Sophie Green fans know they can depend on the author for an annual delivery of charming escapism. Her books bring together a range of women who are each grappling with issues of everything from ageing and family alienation to abuse. Salvation is usually found in female camaraderie and personal expression. Her eighth and latest, The Frock Shop, will not disappoint.
Daphne has an eye for style – not fashion or trends – but timeless, ageless style. She possesses a preternatural understanding of what will flatter a certain body type, and what colour will perfectly suit the customer looking for a new dress. At 71, she cheerfully volunteers at a charity dress shop at Mosman junction. Her guardian angel is Ophelia, who owned the establishment when it was an upmarket boutique, and her mission is to make sure every customer leaves the shop feeling better than they did when they walked in. It’s a welcome distraction from her home life where her husband, Hector, is succumbing to dementia.
When Daphne’s old friend Adelaide, the world-famous cellist, returns to Sydney from London, Daphne is glad to have a kindred spirit back in her life. But Adelaide has carefully guarded a secret and has just received a letter that threatens to blow up her life.
Three younger women round out the cast. Christina, the Australian actress who made it big in Hollywood, has returned home under a cloud of scandal. Her agent isn’t answering her calls, and her boyfriend isn’t calling her. She can’t help but blame herself for what happened, ending up “alone with a director in a room where he could do what he wanted to her and tell lies about it afterwards.” Despite being a movie star, she is plagued by self-doubt and fears her career is over.
Then there’s Margot, the young recluse whose life has been deformed by grief. She shares the large home she inherited from her late parents with her beloved aunt Lavinia. But Margot’s inheritance has run out, and they are having trouble keeping the lights on.
Lucy is a high-school student who works in her parents’ dry cleaning store. Her step-brother Russell is horrible to her, but at least she has clothes. When people bring their garments in to be cleaned, she finds herself examining the cut and the material. The charity dress shop is her refuge. Daphne understands her and encourages her love of fashion.
These women are brought together by the dress store, where every outfit has a story. The narrative is punctuated with miniature stories about garments, which have each played a special role in the lives of their owners.
Daphne and Adelaide’s relationship drives the story. The letter to Adelaide gives it its tension. If her secret comes out, it will detonate not just her life, but the lives of those closest to her.
Sophie transports the reader with her signature warmth, building big-hearted characters who are easy to root for, but not without flaws. As each story progresses, the character’s arcs are woven together. The story moves along at a rapid clip, with the women drawing on each other to overcome the obstacles they face. It is an engaging and ultimately uplifting read guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.
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