The Black Dress

By: Deborah Moggach

Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein

Pru's husband has walked out, leaving her alone to contemplate her future. She's missing not so much him, but the life they once had – picnicking on the beach with small children, laughing together, nestling up like spoons in the cutlery drawer as they sleep. Now there's just a dip on one side of the bed and no one to fill it. In a daze, Pru goes off to a friend's funeral. Usual old hymns, words of praise and a eulogy but ... it doesn't sound like the friend Pru knew. And it isn't. She's gone to the wrong service. Everyone was very welcoming, it was – oddly – a laugh, and more excitement than she's had for ages. So she buys a little black dress in a charity shop and thinks, now I'm all set, why not go to another? I mean, people don't want to make a scene at a funeral, do they? No one will challenge her – and what harm can it do?©2021 Deborah Moggach (P)2021 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'Moggach is at the height of her powers.' (Sunday Times)

'Full of warmth and humour, as well as blistering truths.' (Daily Mirror)

Divorce

The black dress is not relevant in the story and is only mentioned a few times. Story about an older woman having been told by her husband he wants a divorce and her trying to cope with all the loss. She makes too many mistakes to learn anything from this story except to not do what she has done. Story takes place during the Corona virus worldwide pandemic and on four occasions she brings up her hatred for President Trump and since the story takes place in London area, I don’t see how her feelings about him are relevant. I do not appreciate authors that bring their blatant opinions into a story I am reading to escape from politics. I will boycott anything else this author writes.

I thought the narrators voice was a little too high to be comfortable listening.