About the Author
Susan Gregg Gilmore was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1961. She began her writing career at the University of Virginia as a reporter for the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Cavalier Daily.
After graduating with a degree in history, she assumed a secretarial position with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. A year later, Gregg Gilmore entered graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Master of Arts in American Studies.
She married in 1985 and with her husband, Dan, raised three daughters all the while writing for newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor and the Chattanooga News-Free Press.
While on staff at the Free Press, Gregg Gilmore wrote a weekly column about parenting in the South.
Her first novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, is rooted in summer vacations spent with her paternal grandmother and grandfather, a revival-bred preacher, who after church on Sundays, always took his granddaughters to the Dairy Queen.
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen (Shaye Areheart Books/Crown/2008) was called a “stand-out coming of age novel” by NPR’s Alan Cheuse and was a Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) 2009 Book Award Nominee.
Her second novel, The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove (Shaye Areheart Books/Crown/2010), also reviewed on National Public Radio, was named a 2010 SIBA Summer OKRA Pick and selected as part of TARGET’s Emerging Author Program.
Gilmore currently lives in Chattanooga with her family and two dogs.
About the Book
I rarely describe a book as being “beautiful” but The Funeral Dress really is just that. It’s beautiful. It hits you hard, builds you up, and hugs your soul. Book Riot
With The Funeral Dress, Gilmore—a former Nashville resident who now lives in Chattanooga—does her finest work to date, perfectly capturing the rhythm and music of the small-town Southern vernacular… This is a simple, quiet story about family ties, life’s disappointments, the daily struggle it takes to persevere, and the ways women support one another when times are tough, especially in the hard work of child-rearing. It’s also a story about gifts: those Emmalee discovers in herself and those—like compassion and comfort—that her pain unexpectedly reveals in others. Chapter16.org
A tender, graceful novel that addresses questions of class and social isolation… Gilmore imbues her story with a deep compassion for the lives of the working poor while offering a vivid picture of factory life and the sense of community it inspired among its workers. Booklist
A young woman in Appalachia battles poverty, discrimination and her own insecurity in this moving and memorable novel…A revelatory novel that offers an evocative account of the lives of Appalachian working women. Kirkus
Beloved writer Susan Gregg Gilmore takes a huge leap forward with her new novel The Funeral Dress—that rare book which is not only a book club natural and a page-turning “great read,” but a stunning, serious literary work which ought to be up for every award out there. Its themes of rural poverty, class, and working women’s hard lives are balanced by the bonds of community and love. The Funeral Dress is a lovely, memorable novel. So go ahead and buy two copies—one for yourself, and one for your best friend. Lee Smith, author of Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger
This story of a young female textile worker encountering adversity in a small southern town reveals the remarkable power of friendship, community, and the gift of sewing. A vivid tribute to the efforts of a courageous band of sisters. Rachel Simon, author of The Story Of Beautiful Girl and Riding The Bus With My Sister
Susan Gregg Gilmore’s The Funeral Dress is a rare and wonderful glimpse into lives and friendships among blue collar working women in America. Fannie Flagg, author of Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven
(from www.susangregggilmore.com)