Allen & Unwin, 2013 pbk, 388p. in as-new condition

Megan (`GoGo') Sligo runs her own business (Megan Sligo Mending and Alterations) from the home she shares with her husband Art in Auckland. On 20 February 1998, two separate things happen. First, the power goes out in that part of Auckland - an outage that lasts for five weeks, and secondly, an Irish dancing dress is bought to Megan for repair. The dress is a family heirloom, and three people have an interest in it: Trisha, who bought the dress to Megan, Shane (Trisha's lover), and his wife, Milly.

Now, Megan has been repairing clothes for a while, and she's heard a good many stories (and excuses) as to how clothing is ripped and torn. And she knows, as she makes repairs, that she is helping people cover their transgressions. But there's something about this dress and the people involved that draws and then keeps her attention.

It is Shane who comes to collect the dress. Shane returns a number of times as Megan draws out repairing the dress, and a friendship develops. Megan's life has its own set of complications, and learning more about Shane's life in Ireland and the history of the dress develops its own momentum. But, all good things come to an end. Dress repairs can't take forever; neither does the Auckland power outage or Shane's stories of the past. And, finally, Megan's relationship with her husband and his family has changed during the course of this five week period. Will Megan's marriage to Art survive?