Customer Reviews

The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters

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"The Magic Room" is a far gentler version of many of the wedding/bridal-ganza TV shows that seem to be taking over the airwaves. (And that comes from a person who spent a summer GLUED to "Say Yes to the Dress".)

The author gives the reader back-story into several of the brides that purchased their wedding dress at Becker's Bridal - and more interesting to me, back-story on the family that started this store decades ago.

The pace of the book was a bit slow for me, as each bride's story is divided by stories about the family behind the dresses. Each bride would get an introduction, and then there would be several chapters before she appeared again, so I kept forgetting which bride was which.

Towards the end, I started to feel more connected to the lives of these women and their families, but I still didn't feel there was a cohesive theme or message to the book. It really did come across as a kind version of the wedding shows - the bits of story about real people and their weddings - without the snark.

The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow is a non-fiction look at Becker's Bridal shop, a fourth generation family business that still operates in the small town of Fowler, Michigan. Although this book looks at the bridal business and also chronicles eight families' quest for a bridal gown and their story, Zaslow's initial intent was to look at the topic of love as he raises his own daughters.

Zaslow is able to alternate between the story of Becker's Bridal Shop and its history as well as the eight brides' stories he shares. Each is a unique story - from a widowed mother of five who is remarrying to a young woman injured in a car accident just a few months before her wedding and still undergoing therapy and medical procedures to correct the injuries she sustains. I enjoyed reading about each bride and their path to this small town bridal shop.

As times have changed I am amazed that this small town business can still exist and compete with the bridal chains and other competitors, a testament to the concept of hard work and excellent customer service, creating a place where mothers want to take their daughters as they look to plan a wedding.

I enjoyed Zaslow's writing, which I became familiar with while reading The Girls from Ames, also by Zaslow. Yet, there were times when I felt he made things seem too picture perfect, something I noticed in his previous book. As someone who is married and planned a wedding, I didn't really relate to Zaslow's theory of such a preoccupation with the wedding dress a bride-to-be selected. Tears were not shed by me or my mother or anyone else who saw me in my wedding dress. I didn't stand in a Magic Room on a pedestal to model my dress for a group of bridesmaids as many of these women did. While I do wish I had perhaps looked longer or had a better idea of the type of dress I wanted, the importance placed on this event in this book seems over the top to me.

Still, The Magic Room made for good reading. I enjoyed reading about the changes in brides through the years, the personal stories of future brides, and the ins and outs of this family business.

If the mirrors of the Magic Room could speak, they would have compelling tales to tell about love, life, parenting and marriage. Instead, Wall Street Journal columnist and author Jeffrey Zaslow has given them voice in his engaging new book, The Magic Room: A Story about the Love We Wish for our Daughters.

This new book (Gotham Books, January 2012) tells the story of four generations of a family who have run Becker's Bridal Shop in Fowler, Michigan since 1934, a shop that has become a destination shopping experience for brides in the Midwest. Fowler only has a population of 1100 residents but behind the shop's doors are some 2500 wedding gowns, "more wedding dresses per capita than any other municipality in the United States, or perhaps in the world," he writes.

An estimated 100,000 women have passed through the shop, trying on gowns and seeking advice first from Grandma Eva, and then from successive generations of Becker sales ladies in search of the perfect dress that reflects their dreams, lifestyle, and budget. "The Becker's building, meanwhile, is crammed not just with dresses, but with history," writes Zaslow.

The author follows eight women who have stood on the circular pedestal in the Magic Room, once a steel vault in a former bank, which has been transformed into a fairytale setting with infinity mirrored walls, gold paneling, and soft lighting. This rich, multi-layered story reflects on the history of brides and marriage in America amidst shifting values and cultural mores -- and powerfully describes the emotional relationships between fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, and women and men.

For the bride who is about to marry, the "Magic Room" is the centerpiece of the shop, the place at the top of the stairs where she tries on her final selection of the wedding dress she'll remember for the rest of her life. From the perspective of the business, this is the intimate space where emotions soar and sales are clinched.

Few people can tell stories with as much heart and feeling as New York Times best-selling author Zaslow, who previously collaborated with Randy Pausch on The Last Lecture; Chesley Sullenberger on Highest Duty; and Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, on Gabby. In my opinion, few men can tell the stories of women with the depth of understanding that Zaslow brought to The Girls from Ames and now brings to The Magic Room. Perhaps, being a father to three young women and sounding board for tens of thousands of readers of his newspaper columns over 24 years has given him the requisite trench experience to speak for them.

