Gallico's book, later re-titled Mrs 'Arris Goes to Paris, is one long caper devoted to the feeling of "IT!!" induced by the perfect item of clothing. The story is a simple one. The titular Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady living in 1950s London, finds herself bewitched by one of her clients' couture Dior gowns. It grips her to the point of obsession. She "want[s] it dreadfully… consumed by the fires of desire". Mrs Harris embarks on a long journey of scrimping, saving and scheming, hampered by ill-fated setbacks and helped by the odd stroke of luck, until she has enough to make the trip to Paris and purchase something equally beautiful for herself. On arrival the clash of worlds and social classes provides all the right conditions for a comic triumph against the odds, Mrs Harris becoming not so much the princess as the Fairy Godmother – her pragmatism and charm put to good use in sorting out the lives of those she meets.
