Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    My Mrs. Brown: A Novel
    My Mrs. Brown: A Novel
    My Mrs. Brown: A Novel
    Audiobook7 hours

    My Mrs. Brown: A Novel

    Written by William Norwich

    Narrated by Angela Brazil

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Emilia Brown is a woman of a certain age. She has spent a frugal, useful, and wholly restrained life in Ashville, a small town in Rhode Island. Overlooked especially by the industries of fashion and media, Mrs. Brown is one of today's silent generations of women whose quiet no-frills existences would make them seem invisible. She is a genteel woman who has known her share of personal sorrows and quietly carried on.

    When the grand dame of Ashville passes away, Mrs. Brown is called upon to inventory her estate and comes across a dress that changes everything. This isn't a Cinderella confection; it's a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket-a suit that Mrs. Brown realizes, with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey. She must have it. And so Mrs. Brown begins her odyssey to purchase the dress. For not only is the owning of the Oscar de la Renta a must, the intimidating trip to purchase it on Madison Avenue is essential as well. If the dress is to give Mrs. Brown a voice, then she must prepare by making the daunting journey-both to the emerald city and within herself.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 15, 2016
    ISBN9781515977476
    Author

    William Norwich

    William Norwich is a writer, editor, and video and television reporter. He is the author of the novels My Mrs. Brown and Learning to Drive as well as the children’s book Molly and the Magic Dress. Norwich also has written introductions and essays for many pictorial books. Currently the editor for fashion and interior design at Phaidon Press, he has also written and edited for The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Town & Country, Architectural Digest, and New York magazine. Norwich is a graduate of the writing program at Columbia University (MFA), Hampshire College (BA), and the Pomfret School. He lives in New York City.

    Related to My Mrs. Brown

    Related audiobooks

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Havenfall

      Feb 26, 2020

      RELEASED 3 MARCH 304 pages | Paperback/ebook Author Sara Holland Publisher Bloomsbury Adolescence is hard enough at the best of times, but throw in a murdered brother, a mother on death row and a high school full of bullies that really don’t apprecia

      1 min read

    • Article

      Famous People

      Mar 1, 2022

      Famous People
      15 min read

    • Article

      This Month’s Contributors

      Jul 23, 2021

      We join Kitty on a maternity shoot, a photographic genre she has successfully pivoted to during the pandemic. Find out how she creates her images on page 10 France-based Audrey reveals how she approaches her photoshoots with dogs, and you can use her

      1 min read

    • Article

      March Fiction

      Feb 15, 2022

      Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson (Century, £20) In 2018 the ever-prolific James Patterson got together with Bill Clinton to write the best-selling The President Is Missing: a novel that combined Clinton’s insider knowledge with Patter

      2 min read

    • Article

      Trouble Brews In Minnesota

      Jul 29, 2019

      Edith and Helen Calder haven’t spoken in decades. The sisters’ rift began after the death of their father, who left all the money from the family’s farm to Helen so she could fulfill her dream of opening a brewery. In J. Ryan Stradal’s The Lager Quee

      1 min read

    • Article

      Book Club weekly Book Club

      Jan 24, 2021

      Want to make There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job your next book club read? Here are some talking points to spark a discussion. • Does this novel have a message for its readers? If so, what do you think it is? • Was there a job that our narrator tack

      1 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Steph Opitz

      Dec 17, 2018

      I put down a lot of books that didn’t do it for me, and shuffled and reshuffled my to-be-read pile to my heart’s content. It’s been liberating. The post A Year in Reading: Steph Opitz appeared first on The Millions.

