FABRICATIONS

This dramatic memoir of a woman's search for her international identity unfolds against a backdrop of world events, and each chapter focuses on a significant outfit that defines the various stages of her life: A toddler's party dress enchants during the Mossadagh crisis in Iran; a girlhood skating skirt allows for joy amidst family dysfunction in Switzerland; a tween yearns for 50s style in a fashion doll; an adolescent experiences a magical cultural education wearing her fur coat in Finland; a young woman asserts her uniqueness through a self-designed suit in Lebanon during the Cuban missile crisis; a bride marries in a Romanian wedding dress rescued from the Cold War; an insecure professional overcomes a male-dominated academic world to gain her doctoral gown; a woman in love travels to China and acquires an imperial robe, then suffers her lover's loss after the Tiananmen Square massacre; a mother discovers her sexual and literary creativity in Moroccan caftans; and a mature woman understands the ancient secret of love through Indian fabric. The book's use of clothing reinforces the author's theme of life as an interwoven fabric.

Ideal for readers interested in reading.