NCWN

 In this story of sisterhood and unexpected paths, Gaylen
Syler-Boatwright flees her unraveling marriage to take refuge in a mountain
cottage owned by her deceased aunt. Burdened with looking after her adult
sister, Delia, Gaylen is shocked to find a trail of family secrets hidden
within her aunt's odd collection of painted dresses. Delia attracts trouble
as a daily occupation, so when Gaylen embarks on a road trip with her, the
unlikely pair are thrown together on a journey to painful understanding and
delightful revelations. Steeped in Hickman's trademark humor, her spare
writing voice, and the bittersweet pathos of the South, Painted Dresses
powerfully captures a woman's desperate longing to uncover a hidden broken
life. 


Hickman gamely unpacks the lies families tell each other, the cost of family
secrets to ourselves and others, the bonds between sisters and the walls
between husbands and wives. Her sparkling talent is evident in this
engrossing story. (Publishers Weekly, July)