set in 1950s New York, you will meet a married couple, Frank and Joy Fitzpatrick living the 'American Dream', with all the glitz and glam intertwining their lives. However this high lifestyle isn't what everyone thinks it should be, as love is tested, alcholism is portraying its toxic effects on their relationship, and a haunting past that still holds a dark shadow on one of their lives. Author, Kate Kerrigan really shows the depth of these life situations and those that are to come as you read through the story. It shows that she has undertaken thorough research to make her story relatable to people of all ages. A third significant character in this era is a young woman called Honor who befriends Joy over their passion in fashion. Honor is an Irish woman coming to New York with a designing talent who has created the most couture garments of the 1950s that every cameraman is hungry to capture and that every woman wants to wear. The magic of the dress really does hold everyone in a trance. However, the bumps along the way that come with this dress creates a monster that roars through Joy and Honor's subconscious, testing their friendship. 

Jumping from one era to the next, 2014 is when you will discover the story of Lily, an eager fashionista who lives for the retro look and who holds a huge following in her daily blogging and Instagram posts. However, her main passion is designing her own garments, an ambition which she has locked away for many years and has since re-opened, as she comes across the mystery of 'The Dress'. Lily loves everything about vintage clothing such as the smell, the quality in their making and the history behind each piece. The past seems to be the oxygen that makes her want to avoid missing the opportunity to re-create the most dazzling piece of the 1950s, or probably ever. Furthermore, this mystery has a greater significance than any historical piece she has come across before when she finds out she shares the same last name as the Fitzpatricks!

As you follow her story you will explore the relations she has, such as with her outgoing best pal Sally and her geeky friend Gavin. Well I say friend but could there be something more? Also let's not forget her mischievous acquaintance Jack Scott, who arranges for her to take part in a challenging competition that could either make or break her! You will also come across Lily's travels to Miami where she undergoes a photoshoot before going to explore her heritage in Ireland. There she eagerly discovers more about her ancestors and the mystery of the huge falling out they had, together with the significance of the dress. While there, Lily further wonders why her Grandad Joe never spoke about his brother Frank Fitzpatrick.

Will love heal the events that took place?
What's the significance of the dress? What happened to it?
What happened to Joy, Frank and Honor's relationship?
Will Lily discover the truth?

All of these questions need answers and it's up to you to discover them!
A truly gripping, easy, stylish read. Thank you for taking the time to read this review and I hope that this has persuaded some of you to give it a go.










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