One of the most anticipated reads from InStyle, HelloGiggles, Hypable, Bookbub, and Bookriot!
One of Real Simple’s Best Historical Fiction novels of the year!
“The Gown is marvelous and moving, a vivid portrait of female self-reliance in a world racked by the cost of war.”–Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
From the internationally bestselling author of … Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
From the internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France comes 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.
“Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.”
—Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding
London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.
Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman 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. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.
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Subtitled, A Novel of the Royal Wedding, Jenifer Robson’s novel The Gown imagines the women who embroidered Princess Elizabeth’s 1947 wedding gown.
Heather is surprised when she inherits samples of embroidery from her grandmother. She had no idea her grandmother could do such beautiful work. Discovering that the samples match the embroidery on Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown, Heather goes on a quest to resurrect her beloved grandmother’s buried past.
Alternating chapters tell Heather’s story and that of her grandmother Anne and her friend Miriam Dassin. The reader is returned to 1947 London and the lingering effects of the war. Patriotism and support for the royal family were at a high and the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth filled the people with expectation, brightening the country with joy.
The winning wedding gown design went to Paul Hartnell, a favorite designer of the queen. The women created the elaborate applique and embroidery under strict orders to not talk about their work.
Ann Hughes as a lead embroiderer when Miriam Dassin is hired and put under Ann’s tutelage. Miriam worked for a prestigious French fashion house before Germany took over her country. The women become roommates and fast friends. Miriam holds her past and Jewish heritage a close secret.
One fatal night Ann and Miriam join their coworkers at a dance where they meet the men who would change their lives–for better or worse.
I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the actual work process of appliqueing the satin on the tulle.
Ann holds Harnell’s pattern to the window and traces the design onto a piece of onionskin paper. She then cut the design out and aligns it with the drawing to check it is true. The pattern is placed on the satin fabric and using a needle with its blunt end set into a cork, Ann punches the needle into the fabric along the edge of the pattern piece, the needle separating the weave of the satin to mark the perimeter. With sharp scissors, Anne cuts along the perforated lines to make the applique shape. To attach the applique to the tulle she needle-turned the edges, the tip of the needle turning under the edge of the shape, and with tiny stitches and silk thread, sews it into place onto the silk tulle. After the applique was completed, the embroidery with pearls and beads and diamonds began.
As a needle-turn appliquer, I am familiar with the process. Thankfully, I work with easier materials.
Silk thread is fine and results in near-invisible applique stitches, but it is challenging to work with. It is so fine I can hardly see it and it easily slips out of the needle eye. The satin used for the gown has a dense weave but was resistant to taking a crease. So she could not prepare the applique shapes with one of the many methods I use, resorting to needle-turn. This means using the tip of the needle to turn under the very edge of the shape, working in extremely small increments. The seamstress must be careful not to fray the edge of the applique shape, rolling threads under to be caught.
Using tulle as an applique base is also difficult. I am used to a woven fabric as an applique base and the needle gently separates the threads. But tulle is not a densely woven fabric, but a net or mesh fabric. The openings in the tulle gives the needles less to anchor to. I tried to applique on nylon tulle and could not get a smooth edge to the applique!
Not only where these materials challenging to work with, but the physical demands of the work had to be exhausting. The eye strain from hours of close work, the fabrics and threads all the same color, the reaching to work on a tambour frame, I can imagine the resulting muscle and joint pain!
That the ensemble was completed in such a short time is amazing.
The novel will appeal to readers of historical fiction and women’s fiction, Anglophiles, and anyone interested in fashion history.
I won a book from the Book Club Cookbook.
It’s rare for me to read a book that is so new, but this one shot right to the top of my want-to-read list the moment I first learned of it. I am a sucker for historical fiction, and after being so invested in the Netflix show The Crown, I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on this.
What I liked about “The Gown”:
Miriam’s story – Her character had so much depth. And despite her understandably closed-off nature, I felt like I still really got to know her as the book progressed. Both sad and triumphant, Miriam’s resilience made me excited each time her character’s chapters cycled around.
A unique story to tell – This wasn’t a topic I have ever encountered before, so its perspective was fresh. The time period (Britain in the 1940s). The view from the vantage point of the fashion industry in a pivotal time. The way the present-day character Heather was woven into the story told by the historical parts (she was more of a vehicle, though, I felt, to finish telling Ann’s and Miriam’s stories, not that this is a bad thing). The consideration given to the French Jews during and post-WWII. These were all angles I haven’t encountered in historical fiction to this point, so I really enjoyed these aspects.