Zaslow doesn't shy away from the hurdles and tragedies of romance. Stories about the spectacular promise of wedding days wouldn't be complete without mentioning the rough passages of adolescent love, the emptiness of losing family members, the trauma of weddings postponed or cancelled, and the disappointment of marriages that wind up loveless or in divorce. Each of the eight stories, as well as the one of the Becker brood, reads like a brief memoir -- of the emotional lives of women of different ages and circumstances.

As a mother, this beautifully written book by a wise and gifted storyteller had me spellbound. It was hard to put down because the series of love stories, like the bow on a wedding gift, are all tied together by a magical moment in a magical place. In the book's introduction, Zaslow writes, "...on the very first day I visited Becker's I truly sensed that this was a place that could illuminate the most poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar." This wonderful author has done just that.

The Magic Room actually is a physical place. It is a room, only eight by ten feet, on the second level of Becker's Bridal in the small, rural town of Fowler, Michigan. In the center of the room, which is softly lit and filled with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, is the carpeted pedestal from which brides-to-be try on their dresses for the folks who accompany them --- often mothers, members of the bridal party, and rarely fathers --- to see for the first time.

Although the dress itself is just one facet of the wedding, much time, effort and money are spent in search of the perfect one. As might be expected, many emotions --- some of them conflicting in nature --- are experienced in the Magic Room, such as pride and love, and perhaps a touch of regret that the little girl has grown up so quickly. Many a bride-to-be experiences delight, mixed with a bit of apprehension. Every woman who comes to Becker's in search of her wedding dress has a story --- and a family who is quite emotionally invested in her happiness.

Becker's Bridal is housed in a former bank building, and perhaps it is appropriate that the Magic Room at one time contained the bank vault. The store is filled with 2,500 dresses and has outfitted over 100,000 brides thus far. In the '50s, most brides were quite young and accompanied by their mothers, who had a large say in the choice of their daughters' dresses. Parents usually paid. Times have changed, though. The brides are getting a bit older. Many have careers of their own, and since they may be purchasing the dress themselves, they choose it. All the women who walk through that door want to find the perfect dress and have hopes of living happily ever after. Sadly, this is not always the case. About one third of the customers purchasing dresses at Becker's Bridal these days are preparing for their second or possibly even third wedding. Some first-time brides bring their young kids to the shop, and stepchildren of the bride and groom often are a part of the bridal party.

In THE MAGIC ROOM, Jeffrey Zaslow follows eight brides-to-be, their families, and their fiances. Each bride has a different story. One young woman is accompanied by her grandmother, which is rather unusual. Both are painfully aware that a generation is missing. One bride has decided to stay chaste and pure; she shared her first kiss with her boyfriend after he proposed. Another is a young widow whose four children feel that their mother is remarrying way too soon. A woman on the cusp of her 40th birthday who thought she would never marry finds herself a customer at Becker's. Just imagine if the walls of the shop could talk. What stories they would tell.

Behind the scenes are the four generations of Becker women who have worked tirelessly, devoting huge amounts of time, energy and capital. Becker's stands out as a successful small business in this era of megastores. This vast bridal chain, where brides can purchase a dress for less because of the high volume of sales, continues to thrive thanks to customer loyalty, a large, varied inventory of dresses, and outstanding personal service.

When and if Zaslow becomes a father of the bride, he knows what his role will be. He learned it well at Becker's. It will be to tell his daughter that he loves her.

Reviewed by Carole Turner

I was extremely excited when I found out I had the opportunity to review this book. I loved both of Zaslow's previous books THE LAST LECTURE and THE GIRLS FROM AMES. I had a feeling I would love this one too, and I did. Zaslow wrote this in much the same style as THE GIRLS FROM AMES, giving each bride their own chapter and then coming back to them at the end with their follow-up story. Even though this is non-fiction, it reads smoothly and the emotion of each woman's story is the focus over the research studies that filter thoughout.

