The Keeper of Happy Endings: a story about fate, second chances and hope

The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis is a story about fate, second chances and hope. Soline Roussel is well versed in the business of happy endings. For generations, the women of her family kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris. Where magic is worked into each stitch. It is said that every bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy and happiness. When World War II arrives in Paris, Soline is faced with devastating loss after another. She arrives in America with one simple dress box. She places all her memories in it, stowing them away, determined to forget. Decades later, another young woman is dealing with her own tragic loss. Rory Grant is left reeling after her fiancé goes missing with no words as to his whereabouts or if he is even alive. When she comes across an old store front, she becomes determined to open her own art gallery. Inside the storefront, she discovers Soline’s old dress box. What happens is an unlikely friendship between Soline and Rory. While they both believe they were destined to meet, their connection would have a profound impact on their future. 

The Keeper of Happy Endings is my first book by Barbara Davis and it was widely praised and recommended. Now I can see why. It is a beautiful story of love, loss and finding hope when hope seems lost. From the very beginning, I enjoyed Soline’s story as well as Rory’s. Although there were a few twists and “aha” moments that I saw them coming before the big reveal. However, figuring out the twists didn’t take away from the emotional impact of the story. It is also more than just another historical story about war and love lost. It is about the eternal struggle between mother and daughter, the constant push and pull that they seem to be engaged in and the influence that one generation has on another. The Keeper of Happy Endings also serves as a reminder that hate doesn’t change with time. One of my favorite quotes is “People always find a way to justify their hate—and give others an excuse to fall in line. They put words in people’s mouths, plant them like viruses, then watch them spread.” Words that ring true today as they did over eighty years ago. I highly recommend The Keeper of Happy Endings. 

The Keeper of Happy Endings is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook