Joan Hunt sailed aboard the Mauretania II from England to New York. She boarded a train for twenty four hours and arrived in the city of her birth, Chicago. Uprooted at nine and brought to Great Britain, Joan's first goal: Find a job and send money to family back home. At sixteen years old, Joan entered an essay in a contest called, "The Man of My Dreams. She wrote, "The man of my dreams will be able to do things and be creative. It would be nice if he was 6 ft. two, had blue eyes and lots of dark hair." A prevew of coming attractions?

Evelyn Alexander, a pen pal of Joan Hart for many years, boards a train from Portal, Georgia to Chicago. She tells her daddy, "I want to get a job in one of those tall buildings in the Loop. I want to live in an apartment." What she did not tell her daddy? She wanted to get away from Hank Shute, a young man who has been her boyfriend since high school and plans to be a farmer just like his daddy. He does not "turn her skin to gooseflesh", which is how her daddy described his feelings when he fell in love with her mother.

Betty Estes at 26 has a job as a secretary, a generous allowance from her father, an apartment needing additional roommates, and the affection of George Volbrecht, the one chosen to be Betty's husband by both his family's and hers too. However, Betty does not love him and has no plans to marry him.

Magda and Inga Christenson, sisters from Minnesota have good jobs and are Betty's roommates. Magda works for a Publishing Company, Inga is an air line stewardess looking for Mr. Right. Magda wants to become a writer and become famous.

One Saturday in the window of Carson, Pirie and Scott, the girls see the most beautiful wedding dress and on a lark they all try it on. It is $300 and they buy it together. They make a pact. Each may use it on her wedding day. The last one married gets to keep it. FIVE BRIDES is a truly charming story of the dress and the weddings. I loved it utterly and completely and you will too. Thank you, Ms. Everson for the sweetest read in ages.

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