Pasqueflower's Book of the Month - February 2015

I resolved to read at least one book per month in 2015, and to share my thoughts about the book with my readers.  After last month's intriguing but thought-provoking read, I went looking for something a bit lighter.

While strolling through my neighborhood library, this book caught my eye.  Okay, I confess, sometimes I DO judge a book by its cover:

The Pink Suit: A Novel by Nicole Mary Kelby immediately brought back images of the stunning pink suit worn by Jackie Kennedy on November 22, 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.  Although we only had black and white television back in the day, I remember seeing colored pictures of the First Lady wearing that beautiful pink Chanel-style suit and a matching pillbox hat -- soaked in blood. 

The story is historical fiction, based on events leading up to that fateful day in Dallas.  Kate, an Irish immigrant seamstress, works at Chez Ninon --  a haute couture fashion house that caters to the rich and famous, including the First Lady, who is referred to in the book as "The Wife" or "Her Elegance" from Maison Blanche. 

As a sewist, I loved Kelby's description of the fabrics, and the intricate processes used to create high fashion garments --- many of them boldfaced rip-offs of French designer originals.   And I was intrigued by the cut-throat competitiveness and politics in the world of high fashion.

There is a constant tension in the novel as Kate lives her life in two worlds -- one the high fashion studio where she works her artistry, and the other the Irish neighborhood where she drinks half pints of dark beer and eats fish and chips with her butcher boyfriend, Patrick.

After the assassination, both of Kate's worlds are shaken.  Innocence lost, she longs to return to Ireland. 

The book was an engaging read.  I'd give it 4 stars.

TTFN
LeAnn