"Wonderful Contemporary Relationship Story"

Geralyn Dawson's new contemporary novel is a terrific women's relationship story. In the past, Dawson's forte has been historical westerns with a humorous twist. I have enjoyed several of them, but THE PINK MAGNOLIA CLUB represents a terrific new voice for her and I hope we will see more contemporary stories from Dawson.

THE PINK MAGNOLIA CLUB is obviously the story of Dawson's heart and came from her work with The Make a Memory Breast Cancer Foundation. While hankies are required while reading, there are also laughs and just sheer joy in this tale.

Holly Weeks has planned a day of slightly scandalous sex with her Doctor boy friend Justin at a local hotel. This will enable her to check off an item on her 'life list.' When she arrives at the Hotel, Justin shocks her by taking her to the Making A Memory Wedding Gown sale and proposing to her. Justin thought that this would be a romantic way of honoring Holly's Mom, who died of breast cancer when Holly was 13. Unfortunately rather then pleasing Holly it sends her running to the restroom where she is sick.

As Holly enters the restroom, new acquainances Maggie Prescott and Grace Hardeman are in the midst of a crisis for Maggie. Maggie had decided to donate her gown to the sale as a symbol of what she feels is the failure of her 25 year marriage. But, when she tries the gown on, she begins to cry and her new friend Grace is trying to comfort her.

After Justin leaves the restroom in a huff, the duo talks with Holly and tries to discover why she freaked out over his proposal. Holly has essentially remained emotionally frozen since her Mother's death and although there were moments one wanted to shake her and tell her to 'get over it', it was also very satisfying watching her open herself to life.

Before they leave the restroom, Maggie's husband Mike enters and informs her that he is leaving her to sail around the world. Maggie is devastated, but puts herself together enough to go in search of chocolate with her new friends.

From this promising beginning Dawson masterfully weaves a tale of 3 very different women and the men they love. Dawson's characters are well-developed and likable with the exception of Mike Prescott. Mike left his wife rather then getting her help for what was obviously a clinical depression that began when her youngest son left home. While not admirable, I think that Mike's reaction to his wife's depression was realistic. But, just when I hoped Maggie would divorce Mike and take him to the financial cleaners--Dawson salvages him by letting us see what he gave up for his family's financial success and how he had felt neglected by Maggie's being 'super Mom.' Maggie's depression is realistically and even humorously portrayed and her recovery is not instant. Dawson realistically portrays a long-time marriage in deep trouble, even though the couple still cares about each other.

Grace Hardeman is the catalyst that helps Holly to face her fears about marriage and love and helps Maggie to get help for herself and to find a new interest to make her feel needed. Thankfully, neither Grace nor her husband Ben are perfect and her moments of fear and her feeling of being smothered by Ben are very poignantly portrayed. While she is the group's leader, we come to realize that her friends are as important to Grace as she is to them.

THE PINK MAGNOLIA CLUB is a 'woman's' book in the best sense of the term. Dawson is one of a group of 'western' authors, who deserve a larger readership and hopefully THE PINK MAGNOLIA CLUB will deservedly gain Dawson a new audience.

Reviewed by Linda Hurst
Posted August 26, 2002

Bestselling author Geralyn Dawson brings her signature wit and charm to a contemporary tale of three Southern women who meet at a charity wedding gown sale and forge a friendship that changes their lives forever.

Summary

Holly Weeks, whose boyfriend has lured her to the sale under false pretenses, wants to walk barefoot on a Tahitian beach, win Yard of the Month, and read a thousand books for pleasure. She has many other goals on her "Life List," but getting married isn't one of them. Never mind that she's in love. Now if she could only figure out what's holding her back. Maggie Prescott is lonely in her empty nest. When her husband forgets their twenty-fifth anniversary, she wonders whether she even wants to share a nest with him anymore. Donating her wedding gown seems like the right thing to do. Grace Hardeman, who's volunteering at the sale, wishes for health happiness, and a party with loved ones to mark fifty years of marriage. But soon she's facing the fight of her life.

Together, these three women at turning points in their lives learn there's nothing like friendship to strengthen a heart that's in danger of breaking.