      6 min read

    • Article

      ‘A Better Man’ Shows Louise Penny At Her Compelling Best

      Sep 5, 2019

      Her Three Pines mystery series, with Inspector Gamache, is a rare one that becomes more interesting the longer it goes on.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Pick Of The Crop: October’s 10 Best Books To Savor In Autumn

      Oct 20, 2021

      Spend the month reading new books by John le Carré, Jonathan Franzen, Amor Towles, and Mary Beard.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Partners In Crime

      Mar 18, 2022

      Partners In Crime
      2 min read

    • Article

      Romantic Entanglements Bring Humor And Heartache To Small Town

      Jun 21, 2021

      Katherine Heiny’s novel transplants readers to Boyne City, Michigan, through the keen eyes of the town’s new schoolteacher.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Feb 20, 2023

      Rebecca Makkai’s latest novel, I Have Some Questions For You, is a literary mystery set against the backdrop of a New Hampshire boarding school. Our protagonist, Bodie Kane, is a successful podcaster who is invited back to her alma mater to help some

      3 min read

    • Article

      Herding Goats At Squashville Farm

      Mar 1, 2021

      Herding Goats At Squashville Farm
      6 min read

    • Article

      TV Pieces Of Her

      Mar 24, 2022

      TV Pieces Of Her
      1 min read

    • Article

      Kick Off Summer With The 10 Best Books Of June

      Jun 14, 2022

      Discover your next favorite book, whether you’re in the mood for insightful short stories about the immigrant experience, a startling  fantasy novel about survival, or a deep exploration of a little-known aspect of Native American history.  1. Horse 

      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for My Mrs. Brown

    3.5/5

    39 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      This feels like a novel out of 1950 except for the anachronistic references to cell phones, ipads, and f-bombs. Emilia Brown is a simple, plain woman in her 60s who supports herself with sewing, cleaning, and other odd jobs -- her current position is cleaning up at the local beauty salon in her small town of Ashville RI. She lives by an antiquated code of hard work, routine, and meeting basic needs without a lot of frills. "...if she was a scent she was tea with honey, but if she was a color, she was a study in gray.....[which] isn't to say she was sad or threadbare. It's just that in a world where status is measure in how much space one takes up and how much noise one makes....a quiet person like Mrs. Brown falls invisible." (2) She and her cat Santo live in a tiny two-flat next to her best friend Mrs. Fox, both widows. When Mrs. Brown has the opportunity to help catalog possessions of the late Mrs. Groton, a local society matron she has long admired, her life changes drastically. There in her closet is a classic, gorgeous Oscar de la Renta suit in black. It is the exact dignified, simple, timeless outfit that would suit Mrs. Brown perfectly. But it is destined for auction in NY and costs $7,000. Mrs. Brown's life now becomes a quest to acquire the dress and takes her out of her comfort zone in many different ways. With the help of Alice, Mrs. Fox's 20-something granddaughter, an unexpected encounter with a super-model who rooms with her for a short time, and some unexpected kindness from strangers, she acquires the money and heads to NYC for a 48-hour adventure the likes of which she has never had in her simple sheltered life. Hurrah for Mrs. Brown and her late-life courage! The best part is learning why she wanted the dress so badly in the first place. Definitely a feel-good read.
    • 3/5
      The beginning of this book was frustratingly not my taste AT ALL, and I almost gave up but it was for book club. The second act in NYC was quite sweet. I just will never be sympathetic to narratives that paint people who like kale or use swear words or are young-ish as less good versions of older, more sedate people. It's a stupid narrative that implies a value judgment, and while there are plenty of insufferable millennials, dear lord are there also olds whose polite manners area facade for a whole host of -isms. No. It makes me grumpy.

