Five Brides

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Authors: Eva Marie Everson

Tags: #FICTION / Christian / Historical

BOOK: Five Brides

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Advance Praise for
Five Brides

“So very charming . . . brought to life by Everson’s smooth prose. She weaves the perfect blend of fact and fiction in this ’50s tale of five brides who shared something rather uncommon, a wedding dress. I found myself smiling, cheering for the young women who sought what we all seek, happiness and love.”

RACHEL HAUCK, bestselling author of
The Wedding Dress

“One dress, five lives deftly stitched together. In
Five Brides
, Eva Marie Everson tells the stories of resilient young women navigating a time of personal and cultural change. Chasing their dreams, they arrive at different futures, each wrapped in one unforgettable wedding dress.”

LISA WINGATE, bestselling author of
The Prayer Box
and
The Story Keeper

“Whether you’re about to say ‘I do’ or simply want to reminisce on your own marriage journey,
Five Brides
is just the novel for you. I can’t wait to read more from this creative author, who seamlessly interweaves five very different women’s stories into one pleasurable experience, so rich with sensory detail—clothing, food, etiquette—I felt I was transported to the 1950s. Place this gem at the top of your reading list.”

JOLINA PETERSHEIM, bestselling author of
The Midwife
and
The Outcast

“
Five Brides
made me fall in love again . . . and again . . . and again. Eva Marie Everson’s richly drawn characters are skillfully woven together like the dress that binds them all. This story deeply touched the romantic in me.”

NICOLE SEITZ, author of
Beyond Molasses Creek
,
The Inheritance of Beauty
, and
A Hundred Years of Happiness

“
Five Brides
is a beautifully written, moving portrayal of five women finding themselves and love in a time of cultural obligation. Eva Marie Everson has penned an enchanting and emotionally satisfying story that will no doubt capture readers’ hearts.”

KELLIE COATES GILBERT, author of
Where Rivers Part
(a Texas Gold novel)

“In the tale of
Five Brides
, Eva Marie Everson brings us the stirring story of five young women whose lives intersect in their quests to love and be loved without losing themselves to the expectations of others.”

SHELLIE RUSHING TOMLINSON, the Belle of All Things Southern and author of
Heart Wide Open

Visit Tyndale online at
www.tyndale.com
.

Visit Eva Marie Everson at
www.evamarieeversonauthor.com
.

TYNDALE
and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Five Brides

Edited by Kathryn S. Olson

Published in association with the literary agency of Jonathan Clements, Wheelhouse Literary Group, PO Box 110909, Nashville, TN 37222.

Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible
, King James Version.

Five Brides
is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Everson, Eva Marie.

Five brides / Eva Marie Everson.

pages ; cm

ISBN 978-1-4143-9744-3 (sc)

I. Title.

PS3605.V47F58 2015

813'.6—dc23 2015001358

ISBN 978-1-4964-0678-1 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-9745-0 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-0679-8 (Apple)

Build: 2015-05-05 08:01:25

To Robert and Joan Hunt Zimmerman.

Your generosity inspires me . . .

Your hospitality amazes me . . .

Your love captivates me . . .

And knowing you has made me a better person.

Thank you.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
A Note from the Author
About the Author

Acknowledgments

Allow me to begin by giving my utmost thanks to my dear friend Sharon Allred Decker, who gave me the idea for this story. To Joan and Robert Zimmerman for allowing me to tell, with creative license,
their
story. To my agent, Jonathan Clements, for his unwavering belief in me as a writer and author. To Jan Stob . . . Finally! We work together. And to Kathy Olson for trusting me to “do it all over again.”

To all the fine folks at Tyndale . . . I appreciate you already more than I have words to say. Working with you has been a long-held dream of mine. (Did you know my eleven-times-great-grandparents hired a young William Tyndale to serve as a tutor for their sons at Little Sodbury, and that once after he was jailed, they bailed him out? Well, it’s true.)

To Sandie Bricker, who worked alongside me start to finish (and start to finish again) as a critique partner . . . I thank you! And thank you for allowing me the privilege of working with you on your excellent manuscript as well.

To Word Weavers International, my wonderful champions.

A great big
danke schön
to Kirstin Shafer and a
merci beaucoup
to Rose Chandler Johnson.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my beta-readers-slash-
critique-mavens-of-all-good-fiction: Deb Haggerty, Shellie Arnold, and Jessica R. Everson.

To my family—my husband, children, grandchildren . . . I love you!

And above all, to my Lord and Savior (my bridegroom) Jesus Christ and to His Father God and to the Holy Spirit . . . I am humbled.

Ani ohevet otcha.