“Nice things happen to good people.”

That quote sums up my feelings about My Mrs. Brown by William Norwich.

This is the story of an elegant, elderly cleaning woman named Emilia Brown, who has a dream of buying an expensive Oscar de la Renta dress. Mrs. Brown, who has a lived an honest and dutiful life, wants this dress unlike anything she has ever wanted in her life. Her pursuit on getting this dress is a lesson in meaning, purpose, and transformation.

On the surface, this improbable story would be easy to dismiss as wish-fulfillment and sentimental.  However, as I read on the story reveals itself to be more about how everyone has a dream and if an opportunity presents itself to fulfill it, do you pursue the dream? Also, that a material item (a dress) can mean more than just the material is made of and assist in transforming a person’s life. Lastly, this charming and life-affirming novel shows that dignity, civility, and good things happening to good people still matters in our world. My Mrs. Brown will be one of my favorite reads of 2017 and highly recommended.