Book Review: The Engagements

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: June 11, 2013
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

Evelyn has been married to her husband for forty years—forty years since he slipped off her first wedding ring and put his own in its place. Delphine has seen both sides of love—the ecstatic, glorious highs of seduction, and the bitter, spiteful fury that descends when it’s over. James, a paramedic who works the night shift, knows his wife’s family thinks she could have done better; while Kate, partnered with Dan for a decade, has seen every kind of wedding—beach weddings, backyard weddings, castle weddings—and has vowed never, ever, to have one of her own.

As these lives and marriages unfold in surprising ways, we meet Frances Gerety, a young advertising copywriter in 1947. Frances is working on the De Beers campaign and she needs a signature line, so, one night before bed, she scribbles a phrase on a scrap of paper: “A Diamond Is Forever.” And that line changes everything.

The Engagements follows five different characters throughout their lives, all of whom live primarily in different eras. One of the characters is Frances Grerety, the real-life advertising executive who wrote the slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” I was particularly interested in her story because my husband is in advertising and also an episode of the TV show Mad Men briefly mentioned the story behind “A Diamond is Forever.” It’s clear from reading the author’s note, that Ms. Sullivan did a substantial amount of research into Frances’s life and her story appears to be based on factual information. It was truly fascinating to learn how the diamond went from a precious gem worn only by the rich and famous to an almost mandatory part o the American marriage experience.

The other four main characters are fictional. I knew that that somehow their stories would all come together but it wasn’t obvious to me how that would happen until it was revealed in the story telling. I loved how each character was so different from each other. I also appreciated how well developed they all were, each had an extensive back story, making the motivations for their actions unquestionable.

I think this book would make an excellent book club choice. It would provoke an interesting discussion about marriage and marriage traditions I’m sure. The effect of advertising on the American psyche could be discussed as well. As I was reading this book, I found myself questioning the importance I have placed on my own engagement ring in my life. The Engagements is more than just a summer beach read; it will have you thinking about the issues it addresses long after you finish. It’s the perfect mix of fun and thoughtful.

(I received this book courtesy of the Amazon Vine program.)