[.ca] My Mother's Wedding Dress (ISBN 0002007398)

Beyond the Wardrobe:
My Mother's Wedding Dress opens with the fantastic story of a black mohair cocktail dress--a strange choice for a wedding dress, nonetheless, Picardie makes it seem like a perfectly natural choice given the circumstances. Picardie quickly sets the stage, filling the reader in on her family's heritage, their immigrant experiences, and like a giant quilt--with short story fabric swatches from past dresses, uniforms and trousers--Picardie pulls together a beautiful and rich memoir. Each chapter could easily stand on its own as a compact narrative of the memories that spin off from a single article of clothing. But together the pieces form a splendid and diverse wardrobe of remembrance. I enjoyed this book very much.