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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A beautiful weaving of past and present, Ashley Clark isn’t afraid to tackle the tough topic of racial tension, how it plays out in the life of one woman, and how it affects so many around her. I loved the satisfying ending and the sweet reminder of second chances in the midst of broken dreams.
The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark is the epitome of southern charm!
This beautiful story has so much going for it, so much that makes it memorable! The author’s poetic writing style is an example of perfection when it comes to similes, metaphors, and personification — all things I adore! Each detail — large and small — takes on a beautiful life of its own. Additionally, this split-time story is unique from its counterparts because the historical storyline slowly merges with the present day storyline. While I felt a little disconnected from the characters at times, nothing could detract from the awe of the almost divine intersecting, crossing, and overlapping journeys of the characters! The contemporary storyline is humorous and nods to pop culture, and the historical storyline pulls at you like a haunting melody. The author sensitively and truthfully depicts the heartrending struggles, injustices, and sorrows that a biracial person would have experienced in the era. From start to finish, the complex, beautiful layers in The Dress Shop on King Street will hook you! Truly, I tip my imaginary cloche hat to the author!
The Dress Shop on King Street overflows with so many beautiful lessons and spiritual truths! However — at its core — it’s a story about never giving up on the dreams God has given you because if God has given you a dream, then He is gonna make it happen — you just might be a little foggy on the how (or when!) of it all!
Four Stars ~ The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark brings southern charm to a new level! The Dress Shop on King Street is the first book in the Heirloom Secrets Series, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book!
Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.
Do Dreams Always Come True?
This story begins in the 1860’s and ends in the modern day. The story revolves around Millie, a green-eyed beauty that can pass as a white person.
This page turning tale will keep you glued to the story while experiencing the dangers and heartache suffered by people forced to deny their true selves. Millie’s life is traced from just after WWII to present day, including the loss and lack of understanding she experienced just by trying to live life.
Harper enters the story in modern times, while she tries to fulfill her lifelong dream. Just when she feels like everything is over for her, Millie and Harper come together. The two discover both of them have a connection to a man named Peter, something that will ultimately shape their future. The two women collaborate to accomplish something with Peter, but end up doing so much more.
Will Millie be able to confess the truth to Peter, and will he react with anger and shut her out? Why has God placed this desire in Harper’s heart if she is going to fail every time?
The 5-star tale will tug at your heart, hoping something wonderful will happen for these two women. They will have to travel through many twists and turns before they are both satisfied. Faith in God plays an important part in this story. Throughout it all, two butterfly buttons will have a vital role in this tale. Those interested in history and finding your calling in life will enjoy this book.
Bethany House Publishing has provided Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, The Dress Shop on King Street, for the purpose of review.
A really lovely story! Ashley weaves the dual timelines beautifully and gives readers a fantastic story. I loved how all the threads wove together and the ending was perfect. The characters in this book-are great especially Millie, she was quite a character with all of her back story. This was an unusual story and just wonderful. If you want a great Christian Fiction read that isn’t your run of the mill story, give this one a try!
I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
“The Dress Shop on King Street” has become one of my favorite reads. I wouldn’t be the first to say I love a good fairy tale, an easy book to sail through then lavish cliche kudos in a review. This split-time story, though, is much more. It is beautifully complex. It is filled with difficult decisions in a time when the wrong choice meant life or death.
Clark delivers a tale of Millie the child of an Italian father and African-American mother living in the 1860’s in the south. A time of segregation, prejudice, and pride.
Millie favored her father in appearance. He was killed by hateful white folk. To protect Millie and to give her a chance to have a better life, her loving mother sent her away. Millie loved the foods, culture, and ways of her black culture and missed them sorely. She belonged to both worlds in a world that didn’t accept both.
What makes this a book more than historical or contemporary (time-slip) is the drive to reach for the career, the love, the goal burning in our hearts despite what is happening around us. All her life Millie wanted to own a dress shop. Toward the end she is in her eighties and still longs to own the shop, driving home the idea it is is never too late, too far, to unattainable to reach for your dreams. You’ll have to read the book to see what happens.
As for the challenges we face every day, and we all face them in our own corner of the world, the wisdom found in Dickens and Hugo come through the dialogue said by Millie, “Sometimes we put a halt to the very things that would free us–we stop them, push them away, because our fear becomes too strong. We have no guarantee what will happen, so we make sure nothing happens at all.”
