Publication Date: November 5, 2024
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.
Within the confines of an upscale apartment house in Bath, two women form a bond that changes their lives.
Their friendship, however, is closely connected to a beautiful one-of-a-kind dress tossed among other belongings. Author Jade Beer uses a dual storyline in The Memory Dress to deliver an impressive tale.
Jayne tells her story in the first person, set in the present. She lives a simple yet lonely existence. When she encounters Meredith, an older woman who seems alone and confused, Jayne recruits others to help unravel her past.
During one of Meredith’s lucid moments, she makes a profound statement that back is the only place you can go if you want to make things better. This sets the stage for Meredith’s back story to unfold amid the fashion industry and her role in creating royal couture. Coupled with Meredith’s beloved memory room, the author takes readers on a compelling emotional journey.
Each character contributes a piece to the puzzle, ultimately coming out stronger as a result. While it takes a bit of time for the story’s foundation to unravel, it is well worth it.
The Memory Dress will prompt you to think about life and the contents of your own memory room. It’s a must-read celebrating the intricacies of friendship.
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.
