The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz is a recently released fictional book revolving around Princess Grace of Monaco’s famous wedding gown…or a replica of it passed down through the generations. There are three different storylines: 1950s, 1980s and present-day where it follows the bride’s grandmother, mother, and the bride, respectively, in their love lives and paths to the altar.
Of course, as expected, there are many Grace Kelly references and in the 1980s storyline, there are Diana, Princess of Wales references (as in the bride had the wedding gown tweaked to include the puffy sleeves like Diana had on her wedding gown).
I enjoyed the book. It was different than what I normally read and review for this site, as it wasn’t a biography or historical analysis. This time it was fiction based on a beloved royal and the influence her wedding gown has had for decades – which any royal watcher could agree with as the Duchess of Cambridge’s 2011 wedding gown took some inspiration from it, as well.
The author does a great job of showing how an heirloom gown can bring a family, with their fair share of heartache and tragedy, together while each member and generation puts their own touch on it. For example, while the 1950s was very similar to the gown of Grace, the 1980s gown added a Diana twist.
During the 1980s storyline, the former sorority girl in me (I was a Sigma Kappa) was a little annoyed at the portrayal of sorority girls where the new pledges were calling the older girls “Sister Name” and doing whatever the initiated members requested. That was far from my own sorority experience where, as the new girls, we were called “Baby Doves” and the older girls fawned over the new members. However, that was a minor thing in what was a great story.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine, and while many of us are on lockdown with this coronavirus, pass the time with this novel. You won’t regret it!
You can buy it here.