There was love but this wasn’t a romance – The parts of the book that involved falling in love were truly not the centerpiece of the story. They felt natural and organic, true to the time and the characters, but they were never the point of telling the story. The story remained about two girls, their lives as they intersected over the wedding gown, and the trajectory of their lives from that point forward.
The way the shift was handled between past and present – Sometimes this gets disorderly and confusing, no matter how well the chapters are labeled. Timelines get muddled and I feel like I’m spending more energy figuring out when and where I am than on the story being revealed. That is not the case here. The rotation between chapters told by Ann, by Miriam, and by Heather made sense in the forward motion of the story, and I always felt like there was a clear voice for each of them.
What I didn’t care for:
Ann – I should be clear. I didn’t dislike Ann, herself, so much as I felt like I never really got to know her. Miriam’s character was so well-developed that I felt like Ann fell a bit short for me. I *wanted* to know her but it just never really got there for me. Why it eventually bothered me that I didn’t get there is that at a point in her story where I knew I should feel a lot of things for her, I merely felt disconnected. That made me sad. I wanted more from Ann’s character.
Run-on sentences – I am capable of putting together some epic-length sentences. I try not to but sometimes it happens. So there’s some context for me saying run-on sentences were an issue. I started to get distracted by counting the number of times ‘and’ would appear in a single sentence, and let’s be honest, that’s not what I want out of reading a book. I could see clear demarcations where new sentences could have been started. It wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me, since I obviously gave it four stars but it was enough I felt compelled to mention it and I never forgot that I wanted to.
All in all, there was so much I loved about “The Gown” that the two “negatives” I had never made me consider it more of a three than a four. This was the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Robson, and I already have more on my to-read list.
Jennifer Robson has written a heartfelt story of two women who created the handstitched elaborate embroidery pieces which adorned Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown and veil. I loved that the author chose to tell the story from the embroiderer’s perspective. In my opinion, this decision made a great story an excellent read because I could relate to the characters and their journeys.
The Gown has a dual storyline. Miriam and Ann’s story begins during the bone chilling winter of 1947. Heather MacKenzie is Ann’s grand daughter and her piece is set in 2016, shortly after Ann’s death. Heather finds several pieces of embroidery work in her grandmother’s things. Heather’s journey shines new light on Ann’s life and her relationship with the now famous artist, Miriam.
Ann Hughes is lucky. She has a position as an embroiderer at Hartnells, the Queen’s favorite dress designer, and shares a house with her widowed sister-in-law Milly. Ann and Milly shared a special bond and they supported each other through the dark days of the war. Ration coupons for food and clothes were a way of life for these women. They couldn’t buy a new pair of winter boots-they had to wait for a swap meeting. Dinners were simple and tea bags were reused due to the food shortages.
Miriam Dassin is my favorite character in the story. A Holocaust survivor, she is determined to work in a fashion house in London. She lands a position at Hartnells where she meets Ann. Miriam and Ann are chosen to embroider the intricate bead work on Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown and veil. The reader learns of the hardships and constant fear Miriam endured during the war through her conversations with Ann and Walter Kaczmarek. Ann encourages Miriam to tell her story and provides her with material so Miriam can embroider her memories. This simple gesture of kindness enables Miriam to record her life.
Princess Elizabeth’s wedding was the first royal event after the war. The wedding gave the English people something positive to focus on after years of shortages, rations and a poor economy. The bridal gown and its detailed embroidery work were kept secret which added to the anticipation of the wedding. Loved that the author included details of the dress; the silk, the tulle, the pearls and the beading as it added to the feel of the story.
The Gown is a story of friendship, the importance of friendship. Ann’s friends share clothes, shoes, and stockings with her when she has a date. Walter offers Miriam friendship and love as he listens to her story. Woman supported each other during the difficult years before and after the war. Heather’s journey enables her to better understand her grandmother and provides her with love and hope for the future.
Jennifer Robson has provided the reader with a behind the scenes look at Princess Elizabeth’s wedding. This story of friendship, love and hope has all the feels; it is rich in detail, has endearing characters and has an amazing, emotional storyline. I can’t wait to read the author’s next book.
