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Book Summary and Reviews of The Memory Dress by Jade Beer

The Memory Dress by Jade Beer

The Memory Dress

by Jade Beer

  • Critics' Consensus (13):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Nov 2024, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A missing husband and a dress once owned by Princess Diana set two very different women on paths of discovery that will change both their lives forever in this dazzling new novel from the author of The Last Dress from Paris.

England, 2018: Jayne is quiet. She keeps to herself and has no grand expectations for her days. But after a chance encounter with her elderly neighbor, Meredith, Jayne is forced to reevaluate her determination to keep the world at a distance. Meredith's dust-covered home is chaotic and neglected. And slowly, Jayne starts to grasp that Meredith herself is quite lost. She can't seem to remember anything: what she last ate, when she last went out or saw her daughter, or even Jayne's name, despite what are becoming frequent visits. 

But most alarmingly, Meredith can't remember where her husband is.

Unable to sit by and watch Meredith hurting, Jayne promises she'll find William. But how can she when the biggest clue Jayne has is a mystery itself: a stunning couture gown with a note declaring it a personal gift to Meredith...from Princess Diana. 

England, 1988: Meredith is always calm. You have to be when working for one of the most iconic women in the world. Just as the stitches she uses to create Princess Diana's wardrobe are steady and stable, so is Meredith. Until she finds herself feeling off-kilter and untethered by an unexpected connection with someone in the workshop. As Meredith finds herself swept up in life and love for the first time, everything she's ever dreamed about seems in reach…if only she can be brave enough to take it.

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About the Recent Reads category
...y Kate Macintosh :heart: Absolutely A MUST READ - THE FRENCH WINEMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Loretty Ellsworth :heart: THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE by Adriana Allegri THE MEMORY DRESS by Jade Beer CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STONE by Lynda Cohen Loigman I have mentioned these in another t...
-Elizabeth


Book Suggestions - Ones I LOVED
...AKER'S DAUGHTER by Loretta Ellsworth - FABULOUS READ THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE by Adriana Allegri CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb THE MEMORY DRESS by Jade Beer LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS by Pam Jenoff THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER by Lawrence S. Robbins THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUST STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman THE BOOKLOV...
-Elizabeth

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[T]ouching...Beer's emotionally rich narrative highlights the devastation of dementia and the solidarity found among those working to lessen its impact. This will move readers." —Publishers Weekly

"Beer sensitively explores the challenges of mental illness, the gifts (and the limits) of community, and the power of emotional bonds to change a person's life. The Memory Dress is a tribute to unlikely friendships, enduring love, and the history contained in every stitch of an exquisitely crafted garment." —Shelf Awareness

"While the story has many twists and is told through different perspectives and in different time periods, that won't prevent readers from growing close to the characters and rooting for Meredith to reunite with her estranged daughter. Beer explores themes of love, grief, and hope, and readers who like historical fiction with multiple time lines will be drawn to this one." —Booklist

"Jade Beer deftly interweaves the lives of neighbors who become friends, then family as they search for a missing husband and an elusive past. An endearing story of loss and recovery, mystery and memory, heartache and love—and dresses, The Memory Dress is completely captivating." —Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiffany Girls and The Colony Club

"What a feat—​The Memory Dress is a moving exploration into how clothes make up the layers of our lives, as well as a wonderful insight into the worlds of dressmaking, royalty and friendship across generations. I loved it." —Jessica Fellowes, international bestselling author of The Mitford Murders

"Jade Beer's newest novel is a romantic, elegant story of two women who find they have much more in common than their Bath, England, apartment house. Uniting them is a gorgeous, historical dress that holds the key to their story. In glimmering, sumptuous details this exquisitely imagined novel unfolds in a way that leaves the reader completely captivated." —Jeanne Mackin, author of Picasso's Lovers

This information about The Memory Dress was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews

Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews - For Princess Diana fans - you will love it
A 2024 FAVORITE!!

We meet Madeline both past and present.

In the past, we meet Madeline as she starts work at her dream job of being a dressmaker. William, who also works there, figures out that she is very talented.

Present day, we see Madeline living in an apartment where no one pays attention to any of the residents, but one day Jayne notices Madeline’s apartment is in horrible condition. There is no food. It’s dirty. It’s messy. It smells.

She has to help this sweet woman who apparently has dementia and keeps repeating that she is looking for her husband William and waiting for him to come home.

A surprising thing is that Jayne found a room in Madeline’s apartment called the memory room where there are dresses with a note pinned on each dress explaining some event in Madeline’s life. The most amazing dress is one that belonged to Princess Diana and one that Madeline designed and made.

Jayne must find out what all this means and how she and her neighbors can help Madeline with her memory. She has no family that the neighbors know of to help.

THE MEMORY DRESS is a sweet, but heartbreaking read with a look at how dementia robs a person of their life and one that you will not want to put down as you follow Madeline and Jayne and as Jayne unravels the life of Madeline.

Each one of the characters is so lovely and ones you would hope to encounter in your life.

Historical fiction fans, fans of Princess Diana, and fans of fashion as well as those who enjoy some twists and turns in a character’s life will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed another book by Ms. Beer, THE LAST DRESS FROM PARIS. Be sure THE MEMORY DRESS is in your want to read list along with some tissues. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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Author Information

Jade Beer

Jade Beer is an award-winning editor, journalist, and novelist who has worked across the UK national press for more than twenty years. Most recently, she was the editor in chief of Condé Nast's Brides. She also writes for other leading titles, including the Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Glamour, Stella magazine, and is one of the Mail on Sunday's regular fiction and nonfiction book reviewers. Jade splits her time between London and the Cotswolds, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

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