Painted Dresses

This book touched me in a very personal way. It is the story of a young woman dealing with the breakup of her marriage, the death of parents, and a whacky, needy sister. On a journey with her sister, she uncovers some dark secrets from her past and also finds healing. I loved the way this book was written. You can tell it was personal for the author and cost her to tell it.

Remember the old woman who secretly gives a penny offering and the Master tells his followers her reward is greater than all the rest? This is the lesson that comes to mind after reading Patricia Hickman's novel, Painted Dresses. Out of the harshness of life, Patricia offers us a penny, all she has, and it is precious. Painted Dresses reminded me of Barbara Kingslover's earlier novels like Bean Trees, and later, Prodigal Summer. I read Painted Dresses last summer with a friend and we discussed it on one of our walks. We both liked it, though it deals with difficult themes--family wanting to take care of each other, not knowing how, but wanting to. It is the story of two damaged sisters, Gaylan and Delia, and how one learns to cope while the other does not. It's about setting judgment aside in search of truth and compassion. Painted Dresses is about the clothes we wear underneath it all that stain our souls. This is a great read. Bren Smith

Painted Dresses by Patricia Hickman is a story of one woman's search for her place in her family her marriage, and her world. Gaylen arrives home to organize her father's funeral and take care of his effects, but ends up on the lam with sister Delia and delivering a series of painted dresses made by Aunt Amity. Delia is troubled; it's never clear if she suffers from some kind of mental condition or is just off. She shoots her boyfriend's wife after a confrontation and is not at all remorseful. Gaylen grabs Delia and runs. She's running herself from a broken marriage and the damage she did to her husband's aircraft business by crashing a plane. When visiting deceased Aunt Amity's cottage, they discover that she had made paintings of several different dresses, and each is marked with the intended recipient's name. With no better plan in mind, the two sisters deliver the paintings, picking up bits and pieces of family history on the way. Gaylen is incredibly difficult to understand. Her actions are always reactions, and she has trouble trying not to control Delia. The hidden truths she discovers about her parents and her own history are devastating. The opening chapters are cloudy and distant; it feels almost like the characters are in a dream. When the truth about the past is revealed, the story suddenly becomes much clearer and moves quickly. It's a powerful story, but honestly but Gaylen and Delia were difficult to relate to. It was hard to care about Gaylen's marriage when both she and her husband acted like immature brats. It's a good book with some rough spots.

Heart wrenching and suspenseful at the same time. This semi autobiography is a eye opener and warning to all that may suspect or have suspicions about their childhood.

Twenty something Gaylen Syler-Boatwright had dreams of forever when she married; now her marriage is dead and her fantasy nuked as she and Braden broke up. With her father dying, she comes home to Boiling Springs, North Carolina to say good-bye and to bury him. Afterward needing to escape, Gaylen accompanied by her flakey younger sister Delia leaves town to hide away at her late Aunt Amity's mountain cottage. Gaylen figures in this isolated locale she will be left alone to reassess her goals. However, her aunt's cabin is freaky as on display is a gallery of framed painted dresses accompanied by a fascinating travelogue. The two sisters agree to hit the road to meet family members they never knew existed and learn more about the original owners of the painted dresses. This engaging intelligent character study makes a strong case that hiding family shame makes the incident even darker and more shameful even if it is never exposed; those concealing the truth know it in their hearts. Although some might challenge the truth will free you concept, Patricia Hickman makes a compelling argument. Filled with angst, the Syler sisters seek solace as they search the new south for their heritage. Harriet Klausner