I found all the history of brides, bridal dress shopping and familial relationships extremely interesting and made me think of my own dress shopping days. I myself had two bridal dress shopping days, one when I was 20 and one when I was 25. I never got to wear the first dress as I ended up breaking off the engagement, but the two shopping experiences were vastly different and reflected much of the research and experiences in the book. I am sure you will also reflect on both your dress shopping day and your wedding day as you read the stories in this book. I remember the dress I ended up with was one I never would have picked out, but once I put it on, the tears and the emotions were immediately there. It was THE ONE.

What I also appreciated about this book was that even though it focuses on the bride, the dress and the big day, through the stories, it reminds you "It's not just about the dress, the flowers, the reception. It's about the man and the marriage and the life that will follow" (p. 256).

Keep the tissue box close by as you travel through the stories in this book. Zaslow knew just whose stories to tell and you will want to know how each bride is doing after finishing the book. By going to http://www.themagicroombook.com/, you may be able to see updates and find other information about the book and the author. Even though I have finished the book, I know the marriages and lives featured in this story go on. I am praying all of them are blessed by the telling of their stories and their marriages are long, loving and strong.

Best-selling author Jeffrey Zaslow was killed Friday when he lost control of his car on a snowy road after promoting his latest book"The Magic Room" in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. He was 53..God Speed And God Bless You.This is indeed sad news..You will be missed.May God comfort his family at this time..The book is excellent as where all his books even he contributed on like "Gabby" and ect... So sad..

I enjoyed this book very much. It was fun to read and very interesting as it gave facts like David's Bridal is the largest bridal chain in America. It brought up many personal stories on the brides that I then shared and discussed with some of my female relatives. As a 55-year-old woman, I was very interested in how the writer pointed out that each generation of women had their own outlook on life, marriage, and buying a wedding gown. I hope my daughters will be the ones who approach marriage for what it really is and not just be one of those bubbly-headed foolish girls who thinks marriage is all about the wedding. As a fan of shows like "Say Yes to the Dress," I was relieved to see what the average wedding gown cost, and to find it is not the thousands of dollars as shown at Kleinfield's.(Of course on that show when a bride has a price point of only $1,000, I fast forward to a bride who is willing to spend more money and get a "better" dress.) I liked that the author gave backgrounds on the women so you could understand why they made the choices that they did. I hope the writer does a similar one on guys renting wedding tuxedos. The most important thing I got from this book- I had always believed that my mother did very little when it came time to buy my wedding gown but this book made me realize that that was probably because there really weren't many stores around that carried wedding gowns. (Of course I'm still a little ticked off about it...)

Let me start off by saying that Zaslow really hit the mark with his idea of the non-fictional accounts of six brides whose common link is that they all bought their bridal gowns at Becker's Bridals, a Midwest institution since 1934. The setting of this bridal shop was a natural place to tell this story and served to connect each separate story as well as seamlessly link to the shop's unique history. T

he Magic Room is the room within Becker's Bridals where brides who have possibly found "the dress" are invited to view themselves in all their splendor. It is a room with soft lighting and an abundance of mirrors complete with a pedestal engraved with the initials B B. Zaslow, a New York Times journalist and father of three daughters weaves together a sentimental tale of life and love shown through the stories of these brides, their parents, grandparents, fiancés, and children. He offers a good amount of insight on the ways love and marriage have evolved over the years as well as the customs and traditions of a wedding. Check out the current custom started in 2006 of "trashing the dress". I was fascinated by this ritual that I didn't even know existed till I read the book. Married in 1998, my dress was lovingly taken to the cleaners by my mother and preserved immediately following my wedding. Fourteen years later, I am still wondering what the heck to do with it. I thought about selling it many times but could never bring myself to do it even though I know I will never wear it again. Trashing it however seems unthinkable.

