BlogHer Book Book Club: A Review of The Magic Room, by Jeffrey Zaslow

*This is a compensated review of the book The Magic Room. All opinions expressed are my own (as usual).

"A dad's job, we were told, is to remind a daughter of her strengths, and guide her into womanhood." (Forward, The Magic Room)

I stood on the front porch Sunday night, tears in my eyes as my father pulled out of the driveway to head back to his hotel. It would be the last time we saw him before they made the trek back to Milwaukee after spending Christmas with all of us. I hate saying good-bye to him, even though I know that I'll still hear from him weekly via phone call or text. But, being almost 1,000 miles apart from one of your best friends? That's tough.

And that was the moment I found myself diving wholeheartedly into The Magic Room.

Through the eyes of Zaslow, we are brought into the magical world of weddings and relationships, all centered around the small town of Fowler, Michigan and the Main Street store that has served brides from across the state since 1934, Becker's Bridal.

Becker's is no typical bridal shop. Sure, there are hundreds...no, thousands of gown selections. There are helpful employees and flowers and veils. The store is filled with the chatter of brides, bridesmaids, mothers and grandmothers. But there is something special hidden upstairs.

The Magic Room.

A room filled with mirrors, plush carpet, soft lighting and a pedestal. A room where mother and daughter are quietly able to celebrate that moment, that bond of knowing that this is the dress. It is a place where Shelly Becker Mueller, owner of Becker's Bridal (granddaughter to Eva, the original owner) and creator of The Magic Room learns the most about these families; and Zaslow does too.

From Eva Becker's brilliant ideas that put Becker's on the map, to Clark (Eva's son) and Sharon's own struggles with changing trends to Shelly's early life hiding in a "cave" of ivory slips and her own eventual takeover of the store, we learn about the delicate intricacies of family ties.

We are eventually introduced to six other families, each with their own ties to Becker's Bridal whether it be their first time to buy a dress, their second time, or as a grandmother or mother who's been through the process before.

Zaslow's ability to beautifully weave these sometimes heart-achingly wonderful tales in with the deep relationships girls have with both of their parents, as well as presenting the difficult truths about marriage and children is nothing short of amazing. Not only does it leave you wanting more, it forces one to reflect on their own relationships with their parents and cherish those moments and memories from the past. No matter how many or few there may be.

Moroccan Proverb: "In the eyes of it's mother, a beetle is a gazelle."
*Join us at BlogHer.com as we discuss The Magic Room!