I did not intend to read another WWII historical fiction but here we are again. I did have a slight idea when I downloaded it from Amazon but by the time I got to reading it, I completely forgot about it. I wanted to switch to another book for the mean time, but I just went on with this one.
The Keeper of Happy Endings is a subtle surprise in so many ways. Soline's family lineage is unique in a way that they are dressmakers, but their dresses guarantee happy endings to the brides. It has something to do with compatibility, commitment and a little bit of witchcraft. They don't just make dresses for anybody - the bride has to pass their screenings. When the Nazi came, she found herself volunteering at a hospital and falling in love with an American volunteer. As anyone can predict with love stories during wartime, it was not easy. She had to be sent away for her safety and to move to America and starting a new life. Fast forward to the current time and another person's point of view, she forms an unlikely friendship with a young lady named Rory who expressed interest in renting her real estate property. This friendship was something she didn't want but definitely is the most significant in her life.
Soline
There are two timelines to Soline's story in the book: during wartime and in her present life as an older woman. In the book, the Nazis came to Paris when Soline was still a young lady training to follow in her mother's footsteps as a dressmaker. Before she could have her chance at the art, Paris was occupied and her mother passed leaving Soline to fend for herself. She started to volunteer at a hospital serving non-Nazi soldiers and civilians thinking that she would do just good because she took care of her mother. However, a hospital is much more different and Soline almost couldn't bear her first day. She met an American volunteer named Anson and they fell in love.
Eventually, Soline became a part of the resistance with Anson. This took a toll on her safety as the gestapo started to threaten Anson and they just knew they will use her to milk him for information one day. Before that day could come, Anson arranged for Soline to be sent to America and start a new life.
Their love was short, but it was surely very romantic. I find it very romantic that I actually cursed quite a few times in the chapter when Soline was about to leave Paris. It's not too intense though, just a subtle heartbreak for the reader.
Character-wise, I did find Soline a little too stereotypical. It might be because the author wanted to set her apart from the other characters but this also gives a blow to the depth of her character.
Rory
Rory is short for Aurora. She's a young artist living off her hefty trust fund. She finds a rowhouse that she strongly felt would be the perfect place for her gallery. Like Soline, Rory had to be apart from her significant other (Hux) but hers is due to Hux's volunteer work. One day the letters from Hux just stopped and it was reported that he was kidnapped. Rory was still waiting on news for his whereabouts when she met Soline.
Her character is a tad bit annoying, to be honest. There are chapters in the book that is in her point of view and except for the real painful parts about Hux, it was just mostly whining on privileged problems like having problems with her mother because she does not want to push through with an internship in Paris, having to eat takeout meals on a daily basis, not being able to wash her dishes, problems of starting a business that has very little guaranteed returns, etc. I just don't find this cute in books and in reality. I really thought that Rory was just engulfed by her privilege bubble. However, if this was the characterisation the author was aiming, then I guess it's okay. But it's still annoying.
And an unlikely friendship
Because of her trauma from the war, starting off anew in a foreign country and surviving a fire that burnt her dreams to the ground, Soline withdrew herself from society. Rory didn't have an easy time reaching out to her. When Soline finally opened up one day, they found that they share similar pain in life and in love. This blossomed into a very natural bond and they started to relied on each other for emotional support.
This bond wasn't taken positively by Rory's mother who wanted all of her child's attention but when she does get it, she just tramples on it like a piece of paper. It was very unreasonable.
After a major conflict, Rory had to do something to make it up to Soline so she planned a grand gesture as an apology to mend or just to say goodbye. This lead to the unraveling of so many truths about Soline that none of them prepared for.
In conclusion...
This is a beautiful story. This is an easy read so if you're looking into trying historical fiction, this would be a great book to start. There's not much intensity nor is it as deep as a lot of historical fictions are (which other readers might think of as boring). It does have timeline transitions and two varying points of view but they're not confusing at all. There's an undeveloped part of the book which is the "magic" of the dresses but I think if this had been emphasised any more than it was, the book would have a totally different aura.
The characters are okay, there's not much development and they are more annoying at times but it's bearable.
The majority of the book is rather wholesome except for a teeny tiny bit where there is an "act" so I think this would still be suitable for a younger audience.
This book is good but not very remarkable. I still have another Barbara Davis book in to-read list so I'm still interested in giving the author another shot.
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