      I did really love her whole day in the city and the fairy-tale feel to the ending, I just would have liked it more if it didn't feel like a morality tale scolding anyone who uses a cell phone and likes Beyoncé more than Queen Victoria. Like, I get that enough from EVERYWHERE ELSE, book. Ugh.
    • 3/5
      This is a fast read with a lot going for it. Mrs. Brown comes out of her quiet, brown life when she comes in contact with a timeless Oscar de la Renta dress while she is helping pack up the wardrobe of a local society grand dame. The author has been part of the fashion industry and comments critically on mistakes he feels designers make in ignoring important segments of the buying public. There are feel-good messages and experiences throughout the book.
    • 4/5
      Mrs Brown may be the cleaning lady at the local beauty shop, but she aspires to be considered graceful and proper in all things. Her model is the late Mrs Groton, a wealthy woman who annually opened her mansion’s gardens for the town’s Rose Festival. When Mrs Brown is called to volunteer to help inventory the contents of the deceased Mrs Groton’s mansion, she is awed, intimidated and ultimately inspired by a lone simple sheath dress with jacket she finds in a closet. She sets a goal to earn the money to buy the Oscar de la Renta classic, just like one that Jackie Kennedy once wore.This is a lovely, charming story of one woman’s quest, at once modest and outlandish, a goal that is not so that she can impress anyone else, but rather strictly for her own private reason. Mrs Brown’s genuine goodness and politeness serve her well. Despite being the target of mean-girl behavior at work, and some serious setbacks, she perseveres quietly and consistently. A few unlikely helpers also come her way – including an international supermodel and the PR director for Oscar de la Renta. It’s a wonderful fable, and I just love Mrs Brown. Norwich also has Mrs Groton’s former assistant give Mrs Brown a copy of a book - Mrs ‘Arris Goes to Paris. Well, if I hadn’t already picked up the similarities in Mrs Brown’s story to Paul Gallico’s 1958 novel, that certainly made it clear. But I’m not complaining. I’m glad Norwich gave such a public nod to the previous work.
    • 3/5
      My Mrs. Brown has been called a feel-good book for women of a certain age and I thought - well I'll just dip in and see if it's worth reading. Before I knew it, I was halfway through and only stopped reading when my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer. I finished it the next evening.

      The novel is a re-telling of the 1958 novel Mrs. 'Arris Goes To Paris by Paul Gallico and tells the story of a "woman of a certain age" in a small town in Rhode Island. Widow, Emilia Brown dresses sensibly, sewing her own clothes in browns and greys. She lives in a simple duplex and works as the cleaning lady for the local beauty salon. She looks forward to chatting each evening with her renter in the adjoining duplex - a daughter of a friend, who in her black goth outfits - startles the genteel Mrs. Brown on many subject areas, but eagerly seeks the older woman's wise counsel... "Everything is going to be okay in the end. And if it is not okay, it isn't the end."

      Mrs. Brown is a frugal, simple woman who admires the beautiful women around her but doesn't actually care about beauty for herself. Until the day she is helping inventory the estate of a recently deceased wealthy dowager and Mrs. Brown comes upon the dress, hanging in an almost empty closet: "Black and elegant, it is cap-sleeved with a single-button jacket made of the finest quality wool crepe. ...a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket, that she realizes, with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey about herself".

      Mrs. Brown is quite taken with its simple elegance, yet she can’t bring herself to touch it with her rough cleaning lady hands. The dress is simple, yet exquisitely tailored, lined with pure silk and costs more money than Mrs. Brown could ever afford. The dress is sent on to the auction house with the rest of the grand dame's valuables, but it awakens an "invincible spring" inside Mrs. Brown. "Sometimes a dress isn’t just a dress".

      She takes on extra cleaning jobs, skimps on her meals and starts saving for the dress - $7,000 --an extravagance that begins to define Mrs. Brown in ways she couldn’t imagine.

      The story of how Mrs. Brown gets the money and then journeys to New York City made me smile, and then grin -- the scene where she exits Penn Station and sees the New York City for the first time will resonate with anyone who remembers their first experience of that astounding and magnificent city.

      Once the story moves to New York City, I must confess, it becomes a bit contrived -- but in a good way, like reading Dickens -- a fairy tale for grown up women. Mrs. Brown encounters kindness and help on Seventh Avenue the fashion center of Ne York -- at first because she is carrying her mother's valuable hand-me-down vintage handbag and later, because everyone, including Oscar de la Renta himself, wants to help this quiet, drab lady achieve her dream. He tells her quietly

      "We've an expression on Seventh Avenue. It's music to most women's ears. 'I can get it for you wholesale,' and, Mrs. Brown", Oscar said, "if I can't get it for you wholesale, then we're in a lot of trouble around here."

