book review: keep your mouth shut and wear beige by kathleen gilles seidel

I adored Kathleen Gilles Seidel's A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity so much I read it in one sitting and promptly bought a copy for my mother to read too. I was rather excited to see she had a new book out, although I'm still not sure why I didn't hear about it when it was published last spring. Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige is a delightful novel told from the perspective of Darcy, a recently divorced ICU nurse and mother of two, a senior in college and a senior in high school. The book takes its title from the advice given to the mother of the groom: keep your mouth shut and wear beige.

Although the story is told from the perspective of Darcy, Kathleen Gilles Seidel does a masterful job of understanding the perspective and motivations for actions of each of the characters. This feat is not easy; the book is less than three hundred pages and there are a considerable number of major characters. Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige is funny, smart and touching; the characters are endearing. I'm desperately hoping for a sequel, or at least another novel from Kathleen Gilles Seidel soon. I'm about to delve into the more romantic novels of her past as a current substitute.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 4) - loved it!

Challenges: What's in a Name (body part), Support Your Local Library, 100+ Reading Challenge