THE MAGIC ROOM: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED

THE MAGIC ROOM

A Story About the Love We 

Wish for Our Daughters

 BY JEFFREY ZASLOW

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The New York Times bestselling journalist and author of The Girls from Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow, takes us to a multi- generational family owned small-town bridal shop to explore the emotional lives of women in the 21st century.

You may not have heard of Fowler, Michigan, much less Becker's Bridal. But for the thousands of women who have stepped inside, Becker's is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives-moments that speak to us all. Housed in a former bank, the boutique owners transformed the vault into a "magic room," with soft church lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that make lifelong dreams come true.

Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar, The Magic Room tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for years, Becker's has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage; some of the shop's clientele are becoming stepmothers, or starting married life for a second time. In The Girls from Ames, beloved author Jeffrey Zaslow used friendships to explore the emotional lives of women. In The Magic Room, he turns his perceptive eye to weddings and weaves together secrets, memories and family tales to explore the hopes and dreams we have for our daughters.

Q&A WITH AUTHOR JEFFREY ZASLOW:

How did you come up with the idea for the book THE MAGIC ROOM?

I wanted to write a nonfiction book about the love we all wish for our daughters. I needed a place to set the book — a place with great emotion — and I considered all sorts of possibilities. Maybe I could visit maternity wards, dance studios or daddy–daughter date nights. Maybe I’d hang out at spas where mothers and daughters go to bond.

But then my wife suggested that I find a bridal shop. “There’s something about a wedding dress…” she told me. She was completely right.

I was willing to go anywhere in the country to find the right store and the right stories, but I began by looking closer to my home near Detroit. When I came upon the Web site for Becker’s Bridal, which is exactly 100 miles from my house, I was very intrigued.

This Q&A is taken from Jeffrey Zaslow's website for THE MAGIC ROOM. Go HERE to read the rest of it. It is marvelous!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JEFFREY ZASLOW is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Girls from Ames and coauthor of Gabby, with Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, Highest Duty, with Chesley Sullenberger, as well as The Last Lecture, with Randy Pausch. A Wall Street Journal columnist, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife and their three daughters.

AN EXCERPT FROM THE MAGIC ROOM:

One hundred miles northwest of my home, in a tiny, rural town with one stoplight, I found a place where 100,000 daughters, along with their mothers and fathers, have found themselves reflecting on the word “love.”

It’s a place where, every day, parents can’t help but be enveloped by a swell of emotion as they think back to the love they felt when their daughters were little girls. They think ahead, too, contemplating the love needed to carry their daughters onward from here. These parents know the disappointments and betrayals associated with the word “love,” especially these days. They know the losses that define life. Still, most make their pilgrimage here with a sense of hope and optimism.

For the daughters, usually women in their twenties, this is a place that makes clear they are at a crossroads. They have so much on their minds—“love” being at the forefront, usually—but they also can be distracted, impulsive, naïve, and fearful. Each of them has a story that brought them here. Not all will find happiness after they leave.  

To finish reading this excerpt, visit the Penguin Publishing website HERE.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
THE MAGIC ROOM can be found in the small town of Fowler, Michigan. To this room on the second floor of Becker’s Bridal is where Author Jeffrey Zaslow came to get the inspiration and background for his latest book.  Zaslow, so well known for THE LAST LECTURE and THE GIRLS FROM AMES, takes a totally different direction once again as he has created a heart warming narrative that is about the love parents have for their daughters in THE MAGIC ROOM.

Zaslow also gives readers the story of the four generations of Beckers who have given their bridal shop’s customers 76 years of experience, and of caring. Telling the Becker family story takes readers through decades of American History as the styles and desires of brides change along with the economics, traditions, and even wars of each generation. Up against the stiff competition from chain stores, Becker’s Bridal has triumphed thanks to their devotion to their customers and their remarkable individualized collaborations. The “room” itself; what it is like and how it came about is central to this charming narrative.

Zaslow also writes about the brides. He chose several brides-to-be and their families to tell each unique story. Different ages and backgrounds, each bride’s story is told with Zaslow‘s special touch and sensitivity. Photographs of brides, staff, Becker’s, and THE MAGIC ROOM add just enough to make this book another favorite of mine. I am beginning to think that Jeffrey Zaslow knows me personally as everything he writes hits home!
 

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO CASEY AND MY GREAT FRIENDS

AT PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE COPY OF

THIS HEAVENLY, DELIGHTFUL BOOK TO

GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY WINNER!

 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT THE MAGIC ROOM THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON MY REVIEW OF THE MAGIC ROOM,  AND/OR THE Q&A BY JEFFREY ZASLOW ABOVE (AND FIND IT COMPLETED HERE)

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT JEFFREY ZASLOW 'S THE MAGIC ROOM WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU MAY COMMENT ON EACH WAY FOR EXTRA ENTRIES. PLEASE PUT IN YOUR COMMENTS SEPARATELY

 

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 22

GOOD LUCK!