Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie’s past are brought to light.In 1946, Millie Middleton–the daughter of an Italian man and a black woman–boarded a train … train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they’ve both dreamed of. But it’s not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.
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Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for an advance readers’ digital copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written dual timeline novel that told the story of Millie Middleton, from her life as a young girl through her nineties. The multi-generational novel alternated from current day back to the 1940s and blended Millie’s story with the hopes and dreams of young Harper Albright. Both women are talented designers with exceptional sewing skills, and both have dreams of owning a dress shop. They met when Millie taught Harper how to sew when she was just a youngster.
Millie’s secrets are embedded into the novel via two special one-of-a-kind buttons, family heirlooms that end up providing connections and revealing family relationships.
This engrossing debut novel contains themes of faith, family, difficult choices, following your dreams, fashion and sewing, architecture, southern history/racism, and a bit of romance, too.
I have read many nice little clean romance stories and that was what I expected this book to be–a sweet Christian romance set in the magical towns of Charleston, SC and Fairhope, AL– but it was way more; it was literature. It is the story of several generations of bi-racial women in the Deep South. There were many heart-breaking moments especially at the beginning of the book but, as I continued to read, themes of hope and redemption broke through. The only thing I would change about the book is that I would like more at the end of the book–more of the “happy” and more of the love between two of the main characters. Perhaps we will see those things in the sequel that is hinted at in the notes at the end of the book. I loved The Dress Shop on King Street and can’t wait to gift copies to my daughter and sister. Highly recommend!
It has been my great good fortune to read several wonderful debut novels this year, and one of those is The Dress Shop on King Street.
Ashley Clark has woven together a powerful time slip novel that is just completely mesmerizing. Rich, full, and totally compelling, she breathes life into the characters on these pages as the reader is caught up in their struggles, heartaches, and joys. I was just captivated the entire book. These folks dug deep into my heart. This was a very well written and stunning debut! I am very much looking forward to Clark’s next offering. Highly recommended.
My thanks to Bethany House Publishing for a copy of this book. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is expressly my own.
“How could a heritage half-denied bring a life fully lived?”
The Dress Shop on King Street is a fascinating story about two women whose lives are intertwined in ways they never imagined. It’s hard to believe this skillfully crafted time-slip novel is Ashley Clark’s debut!
Although they share a love of dressmaking, Millie and Harper are different in many ways. Living in the South in the 1940s, Millie was able to pass as white but struggled with feeling like she was abandoning her heritage. In the present day, Harper is facing rejection of a different kind – in her education and career. When she and Millie decide to open a dress shop together, pursuing their shared dream brings them both healing and new relationships they didn’t expect. Peter was a kind, endearing hero to both Millie and Harper. I really enjoyed seeing how all the threads of the different timelines and characters came together in the end!
One of the hallmarks of a great novel is relatable characters, even when their experiences are so different from your own. Those kinds of stories remind us of the humanity we share, and that was definitely the case in this book! This story of second chances, forgotten dreams, and sacrificial love will stick with you long after the last page. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series in May 2021!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A Story To Be Savored
This is a generational story to be savored. The author truly captures the different eras; the fears, ambition, desperation. Mostly, the helping hands that brought up one generation after another, each doing a bit better than the last. Striving to achieve our dreams, passing dreams on, helping others achieve their dreams are all part of who we are. This is an American story lived by all heritages, colors, and faiths. I love this story. It is so in tune with the stories I was told by my parents and grandparents. Our times may be different, but our emotions are the same. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
The Dress shop on King Street is Millie’s journey back to those early days when life seemed to be full of dreams of owning her own dress shop. An excellent seamstress, she longed to create beautiful fashions in her own shop. Fate and circumstances changed her life forever when she left Charleston for Fairhope Alabama. Along the way, she met her wonderful husband and began a life that may have seemed temporary at first, just until she was able to open that dress shop. Then, after the birth of her daughters, she begins to straddle two worlds. As the story unfolds, so to does a mystery of Millie’s true identity and links to a past that she was finally ready to rediscover.
