The Gown
Perfect for fans of The Crown! An enthralling tale of making the Queen's wedding dress
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4.4 • 5 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Perfect for anyone who's captivated by The Crown, The Gown 'will dazzle and delight' (Independent)!
The Gown is an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century - Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it.
London, 1947: Besieged by a harsh winter, burdened by shortages and rationing, the people of post-war Britain are suffering despite their nation's recent victory. For Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell, a glimmer of brightness comes in the form of their unlikely friendship and being chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honour: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown.
Toronto, 2016: Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved nan, who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her nan's connection to the celebrated textile artist and Holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?
With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created to tell a story of women whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.
'Robson succeeds in creating a riveting drama of female friendship, of lives fully lived despite unbearable loss, and of the steadfast effort required to bring forth beauty after surviving war' Independent
'A great tale of female friendship' The People's Friend
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Robson (Moonlight over Paris) delivers a satisfying multigenerational epic linked by the intricate embroidery used on Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. In 1947 London, Ann Hughes works as an embroiderer at Hartnell, an exclusive clothing designer whose designs have been worn by the royals. Ann lost her brother during the Blitz and now lives with her widowed sister-in-law Milly. When French migr Miriam Dassin starts working as an embroiderer at Hartnell, she and Ann become friends, and she moves in with Ann after Milly leaves England to live in Canada with her brothers. After Hartnell is chosen as the designer for Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress, Ann and Miriam work on the dress's embroidery. The story jumps forward to 2016 Canada when journalist Heather Mackenzie's grandmother dies and leaves her a box with beautifully embroidered fabric. She had disclosed little of her life in England before emigrating to Canada, and Heather travels to London to uncover the secrets of her grandmother's life in London and her friendship with Miriam, now a celebrated artist. Robson's meticulous attention to historical details notably the intricacies of the embroidery work is a wonderful complement to the memorable stories of Ann and Miriam, making for a winning, heartwarming tale., Correction: this review originally misnamed a character.
Customer Reviews
The Gown
I loved the intimate portrayal of life behind the scenes in a famous London couturier’s salon. It was especially poignant because of the post war setting; a time of austerity, yet promise of a brighter future, because of the intense interest in the Royal Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding.
The humble lives of the seamstresses who worked so assiduously on the wedding gown reminded me of my own mother who was a talented seamstress and who lived at this time. I was named after the Queen and Princess Elizabeth, being born in the young Queen’s coronation year.
The only aspect of the novel I didn’t like was the fact that the two main female characters did not maintain contact when their lives took different paths.
However, it is a minor issue; I loved reading the book, becoming immersed in the lives of the fascinating characters.