Author: Jeffrey Zaslow
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) (December 2011)
Source: Received from publisher via Crazy Book Tours
Summary from Goodreads:
The New York Times bestselling journalist and author of The Girls from Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow, takes us to a multi- generational family owned small-town bridal shop to explore the emotional lives of women in the 21st century.
You may not have heard of Fowler, Michigan, much less Becker's Bridal. But for the thousands of women who have stepped inside, Becker's is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives-moments that speak to us all. Housed in a former bank, the boutique owners transformed the vault into a "magic room," with soft church lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that make lifelong dreams come true.
Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar, The Magic Room tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for years, Becker's has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage; some of the shop's clientele are becoming stepmothers, or starting married life for a second time. In The Girls from Ames, beloved author Jeffrey Zaslow used friendships to explore the emotional lives of women. In The Magic Room, he turns his perceptive eye to weddings and weaves together secrets, memories and family tales to explore the hopes and dreams we have for our daughters.
Review:
I absolutely loved this book. Zaslow reached deep into my feminine heart and pulled on all the strings that ties me to the little girl who wished she could grow up to be a princess. I will never forget the day that I married my husband. It was a wonderful, blessed celebration. But what comes up really close to that special moment of marrying my best friend, is the moment when I tried on a wedding dress for the first time and found "the one" for me. (It just so happened to be the first dress I put on too.)
I will never forget that moment because I was a little girl who played "bride" and pretended to get married all the time. Once in 3rd grade, my best friend and I pretended to throw the bouquet for the whole recess period. I used to draw and make my wedding photo albums of me and my crush. (I can't believe I'm admitting these things on the Internet!) I used to sketch what I thought I wanted my wedding gown to look like. The moment I put on a wedding dress, stood up on that round pedestal and just sparkled because of the little speckles in the dress... it brought me and my friend to tears. I couldn't believe the beautiful woman in the mirror looking back at me... was me. It truly was a magical moment I will cherish my heart always.
Zaslow captures this moment for so many different women and shares their stories with us in The Magic Room. Before reading this book, I worried that it might be too cheesy or corny, but Zaslow writes each woman's story honestly, but almost lyrically as well. I loved hearing all the stories - happy and sad.
He also writes about the story of the little bridal shop in Fowler, Michigan with a not so little heart and a very long history. I remember telling the clerk who helped me with my wedding gown that she must love her job and Zaslow provides an insider look to Becker's Bridal and the world of bridal shops without glorifying it too much because he shares the hardships as well that comes with a family-run small business.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope that you will too!
Rating:
5 out of 5 stars
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