Millie is a wonderful character and this reader wanted to learn more about her. Ashley Clark has captured the spirit of a woman who led a very private life because of the circumstances of her birth. Mysterious and beautiful, accomplished and shy. She held secrets in her heart, yet her husband loved her for who she truly was. Her signature red hat was her trademark companion over decades that brought love, pain and changes in a world that was very different than that day in 1946 when she was looking into that dress shop on King street. I enjoyed reading this book and thank #BethanyHouse and #netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest revie
This is the first of a duology centering around two heroines, alternating between various timelines and southern locales.
Millie is a biracial nonagenarian with a lifelong struggle to remain true to herself and her proud history(ies) and to reconcile the choices she’s had to make along the way and the dream she’s had to sideline. Harper is a young modern woman searching for her true vocation in life after her dream is also sidelined.
Although I found this a bit of a slow starter, I connected with both the heart rending poignancy and the unflinching truth of how Millie lived with the intolerance of others yet stayed proud of her dual cultural inheritance and clung to her faith, especially during some of the most dangerous periods for racial diversity in our history.
And while there were reaches of believability in coincidences (this IS a fictional novel), it was a solid, enlightening story, especially as a debut.
Much thanks to both #NetGalley and #BethanyHouse for providing me the ARC. The opinions are wholly my own.
4.5 stars
“Harper, have you ever considered whether fear – rather than your dream – is what you’re holding onto?”
Possibly. But wasn’t that what her entire world had been surrounded by lately? . . . . the “possibly” that had suddenly and most cruelly morphed into impossibly? Her dreams had vanished, like the wisp of a cloud, beautiful and fluffy one moment and gone the next, driven by the winds of change and the storms of years that felt wasted. Fashion design had been her passion for so long that Harper Dupree didn’t know who she was without it. . . . until she travels back to where it all began, or rather to the “who”, the woman who brightened a little girl’s days with sewing lessons in her kitchen.
Millie Middleton had so many secrets tucked under her red cloche that she could fill the shelves of a small library with their stories. So many dreams, so many possibilities, so many unexpected sacrifices, so many . . . . As a young woman, leaving the life she knew for one that loomed before her with unfathomable depth, she met the love of her life, birthed two beautiful daughters, and found herself alone again with the same dream . . . . . a dress shop on King Street. When the all-grown-up version of Harper arrives on her doorstep yet again, the two of them decide to give fashion another chance, giving Millie’s sewn-up-tight secrets a prime opportunity to burst their seams wide open into a kaleidoscope of success for Harper, along with a handsome young Charleston historian named Peter , “who has always been interested in the stories behind the walls”.
Rarely does a debut novel evoke such deep emotion. Layered as softly and elegantly as one of Harper’s vintage gowns, this story exposes the necessary authenticity needed to manage grief, endure broken dreams, and cherish forever loves and then . . . . dare to move forward with hope. As Harper’s wise father said on more than one occasion, “No matter how long it takes, Harper Rae, when your Jubilee tide comes in, make sure your nets are good and ready”. The book’s remarkable strength is not only in the ability these characters have to rise above the ashes, but in the confidence they inspire us to have in the One who is “the author of your (our) story, and where He calls, He equips”. Such a lovely reading experience; enjoy every page!
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. I also purchased a copy. The opinions stated above are entirely own.
I love timeslips because they give you the best of both worlds – a little contemporary and a little historical. Many times when I read a time slip, I end up liking one story more than the other. In this case, I was equally enthralled by both. Honestly, because Harper and Millie’s stories are so intertwined in the contemporary part of the novel, I almost felt like this was more of Millie’s life story.
Millie and Franklin’s story was equally as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. Several times while reading their story, it kind of broke my heart. After I read the authors note in the back of the book, my heart really did feel broken. While I loved their relationship, there was one thing I wish Millie would’ve handled a bit differently even though I understood that, for her, it seemed like the only choice. There was also a life changing decision that I wish both her and Franklin would’ve somehow been able to come to a different conclusion for because of the many lives it affected.
The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark is a story that will definitely touch your heart and one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Your family heritage can be an exciting adventure to explore. . .unless your heritage is mixed race at a time when that heritage can be dangerous to admit. Millie Middleton is conflicted. She has a dream, to open her own dress shop, but as a woman whose mixed racial heritage will stand in her way as long as she lives in Charleston. When she leaves town and meets a young man on the train, it appears she may have a chance to fulfill her dreams. Or not.
