The Magic Room

The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters
by Jeffrey Zaslow
Gotham Books, 2012. 285 pgs. Nonfiction

Becker’s Bridal has been in business since 1934 and brings thousands of brides each year to the small town of Fowler, Michigan. In this book, Zaslow tells the history of the store and the individual stories of some of the women who have bought their dresses there. He describes how the wedding industry and societal expectations have changed during the last seventy years, as well as the journeys that many women take before they find lasting love.

I had a great time reading this book; sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried. The author writes a story that is sweet and optimistic without being overly sappy. He comments on the state of the world and on the difficulties women can face in their families and romantic relationships without being overly didactic. Keeping track of the stories of the different people profiled was a little difficult sometimes, but by the end of the book I felt like I knew them and wished I could read more about them. If you like feel-good, true-to-life love stories, this is the book for you.

JC