Lies in White Dresses by Sofia Grant
Special thanks to TLC Book Tours & William Morrow for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Based on true stories from the 1950s, Lies in White Dresses spins a tale of three women in search of the “Reno Cure” – a quick divorce. They share desperation for a new beginning, but long-hidden secrets and unexpected tragedy threaten to be their undoing.
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
Francie Meeker and Vi Carothers have been best friends since they became neighbors decades ago. Experiencing life together – Pregnancies, raising children, and welcoming grandchildren – they find themselves in a new stage. Both in unfulfilling marriages, Francie hounded Vi for ages to travel to Reno to get divorced once and for all.
Once Vi finally agrees, the two board a train toward their new futures. Aboard the City of San Francisco train, they meet young June Samples. June, a woman of few means, is fleeing an abusive husband with her daughter, Patty. The older women immediately take June under their wing, insisting she joins
them in staying at the Holiday Ranch for the required six-week wait before they can officially start their lives as divorcees.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
All three women are planning to divorce, but their perspectives are jarringly different. Francie is eager to start anew, Vi resigned, and June fearful. Regardless of their feelings, they share the bond of a shattered dream. Marry young, have children, and live happily ever after – these are the Lies in White Dresses.
As they settle in, the death of a ranch guest shakes them to their core. Left in the wake are broken families with complex relationships and long-buried secrets. We must reconcile what it means to truly love and accept someone.
Lies in White Dresses alternates between the voices of Francie, Vi, June, and twelve-year-old Virgie. The journey through grief, suspicion, and friendship as their lives change forever.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book. Because I’m a big fan of old movies (and an all-female cast), Lies in White Dresses is totally my speed. It reads like the classic 1930s film, The Women. The women in Lies in White Dresses are smart, glamorous, and compassionate. And so are their frustrations and broken dreams. Grant constructs the world of 1950s Reno in which we’re guided through the difficult decision to divorce, and how we cope with grief.
The lowdown on Lies in White Dresses by Sofia Grant from Goodreads
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About the Author: Sofia Grant
Called a “writing machine” by the New York Times and a “master storyteller” by the Midwest Book Review, Sophie Littlefield has written dozens of novels for adults and teens under her own name and the pen name Sofia Grant. She has won Anthony and RT Book Awards and been shortlisted for Edgar®, Barry, Crimespree, Macavity, and Goodreads Choice Awards.