If you are a fan of The Crown or Downton Abbey—this is the book for you.
A sweet story based on a dressmaker who helped with Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown, at times over the top and at other times simplistic but a tantalizing plot.
Loved it
Exceptional literature and most informative..It was a moving tribute to the women who sewed Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown. I felt that I had had the privilege of joining them on the journey to produce by hand an incredible “gown”!
Jennifer Robson has written a gem of a story in The Gown.
Yes it is a novel of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress but it so much more than that. It is the people behind the scenes , those that made the dress.
It is primarily about 3 people, Ann, Miriam and in current day Heather.
The Gown was a fascinating story in post war England.
This usually isn’t the gendre that I read but I can tell you this book pulled me in, loved the characters, rooted for them.
Please take time to read the author’s note and the interview with Betsy Foster who was one of 4 seamstresses to work on The Gown
This was my first Jennifer Robson book but it wont be me last.
A wonderful and possibly could be true. I loved the interaction of the women. Also the true facts of the making of the dress.
I loved this book. A look into the world of the people who labored under the famous designer Hartnell and embroidered the Queens wedding gown. Inspirational.
I really enjoyed the connection between past and present. The details of life after the war, and fashion at that time were interesting.
Truly a beautiful, moving story of the women that worked on Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown.
The story focuses on 3 young women, two in the 40s that are working on the gown, Ann and Miriam and one in present time, Heather who is Ann’s granddaughter.
I found the book hard to put down and very immersive. I felt in the moment with the story. Loved all the details of how one embroiders a wedding dress and the many hours of hard work that goes into it.
I would recommend this book to all that love historical fiction.
Jennifer Robson was written a beautiful story of the ladies that created Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown. I have always been fascinated by the monarchy and loved reading The Gown. The story is told from three viewpoints. In 1947, Ann and Miriam are young embroiderers and have been chosen to work on Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown. There is a bit of intrigue as the details of the gown are top secret and the press is constantly hounding them for details. As the story unfolds, we learn more about Ann and Miriam’s history. In 2016, Heather travels to London in the hopes of discovering more about her late grandmother. Jennifer Robson does a marvelous job of weaving an unforgettable story and giving us a peek behind the scenes of the creation of this beautiful gown!
Embroidering a magical moment in royal history, Robson tells a heartrending story of friendship, loss, love, and redemption.
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Gown” by Jennifer Robson
Kudos to Jennifer Robson, Author of “The Gown” for vividly writing and describing the enchanting, emotional, exciting, heartbreaking, enthralling and intriguing novel about one of the most famous Royal wedding dresses in history and the workers who created it. The Genres for this story are Historical Fiction, and Romance. The timelines for this story are in the past after World War Two, and in the present. The story goes further in the past only when it pertains to the characters in the events in the stories.The story takes place in England, France, Canada, and the United States. The author describes her colorful characters as hardworking, creative, complex and complicated perhaps to the events in history.
In 2016, in Toronto, Heather Mackenzie is left some material with exquisite embroidered flowers in an envelope addressed to her from her late grandmother, Nan. Heather has no idea what they mean. They appear to be at least 70 years old, and possibly have something to do that was part of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown. After viewing some pictures of Nan, and some friends from years ago, Heather wants the opportunity to go to London to learn what Nan’s live was like. Nan was a quiet woman, and never shared many parts of her life.
When Heather is in London she is trying to find former friends and acquaintances of her grandmother. Heather realizes that there is a huge connection with the famous textile artist Miriam Dassin, a holocaust survivor, and her grandmother.
In 1947, Ann Hughes (Nan) and Miriam Dassin feel lucky to be working as embroiderers for the fashion house of Norman Hartnell. In London, it is a cruel cold winter with shortages of fuel, food and many items. After World War Two, England is still trying to recover as most of the world is. Norman Hartnell is known for making gowns for the Royal family. There is a huge fascination with the royal family. Ann and Miriam are living in Ann’s house and go to work together, and become the closet of friends.. Miriam has an exceptional artistic talent and Ann encourages her. Miriam also has deep dark secrets and guilt.
When Princess Elizabeth gets engaged at the young age of 21, Norman Hartnell as well as his employees are hoping that they get to design the wedding gown. When Norman Hartnell and staff get to do the gown, extreme measures of secrecy are put in place. Newspapers and journalist are trying to get information on the royal wedding gown. Unscrupulous people are willing to pay a fortune to get information about the gown to make money. These are still desperate and dangerous times.
