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Summary
Summary
Award winning author Sofia Grant weaves an entrancing tale of female friendship and new beginnings inspired by the true stories of those who "took the Reno cure". In the 1940s and 50s, women who needed a fast divorce went to Nevada to live on a ranch with other women in the same boat.
"Sofia Grant entices us into following three women seeking the Reno Cure, as they overcome their disillusionment over the lives they expected to have and summon the bravery to embrace new and unexpected paths." --Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room
Francie Meeker and Vi Carothers were sold a bill of goods: find a man, marry him in a white wedding gown, and live happily ever after. These best friends never expected to be on the train to Reno, those "lies in white dresses" shattered, their marriages over.
On board the train they meet June Samples, who is fleeing an abusive husband with her daughter, and take the vulnerable young mother under their wing. The three decide to wait out the required six weeks together, and then they can toss their wedding bands into the Truckee River and start new lives as divorcees.
But as they settle in at the ranch, one shocking moment will change their lives forever. As it brings their deceptions and fears into focus, it will also demand a reckoning with the past, and the choices that a person in love can be driven to make.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
Society matron Violet Vi Carothers and her friend Francie Meeker are on the the train to Reno. These ""lies in white dresses"" seek a quick, six-week Nevada residency that will enable them to legally divorce their husbands. Vi is releasing a man to his mistress and Francie is realizing her husband prefers romance with other men. The women soon meet shy young June Samples and her four-year old daughter on the train, and they take the two under their protective wings when they learn June is on the run from an abusive husband. Once settled at the popular Holiday Ranch that caters to future divorcées, they discover Vi's husband's mistress is in residency too. The quirky team of staff coordinate activities and are responsible for establishing the ladies' residency. Among them is Virginia Swanson, a girl with aspirations to become a detective, who overhears everything and guides the story when someone ends up dead. Reno in the 1950s and the challenging of social norms provide an interesting backdrop to this story of women's relationships. The book has a rocky start, though once the secondary characters appear, the tale becomes positively jaunty. Readers who like stories that switch from light humor to serious drama, then to mystery caper and some romance, will be pleased, even if the ending ties up a little too neatly.--Monica Garza Bustillo Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In Grant's third historical fiction novel (The Daisy Children), best friends Francie Meeker and Vi Carothers leave 1952 California by sleeper train and head to Reno in order to obtain quick divorces. Their soon-to-be ex-husbands made reservations for them at the Holiday Ranch Hotel, one of Reno's divorce ranches that caters to women spending six weeks in Nevada to establish residency and get a divorce. On the train to Reno, they meet and befriend a downtrodden young woman, June Samples, and her four-year-old daughter, Patty. June is running from an abusive husband and hopes he won't find her. After an evening out celebrating their pending divorces, tragedy strikes. The various story lines are told from the points of view of many characters, which moves the plot along quickly. Comic relief is provided by 12-year-old Virgie, the daughter of the hotel owner, who wants to become a private detective. VERDICT For those who enjoyed the author's previous novels, as well as readers of women's fiction and fans of Melanie Benjamin, Jennifer Chiaverini, and Meg Waite Clayton.--Jean King, West Hempstead P.L., NY