Harper Dupree also has a dream, to be a dress designer, but when her dream is dashed, she returns home and reunites with the woman who taught her to dew and to dream. Can they work together to accomplish both their dreams?
This is a complex story that weaves between several timelines/time periods. I found myself having to take notes as to who was when and what they were doing, but once I got it straight in my mind, I found the story compelling. I remember the racial issues of the 50s and 60s, but only from the distance of California. Reading about it from the point of view of Southern characters really brought it home to me. This would be an excellent read for a book club because there are so many topics that could be discussed.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley. The opinion is my own.
With a refreshing new voice, Ashley Clark’s debut novel is sure to win the hearts of many readers. This dual timeline story of long buried secrets coming full circle is one of my favorite story tropes that never grows old. Especially when such dazzling characters come to life and populate the pages, their stories tugging at my heart. Ms. Clark has designed a heroine who faced a moral dilemma and was haunted by a choice that would affect those she loved for generations. Her prose is melodic, rich with images that transported me to another place and time, holding me captive. Laced within is a wonderful faith thread that will resound with readers. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I just loved this book. It was written non-linear in time and person, but very well done. This dealt with being black in the early and mid-1900s. The characters were very well developed. The story kept my interest and had nice twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing.
The story is Christian, but not at all in a preachy way. In fact, you really don’t know it’s Christian until the end. It is a clean, well-written book.
Editing is very important to me and this is very well done.
This is Ashley Clark’s first book.
I highly recommend this book and give it a strong 4 out of 5-star rating.
The Dress Shop on Kings Street
Ashley Clark
*”God’s timing don’t always match ours, and that’s okay.”*
Oh if I had a penny for every line I quoted in this book I’d be 1k times more richer because this book was thaaaaaaat good and people who know me will know how I work but new followers be warned that when I love something I gush and fangirl about it a lot and this will be one of the books that will stay in my heart for a very long time
Giving up dreams is easier showing all the reasons why you can’t do it but oh the result is so worth it and this story is all about fulfilling your dreams and to say that I was inspired and touched is an understatement. Dreams are worth the pursuit and time you spend on it, just because ten doors slam in your face or just because you’ve preached twice dry bones don’t come to life it all comes together when God breathes life into it and makes our dreams reality
This novel does not follow a linear narrative or a chronological order but the story is told as a series of episodes or scenes that flip from the past to present depending upon Millie’s nostalgia and surrounding occurance. The scenes being moved from past to present in a constant swing it still flows like a river and bends and twists and I love that in a book being unpredictable and with many plot twists!!
The book starts with Millie as a teen who has to move away from her mama just because she told Harry that her grandma was sold as a slave long back and yeah also she’s partially black not so much in color but of race. She goes to Alabama as her mom said and lives her life forgoing her dream to own a dress shop one day, she’s wealthy alright but with an unfinished business.
Harper Rae is a beautiful young girl with dreams and she’s ready to take on the world with her vintage dresses but not everyone sees the diamond in the rough right so leaving all hopes of starting up a dress shop she runs to Fairhope to her father who is the man who is her rock throughout the novel.
Peter is a historian who is addicted to history and digs deep till he finds what he wants and now after years of searching he’s finally found a heirloom from his mother’s family side and wants to know more and when one domino falls the other falls into place right,….. Yeah not really
This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster at the last hundred pages because of its brilliance and the way the author has used scripture from the Bible and linked with the characters was simply……. Oh I don’t even have a worthy enough word for it!
If you ask me if this book is worth your time? Is the writing good? Are the characters faulty and humane? Is it a real story?
YES to all of the above!!!
And yes it’s kinda a historic fiction and surprisingly I loved it because history and me don’t have a very good relationship but this book was the BOOK and I’m gonna be waiting with bated breath for “PAINT & NECTAR” Book 2 of the series
From beginning to end this book is a page-turner, and you will not be disappointed.
Millie is a spunky young woman when this story begins and we follow her into her 90’s, and what a life she has had. Not many could have withstood the heart aches, but she has hung in there, and we journey with her in deep south Alabama. Hate and prejudice abounds here, but how she deals with it, such grace and a few chuckles.
