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The Black Dress

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The Black Dress

By: Deborah Moggach
Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
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Pru's husband has walked out, leaving her alone to contemplate her future. She's missing not so much him, but the life they once had – picnicking on the beach with small children, laughing together, nestling up like spoons in the cutlery drawer as they sleep. Now there's just a dip on one side of the bed and no one to fill it. In a daze, Pru goes off to a friend's funeral. Usual old hymns, words of praise and a eulogy but ... it doesn't sound like the friend Pru knew. And it isn't. She's gone to the wrong service. Everyone was very welcoming, it was – oddly – a laugh, and more excitement than she's had for ages. So she buys a little black dress in a charity shop and thinks, now I'm all set, why not go to another? I mean, people don't want to make a scene at a funeral, do they? No one will challenge her – and what harm can it do?©2021 Deborah Moggach (P)2021 Bolinda Publishing Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Comedy
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Critic reviews

'Moggach is at the height of her powers.' (Sunday Times)
'Full of warmth and humour, as well as blistering truths.' (Daily Mirror)
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The narrator hammed it up so much that I couldn’t take any more. The story was weak, and the protagonist unbelievable. I was uncertain whether the whole book was meant to be a parody.

Narrator hammed it up

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I found the narrator's accent irritating - and almost stopped listening to the book - but decided to keep going. Enjoyed the book although the ending was a little disappointing compared to the first three quarters of the book . Think I would have given a higher rating for the book if I had read it

Found the narrator's accent irritating

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Deirdre was not a pleasant voice but the story was engaging and end satisfying.

easy listening with some surprises

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I think I would have enjoyed the book had it not been for the narration of the book. The narrator was extremely annoying and took away from the actual story

Narrator was off putting

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I Loved it! A brilliant story & a fantastic narrator, utterly engaging from start to finish.

So, so worth a listen

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