White Dresses

The subtitle: A Memoir of Love and Secrets, Mothers and Daughters” doesn't prepare you for the story Mary Pflum Peterson tells. She relates her life story through the white dresses she and her mother wore to mark milestones in their lives, beginning with baptism gowns. Each chapter begins with a different dress at a different age. Through her palpable writing, Peterson let's us know in intimate detail the story of her life and that of her family and of her strong bond with her family. It is quite a story to tell and she does so in heartbreaking detail. Mary's mother started displaying strange behavior after her parents divorce. It took years for Mary to understand that her mother was a hoarder, especially since Mary was off living her life and did not not see her mother's mental deterioration. It's a fascinating story of three generations of family dysfunction and love and doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt. But mostly, it is a story of love between a mother and daughter told through their bond of white dresses.