Shelley Becker, the owner of the shop has worked at Becker's since she was fourteen. Peppered throughout the book are chapters devoted to her unique story as well as her own ill-fated marriage. The chapter highlighting her own wedding read like a bad omen. Shelley's story is of a family living in a remote and rural Michigan town who have managed to keep this bridal shop in their family for more than seventy five years. Her story dates back to her grandmother Eva, the tough minded business woman who was the family's matriarch. The shop passed down to Shelley by her parents is now the place where she has honed her bridal business chops. Her eldest child, Alyssa currently works there as well and it is hinted at that one day Alyssa will be the one to take over. Shelley is a treasure trove of information on how brides-to-be have evolved over the years as well as their relationship to their mothers in particular. It seemed that both Zaslow as well as Shelley had a hand in picking which future brides would be showcased in the book. Zaslow makes mention that only the worthy ones were considered as he offers his version of what being worthy means. In other words no trashy, bridezilla types were even considered. For the women to be chosen they had to be deemed worthy people first. Zaslow romanticizes much of these stories as you would expect a father of three daughters who have yet to walk down the aisle themselves would. I respected his perspective on the lives of these women however not all these brides were likable and some of the decisions they made, captured by Zaslow, begged the question "what on earth were you thinking?" In the end I found myself most interested in the untold stories such as why Julie would marry so soon after her husband's untimely death instead of waiting a year or so after the engagement? Also, why would she choose to put her children through a full wedding ceremony complete with a shopping trip to Becker's to find a new dress when her children were so against her getting married again. Why not get married more quietly and without all the pomp and circumstance of her first wedding? Julie's decisions came off tacky and disrespectful which although natural to infer is sad because we know that Julie has endured immense suffering and who wouldn't ultimately wish her well. This is where Zaslow falls short with the development of each component of the book. It seems he did Julie an injustice by not delving deeper into her story.

Shelley herself is painted in a very forgiving, overly nurturing light. Yet, she comes off as stoic and subdued, actually bordering on an ever present dysthymia. Her demeanor serves as a metaphor for popular perceptions of small town life and why some of the most passionate people can't wait to leave it behind. Shelley herself seems conflicted at times as to whether or not she should have made a life here. One can't help but wonder what Zaslow's personal feelings toward her were as he mentions her "near perfect figure" (something that seemed unnecessary to mention) and that although she hates to lose a sale, she always manages to find the silver lining and wishes each and every bride well. Perhaps this is true however it came out sounding forced and insincere. This is where Zaslow's romantic notions seemed to get in his own way. It seems that he also did Shelley a disservice. By painting her the way he did, she came across at times as inauthentic and not quite real. Large parts of her life were omitted such as any information regarding her two sons. Not even their names were mentioned and only her daughter appeared in the book. Perhaps her boys wanted no part of a story taking place in a bridal shop? Still, I can't help but think that writing about her relationship with her sons might have given better insight into who she is.

This book, obviously written as a labor of love from parent to child turned out to be so much more than the sum of its parts. It is a testament to life, relationships, and what carries us from one day to the next. It is a story much greater than what is contained in these pages. Although these stories are largely incomplete, it is still worth a read. The questions this book inspires are what just might offer the most insight after all.

I often read non-fiction but mostly current affairs or history, so I'm not sure what possessed me to request to take part in Crazy Book Tour's virtual book tour for The Magic Room. I suppose all I can say is that every now and again a book `speaks' to you and cries out to be read (much like the cookies that - ahem - cry out to be eaten).

The Magic Room was one such book. I was intrigued by the description and the idea of a book that examined such a wide range of relationships: the relationship between marriage and the modern world. The relationship between mothers or fathers and daughters. The relationship between the bridal dream and the fiscal reality.

Jeffrey Zaslow chose to set his book about "the Love We Wish for Our Daughters" in a bridal shop and I think doing so was a masterstroke. In that one decision he opened up boundless possibilities and the book embraces many of them fully. The Magic Room is a wonderful mix of anecdotes, family history, economic history and statistics. The book is related with warmth and humour, with touching stories interspersed with tongue-in-cheek media story mentions or interesting cultural references. It is neither preachy nor too touchy-feely but instead is a wonderful balance of all the things a marriage is: some ups, downs, worries, good times, cross words, touching speeches, advice, memories and, perhaps most importantly, hope.

It's now coming up to two years since I got married. I ordered my gown via the internet and decided to forego the full bridal experience of bridal shop, dress fittings etc. Despite not having had the experience, I can see the magic behind The Magic Room (in terms of both the book itself and the `magic' room within the bridal store Beckers) and understand why it is so important to the people that frequent the store, the owners, the community. Don't be lured into thinking this is `just' a tale of a bridal store, though. The history of Beckers is, indeed, fascinating but even beyond that, this is a work that offers so very much more.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review. I did not receive any additional compensation. All views are my own.**

Just finished the book and absolutely loved it. I bought my dress at Becker's Bridal 28 years ago and still remember being in awe at all the dresses they had there. My daughter just got married and got her dress there. Looking at her standing in the "Magic Room" will be a day I will never forget. The stories of these brides are very heartfelt. Thank you.