Millie’s heart desire is to open a dress shop and she has a kindred spirit in Harper, a young woman she has know from Harper’s childhood on.
There are surprises here, and how the facts unfold, we don’t get to see the justice that should have happened, but we get to know Millie.
This is an eye opening, heart wrenching read, that you don’t want to miss.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.
What a beautifully written, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heartwarming story beginning in Charleston, SC in 1860 when Rose prepares to send her 9 year old daughter, Ashley, to be sold as a slave. She sends a bag with her which contains some pecans, a cut off braid of her hair and 2 matching butterfly buttons. The story fast forwards to downtown Charleston 1946 where Millicent “Millie” Middleton whose mother is Black and her father is Italian realizes that she can pass for white. Millie’s father is killed because he married a Black woman and her mother encourages her to leave Charleston and head to Alabama where maybe she can fulfill her dreams of having a dressmaking shop if she passes for white. Millie is torn with this idea as she is very proud of her Black heritage. When Millie is on the train, she sees a young man hopping the train and he eventually ends up in the train where they meet. The dual timeline begins in Charleston 1946 to Fairhope, Alabama modern day and then as the years pass and secrets are revealed ends up in modern day. I was fascinated with both timelines and all the very interesting characters and their secrets.
Thank you NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the ARC of this wonderful book that captured my heart in exchange for an honest review. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series by Author Ashley Clark.
This is a beautifully written story about Millie, a biracial child growing up in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1940-50s. Her Italian father was murdered because he was the father to this beautiful child. This story went back and forth between those challenging years for people of color to the present time. As Millie grew into a lovely young woman, her mother sent her away where she would have a chance for a better life, and fulfill her dream of opening a dress shop. She sent Millie off on a train with a satchel that was a family heirloom containing 3 handfuls of nuts, a braid cut from the mother’s hair, and some very special buttons passed down from generations before.. While on the train, Millie observed from the window, a “train jumper” who ended up on the train when most eyes were looking outside at a disturbance on the other side of the train.. Franklin, the jumper, a handsome young white man, sat right down next to Millie.
Moving on to the present, Harper, having just graduated from a prestigious design school in Savannah, is enthusiastic about finally having her dream come true.since she was a young girl of having her own dress shop. Her dream is quickly shot-down when she turns in her final senior project, a beautiful vintage dress.. The comment that the dress could be found at any Anthropologie store killed her dream and her confidence in herself.
This is Ashley Clark’s debut book and what a lovely story it is.. She brings together the different generations and time together beautifully, as well as the past and present relationship of Millie and Harper. Not wanting to give away any spoilers, I’m not going into too much of the story. I do however, highly recommend this heartfelt, beautiful book.
The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark is a great historical fiction novel that is the first in a series titled: Heirloom Secrets. It is a wonderful dual timeline story that weaves together the separate stories of two women: Harper and Millie and weaves those heartfelt stories together seamlessly to create a memorable story full of love, loss, heartbreak, lost chances, new beginnings, second chances, overcoming obstacles and hurdles, and finding hope and faith against it all.
There were wonderful secrets and mysteries sprinkled throughout the storylines that added a wonderful touch and complexity to a great, memorable story that will stick with me for a long time. This is the first book that I have read from this author, and if the future works from her are anything as excellent as this story, we are in for a real treat.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
The Dress Shop on King Street is the first book in author Ashley Clark’s Heirloom Secrets series. This time slip novel is filled with deep emotion, heartbreaking moments, and hope for the future. Ashley Clark intricately weaves the past and present together in this compelling tale of following our dreams, while incorporating beautiful messages of God’s faithfulness and purpose in our lives.
The Dress Shop on King Street focuses on the present-day storyline and the historical storyline beginning in 1946. However, the brief glimpse back to 1860 in Charleston completely broke my heart, with the anguish that Rose, a young slave and mother, experienced. In 1946, dark moments in the past led to the difficult decision of hiding part of her heritage as Millie Middleton struggled with the implications of her racial identity in Charleston. Both storylines were well written, but the historical storyline definitely captured my interest. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
The Dress Shop on King Street is recommended for readers of romantic women’s fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.