The Memory Dress by Jade Beer

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.