      From then on, Mrs. Brown's story concludes towards the happy ending we hope for. The dress is procured and professionally altered to fit her perfectly, a new friend in New York City finds love -- even Mrs. Brown's life is back in her small town is changed- no her life is now charmed -- because she got the dress - her dress.

      Mr. Norwich (a fashion writer) has portrayed Mrs. Brown not only as a woman who is not yet past her prime, but as a true lady -- maintaining her strength, grace and dignity in a world where the Mrs. Browns are often disregarded.

      Most women have wished for such a dress, one which spoke to them, one which when possessed and worn could have a Cinderella affect.

      An unapologetically sweet story, not striving to be great literature, but rather to restore the reader's faith in kindness, goodness and grace. Definitely, a feel-good novel.
      A digital review copy was provided by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley.
      See all my reviews at Bookbarmy (dot)com
    • 4/5
      What a fantastic story! Emilia Brown is one of my favorite characters that I have encountered in literature. Mrs. Brown is a hardworking, kind woman who has not lived an easy life. While working an extra job to supplement her income, she develops an interest in a simple, classic black Oscar de la Renta suit. Her decision to save enough money to acquire this suit sets off a chain of events that made me both laugh and cry. Every lucky person who encounters Mrs. Brown is the better for it, and she leaves an impression that will not soon be forgotten. She proves that the power and impact of a kind and generous person is long lasting. I loved this book and have not stopped thinking about it since I finished it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this gem in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Ah, Mrs. Brown. You probably didn't notice her as she's quiet and modest and dresses plainly and sews and cleans up to make a small living. She's the kind of person that all the big lives run on, in short, the kind of person who relishes being good and kind and generous, the kind of person who never gets a headline or on the front page. And so her life goes on, day after day, the object of catty remarks at the beauty shop where she works, yet she continues on, never letting the cruelties of others hurt her. Then she sees the dress, a simple dress of great beauty, of meticulous construction, of fine craftsmanship, a dress that is everything Mrs. Brown wants to be. And it costs thousands and thousands of dollars. And Mrs. Brown is determined that she shall buy it.You never see a novel about a character like Mrs. Brown and that's the charm of this little novel. Mrs. Brown is an admirable character, and those who look past her drab appearance and menial job, those who really get to know her, those people are amazed to find what a wonderful person she is and are eager to share with the benefits of privilege with her.
    • 4/5
      This is a sweet little book about Mrs. Brown and her quest to save enough money and make her first trip into NYC to get her perfect dress. She is a quiet, hard-working woman of a certain age who has to work in her retirement. She helps to inventory the estate of a local wealthy woman and that is where she sees the dress that will change everything about her life. There are several things that happen that strain belief, but just roll with the story and enjoy a calming and enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      3.5 Mrs. Brown is an upstanding citizen, she is old fashioned, a throwback of stalwart personality. A strong work ethic, a keen sense of responsibility, makes do with little and outside of a few treats, she does not indulge. All this changes when she is called upon to help her friend from the thrift shop, go through the clothes of a recently departed society maven, and she falls in lobe with a dress from this woman's closet. It is an Oscar de la Renta and costs about seven thousand dollars, but it is something Mrs. Brown decides she must have.This is not a book I thought I would end up loving, not the type of book I would normally read, but there is humor, and there are hidden depths, more at stake than is first apparent. The writing itself seems old fashioned, simplistic almost too sweet at times. Keep seeing my Good read friend Irene, gnashing her teeth at the sentimentality. Yet, I fell in love with this character, loved reading about her day in New York City where she is a fish out of water, almost a modern day Cinderella story. Then the end and we find out what this wonderful woman was fighting for, something I did not expect. So yes, sweet, but oh so likable.ARC from publisher.