The Midnight Dress

By: Karen Foxlee

Narrated by: Olivia Mackenzie-Smith

Quiet misfit Rose doesn't expect to fall in love with the sleepy beach town of Leonora. Nor does she expect to become fast friends with beautiful, vivacious Pearl Kelly, organizer of the high school float at the annual Harvest Festival parade. It's better not to get too attached when Rose and her father live on the road, driving their caravan from one place to the next whenever her dad gets itchy feet. But Rose can't resist the mysterious charms of the town or the popular girl, try as she might.

Pearl convinces Rose to visit Edie Baker, once a renowned dressmaker, now a rumored witch. Together Rose and Edie hand-stitch an unforgettable dress of midnight blue for Rose to wear at the Harvest Festival—a dress that will have long-lasting consequences on life in Leonora, a dress that will seal the fate of one of the girls. Karen Foxlee's breathtaking novel weaves friendship, magic, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and distinctly original.

Critic reviews

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2013:
"Atmospheric, lyric and unexpected.”

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, September 9, 2013:
"The casual beauty of the language and the complex storytelling style create a haunting, atmospheric novel about friendship, betrayal, and loss."

Starred Review, The Horn Book, January/February 2014:
" Though the layers are many, they coalesce into a dreamlike, eerie whole told in mesmerizing, sensuous prose.”

not a happy ending, but a good story

the story doesn't end on a happy note. it does show how cruel small towns can be.