The Paris Seamstress
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4.2 • 215 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
How much will a young Parisian seamstress sacrifice to make her mark in the male-dominated world of 1940s New York fashion? From the author of A KISS FROM MR FITZGERALD and HER MOTHER'S SECRET.
1940. Parisian seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee France as the Germans advance. She is bound for Manhattan with a few francs, one suitcase, her sewing machine and a dream: to have her own atelier.
2015. Australian curator Fabienne Bissette attends the annual Met Gala for an exhibition of her grandmother's work - one of the world's leading designers of ready-to-wear clothing. But as Fabienne learns more about her grandmother's past, she uncovers a story of heartbreak and secrets - and the sacrifices made for love.
THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS is the beguiling, transporting story of the special relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter as they attempt to heal the heartache of the past.
'Lester deftly darts from Paris in 1941 to New York' The Australian Women's Weekly
'Lester brings bold, brave women to life' Herald Sun
'A gorgeously rich and romantic novel about young women finding their way in the world.' KATE FORSYTH
'This rich, memorable novel unfolds beautifully from start to finish.' Publishers Weekly
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Aussie author Natasha Lester sketches scenes of Manhattan in the '40s with a fashion designer's casually expert hand. Her sweet historical romance easily moves back and forth between the wartime story of aspiring dressmaker Estella and the present-day life of her granddaughter, Fabienne. The Paris Seamstress teases out its big reveal with a playful sense of melodrama that's a perfect match for Estella's burning ambition and Fabienne's yearning to understand her past.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lester whisks readers away to the past in this marvelous pair of intertwined romances. Fearing repercussions from the Germans for aiding the French resistance, seamstress Estella Bissette leaves Paris for New York in 1940. Once shipboard, she meets Sam, a talented American pattern cutter; after starting work in New York, Estella befriends Janie, a beautiful Australian model. Sam and Janie join Estella at a high-society party, where Estella shares a kiss with Alex Montrose, a British spy she'd met in Paris. But Estella discovers that Alex kissed her believing that she was Lena Shaw, a woman who looks exactly like Estella. Fast-forward to 2015 New York City, where Fabienne Bissette attends the annual Met Gala for an exhibit honoring her grandmother Estella, now a famed designer. At her grandmother's urging, Fabienne spends a weekend in Paris and meets Tiffany designer Will Ogilvie. Will and Fabienne fall in love, but their relationship is hampered by the distance between her home in Australia and his in New York. Their complicated romance is expertly juxtaposed against the story of Estella's life as she struggles to become successful and copes with the secrets her mother hid from her, including why she and Lena look so much alike. This rich, memorable novel unfolds beautifully from start to finish.
Customer Reviews
I loved it!
It was well written and you became absorbed into the lives of the characters.
Delightful
Two time lines that blend well together intertwining characters based on fact during WW2. A compelling story that opened my imagination into colours, costume & an era in fashion through words. I also had the pleasure to listen one evening in the local library to Natasha speak about her books, her methodical research & composition as well as using projected pictures. Paris, France came alive in the viewers eyes & her passion for writing. And here I am onto the next book in my library.
Bit too long
An epic story with a fascinating twist, however it takes far too long to get there!