The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel – A Book Review

The book begins in 1928 with Eleanor preparing for her debut into society. Her parents, Charles and Louise, are extremely wealthy and spare no expense for this event. Indeed, Louise and Eleanor travel to Paris to have a designer dress made. It is at the debutante’s ball that Eleanor meets Alex and they begin a whirlwind romance. Alex is also extremely wealthy, having inherited a fortune from his late parents. When he proposes, Louise and Eleanor make another journey to Paris and have a wedding dress designed and fashioned for a royal wedding. This wedding dress becomes an important family heirloom which will be passed down to generations to come.

The book continues with a focus on the Great Wall Street crash of 1929 and the resulting economic depression. Successive generations are born and the story evolves to include aspects of changing values and interpersonal conflict within the family. There are the expected tragedies that have become the signature of this author. The final generation brings us to modern day with respect and appreciation of those that came before them.

I really enjoyed this book and really felt engaged to the story throughout. The characters are extremely well developed, and likeable. I loved the glamour of the early parts of the book, the glimpse into the design process, and the descriptions of travel in the 1920’s. I was moved by the narration of the romance of between Eleanor and Alex. I also really appreciated the relationship between Eleanor and Alex and their Granddaughter Ruby, which was reminiscent of my own special relationship with my maternal Grandparents.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was performed by Todd McLaren. I am always a little surprised to hear a male’s voice narrate books that fit within the romance genre, but it is actually a good fit given that Danielle Steel tells a story that is from both male and female’s point of view. The narrator’s voice is clear and articulate with the perfect amount of emotion and expression. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x which was comfortable. I would not hesitate to recommend listening to the audiobook format of the book.

• Well developed, likeable characters
• The relationships between the generations
• A glimpse into travel in the first half of the 20th century
• The romance between Eleanor and Alex

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.

Add The Wedding Dress to your Goodreads Shelf