The Wedding Dress: Stories From The Dakota Plains (Bur Oak Original) [Hardcover]

Carrie Young (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bur Oak Original | Publication Date: August 1, 1992

Set in the Dust Bowl Dakota plains during the 1930s, this collection of stories by the author of Nothing to Do but Stay follows the fortunes and misfortunes of pioneer people who struggle in difficult times.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The seven tales in Young's winning fiction debut transport readers to the North Dakota plains in the first half of this century to tell of the mostly Norwegian immigrants who homesteaded there. Morals are clearly defined, and the Dust Bowl is remembered with trepidation. Young ( Nothing to Do but Stay: My Pioneer Mother ) emphasizes relationships among the characters; slight or profound, friendly or embittered, these connections take on the utmost importance in the small community of Little Butte. A man is shot for dating two barmaids in a single evening ("Bank Night"); a woman becomes a midwife by default ("The Nights of Ragna Rundhaug"); two brothers must marry two sisters after they keep them out all night ("The Sins of the Fathers"). In the title story, a wedding dress is lent to many brides over the years until its owner, who never wore it in life, wears it in death. The leisurely narratives match the pace of the subjects' lives, and the author's warm, straightforwardly charming style falls within a classic storytelling tradition.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This collection of seven outstanding short stories deserves a wide audience. Set in the Dakota Plains of the 1930s, they map the emotional lives and day-to-day struggles of the Norwegian American settlers of that harsh land. Rural in subject matter, yet warm, compassionate, and timeless in theme, Young's stories capture the slow unfolding of the seasons: seasons of marrying, childbearing, romance, unrequited love, and unexpected turns of fate and the human heart. These tales are subtle, powerful, and totally readable. There is no moralizing or dull preaching here--just wonderful fiction, luminous and life giving. Young's 1991 collection of personal essays Nothing To Do but Stay (Univ. of Iowa Pr., 1991) was named a Best Book of 1991 by School Library Journal ; this volume, aimed at adults, should be in the running for 1992. Highly recommended.
-Linda L. Rome, Middlefield P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: University Of Iowa Press; 1 edition (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877453861
• ISBN-13: 978-0877453864
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,557,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wedding Dress, August 7, 2000

By 

Carrie Moore Young (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wedding Dress and Other Short Stories (Paperback)

Ironically, I share the same name as the author, although no relation. I agree with the reviewer who said that she still thinks of the characters 4 years after reading the book.

I found myself in awe of what these homesteaders accomplished. The style of writing made for a quick read, and I have found myself going back to the book to re-read it about 2 times per year. Some details I have nearly committed to memory. I can't think of very many books that I can so enjoy when re-read- ing them.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book that should have a much wider audience., September 19, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wedding Dress and Other Short Stories (Paperback)

I read this book over 4 years ago-and I still think about the characters in it. The author has done such a good job of bringing them to life that I wish I could meet them. Their stories are touching and realistic. The author's treatment of them is tender without being sappy. I cannot praise this collection enough. It should have a much wider audience.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully told stories!, April 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wedding Dress and Other Short Stories (Paperback)

The Wedding Dress is a marvelous collection of stories in which the characters are colorful, profound and very real. Each tale is like being introduced into the lives of the people involved. I grieved with them and for them. This author did an outstanding job of fleshing out her characters, making their lives completely believable. Great book!