For readers of Amy Bloom, Sarah Waters, and Anthony Doerr, The Dressmaker’s War is the story of a brilliant English seamstress taken prisoner in Germany during World War II: about her perseverance, the choices she makes to stay alive, and the haunting aftermath of war. London, 1939. Ada Vaughan is a young working-class woman with an unusual skill for dressmaking who dreams of opening her own … dreams of opening her own atelier. When she meets Stanislaus von Lieben, a Hungarian aristocrat, a new, better life seems to arrive. Stanislaus sweeps Ada off her feet and brings her to Paris. But when war breaks out and Stanislaus vanishes, Ada is abandoned and alone, trapped on an increasingly dangerous continent.
Taken prisoner by the Germans, Ada does everything she can to survive. In the bleak horror of wartime Germany, Ada’s skill for creating beauty and glamour is the one thing that keeps her safe. But after the war, attempting to rebuild her life in London, Ada finds that no one is interested in the messy truths of what happened to women like her. And though Ada thought she had left the war behind, her past eventually comes to light, with devastating consequences.
Gorgeously written and compulsively readable, The Dressmaker’s War introduces us to an unforgettable heroine—Ada Vaughan, a woman whose ambition for a better life ultimately comes at a heartbreaking cost.
Praise for The Dressmaker’s War
“Mary Chamberlain’s clear, bright prose is river-swift and Ada Vaughan is a character rich with beautiful, flawed humanity. This is a gripping story about limits and the haunting, brutal way they can be drawn and redrawn in war.”—Priya Parmar, author of Vanessa and Her Sister
“A thrilling story, brilliantly told—I couldn’t put it down. Ada Vaughan is a character to fall in love with: utterly real, flawed, and beguiling.”—Saskia Sarginson, author of The Twins and Without You
“I found myself completely swept up in this tale of love, ambition, and vanity.”—Juliet West, author of Before the Fall
“The Dressmaker’s War is a powerful and gripping tale of longings and dreams, and how a chance meeting that seems to offer the answers and more instead comes with devastating consequences. It’s a story about what a person will do and can do under force.”—Cecilia Ekbäck, author of Wolf Winter
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I couldn’t put the book down
Backdrop of WWII realistically portrayed
enjoyed every minute of it
This was a compelling story, but I didn’t like the direction it went at times, especially the ending.
Interesting, but uncompromisingly grim. I really disliked the main character because she was so stupid. She brought most of her troubles on herself and never learned anything.
The girl was in denial and I kept waiting for something, anything and got nada.
Very unique storyline. I enjoyed the author’s writing. Interested in reading more of this author’s books.
Another perspective on the tragedy of the Nazi experience of World War II. Well written and engaging even though adad story.
This book started with a bang. I couldn’t put it down, however towards the end it flopped.
A little thin but still this tragic story hit you in the gut waiting for a better resolution.
Kept hoping there would be some glimmer of “happy” in the book but never happened – true to life though and interesting to read and consider.
A view of the war that I had never seen in a novel. Very original and well written!
I knew nothing about this battle. Very interesting.
A bit of a twist at the end. Good Read.
Overall, I thought it was a very good read, hard to put down
The dressmaker never learned from her horrible mistakes. There were parts of this book that were good and parts that were not. It is not well written, the charecters are not outstanding people and the plot is not inspiring. I wanted this book to be better.
Unusual book expecting one ending but getting another.
Well written, an old setting with a different and compelling aspect. Memorable.
Ridiculous plot twist
I liked most of the book but thought the ending was predictable.