The “Gown” represents to many of the workers hope, and faith and love. What does Heather learn about her grandmother and Miriam Dassin’s relationship? Why has Nan been so secretive about her life? How does this tie into the making of the most famous gown in history?
The author is an amazing storyteller, and the details of how hard it was for the workers getting the materials, and making the designs was so intriguing. I would recommend this book for readers that love the genre of Historical Fiction.
If you like books about strong female friendships and/or British royalty (especially an interest in the wedding gowns worn by Diana, Kate, and Meghan) this is the book for you.
It is 1947 and Princess Elizabeth is to marry Prince Philip. Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin are embroiderers for Norman Hartnell, designer for the royal family. Ann is alone after her brother is killed in the war and her sister-in-law moves to Canada. Ann becomes friends with Miriam, the mysterious new French girl at work and invites her to be her roommate. Miriam Dassin eventually reveals that she is Jewish and was imprisoned at Ravensbruck.
Toronto, 2016 – Heather Mackenzie is saddened over the death of her grandmother “Nan”. While going through her grandmother’s effects a box marked “To Heather” is found. Inside are three lovely embroidered pieces and a photo of some women gathered around a sewing frame. Heather realizes that neither she nor her mother know anything about Nan’s life before she came to Canada. They uncover a few more photos that reveal that Nan had apparently been friends with the well-known embroiderer Miriam Dassin. Thus begins Heather’s quest to learn about Nan and her secretive past.
I thoroughly loved this book. The characters emerged from the written page and came to life as I read. While being eager to get to each new chapter I also was compelled to set aside the book to look up elements from the story – close up photos of the actual wedding gown, other dresses designed by Norman Hartnell, the Chulily sculpture mentioned in the book. I could envision myself there in Hartnell’s workroom with the drawings and sketches pinned to the walls and fabric everywhere. The book has romance, it has villainy and glamour, but above all it has an amazing bond between two women. The premise of the book is well stated in a paraphrase from Heather: The story is about the gown and what it was like to create a wedding gown for a princess – and how it felt to receive no acknowledgement for their work.
This book filled me with a warmth and a sense of completion – a feeling of “this is how it should be”. There is so much more I would love to write about this book but I don’t want to give away too much of a story that you just must read for yourself.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and one in which will keep you interested as well as intrigued.
Art can be brought to us in many forms whether it be through paintings, pottery, music and yes….embroidery, which is the basis of this narrative.
The Gown, a story of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown and Royal Wedding, is brimming with the wonderful women of the Hartnell fashion house who sacrifice themselves with their due-diligence in making this special day a fascination of talent with their intricate, pain staking detail too fashion.
Jennifer Robson weaves a marvelous story between the time period of 1947 London, to 2016 Toronto, with characters who are well developed and whom you’ll grow to love with their resilience and dedication to those they are close to, too themselves and to the most anticipated gown of its time.
A story with a voice, family secrets and life itself will keep you turning the pages with anticipation.
This wonderful new book by Jennifer Robson is a dual time line historical fiction novel about the wedding gown worn by Princess Elizabeth in 1947. The book is about so much more than the wedding gown – it’s about the friendship between two women who helped to make the dress and how their friendship helped them both survive.
The first time period in the novel is 1947 in London. The war is over but there are still shortages of food and coal. Ann loves her job as an embroiderer at a fashion house and when a new woman arrives from France, Ann and Miriam become friends and share a house. Despite their friendship, Miriam is not able to share what happened to her in France during the war. Ann and Miriam are both chosen to embroider the wedding gown which was a great honor in their dreary lives. The wedding was very exciting for the British – it represented Britain coming out of the bad years of the war.
The second time period is modern day in Canada, when Heather’s beloved grandmother dies and leaves her some embroidered flowers. Heather knows nothing of her grandmother’s life in England so goes on a search to find out more about her grandmother’s early years. As she learns more about her grandmother and her work on the royal wedding dress, she is drawn to an artist who knew her grandmother and shares past history with her.
This wonderfully researched novel was very interesting on several levels. I had never given much thought to the amount of work that would go into a gown like this and I found it very interesting to learn about. Along with that was the wonderful friendship between Ann and Miriam that lasted throughout the years and was so crucial to the survival of both of them.
Thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.