So what happened? Well, it is really worth the time to read this well crafted book.
I highly recommend this book. Millie’s story will grab your heart and send you off looking for a new way to fulfill your dream.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
The Dress Shop on King Street is a beautiful story that weaves through time to seam together a family ripped apart by prejudice and sewn back together by love. I look forward to reading more books from this debut author in the future.
What a stunning debut novel! Ashley Clark is a very welcome fresh addition to the Christian Fiction community! I absolutely loved this split time novel! Each part complimented each other perfectly. I loved Millie, Harper, and Peter! I loved the message in this story as well. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Ashley Clark! She may very well become a must read author for me!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
The Dress Shop on King Street is a dual timeline story set in the post-WWII American South, and in the present day. In the present, Harper Dupree’s hopes for a career in fashions have been dashed, so she returns home to Alabama, to the older woman who taught her to sew. Here she meets Peter, an unlikely property developer. Millie Middleton is an expert seamstress who has always wanted to open her own dress shop, but life kept getting in the way. Now she might just achieve her dream, with Harper and Peter’s help.
The past story is Millie’s and takes us from her initial dream through the many reasons why it never came to pass. It’s obvious from the beginning that Millie has a secret, and not just that she’s a mixed-race woman passing as white in 1960’s Georgia, where the “one-drop rule” is a thing. (I had to look that up. For those of us who are not from the USA, it meant that a person with just “one drop” of non-white ancestry was considered black, and therefore treated as a second-class citizen).
Harper’s story and slow-growing romance with Peter was the bulk of the story, but the impact and the heart of the story belonged to Millie. It forces us to face the injustices of the past, and ask ourselves what we can do to atone for those in the present, and to make sure they don’t happen again. It also shows that some injustices have consequences that last years or even decades. Some injustices can never be fixed or made right.
2020 has been a year of outstanding debut novels in the Christian fiction genre. The Dress Shop on King Street is one of the best. It’s a novel about identity—our racial or cultural identity, but also our identity as Christians, encouraging us to chase our God-given dreams, no matter how old we are.
The Dress Shop on King Street is a novel that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. Recommended.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
Story of a woman who “had lived her life stuck at the seams of the in-between”
I have never paid so much for an ebook…ever! That is the reason for the 4.5 star rating. Having said that, this was a wonderful book. The writing was beautiful, kept me enthralled by flashing to the past and back to the here-and-now thereby filling in the gaps. So many parallels and intersecting of the lives of these characters. It is not until you are well into this book that you can see how many times their lives almost met/touched.
Millie Middleton is the lynchpin of our story. She has lived as a white woman although her mother was black and her father was Italian. (Poignant: Her mama “held her darker forearm against Millie’s. ‘You see this? You’re luck, Millie.’ ‘Lucky?’ Because she didn’t quite belong anywhere? Black folks thought she was privileged, and white folks had to be tricked? Lucky when no one would accept her wholly, honestly, as one human being with two distinct parts of her heritage?”) Millie’s story is so beautiful, sad, scary that I sobbed at parts and wistfully sighed at others. The intersection of Millie’s story with Harper’s young life will keep you reading until the end. Millie’s and Harper’s hopes for their futures unknowingly coincide many years before we get to their Dress Shop. For those readers who like romance there are two very sweet albeit sometimes sad love stories: Millie and her train jumper, Franklin Pinckney along with Harper and Peter. Their interactions will give you warm-fuzzies.
I haven’t felt this way about a book since I read “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” many years ago. You must read the notes at the back of the book, ALL of them to get a sense of this story. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley and predict that this book will one day become a classic in Christian romantic literature.
Oh my goodness, this story was wonderful! I couldn’t put it down!
It’s heartbreaking, warm, tender, vibrant, witty – everything! It’s SO good! I honestly adored every single character and the entire plot! I can’t recommend this enough!
Read this book! FIVE STARS for The Dress Shop on King Street!
Purchase your copy of The Dress Shop on King Street from Baker Book House today!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. A positive review was not required. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Absolutely fabulous debut by Ashley Clark. This story connects past and present in a captivating way.
Based on a real artifact , this story was obviously woven with love. Millie, Harper and Peter came to life and echoed my sentiments of preservation of old things, be they houses, clothes or memories.
“Sometimes life gives us those moments. Like the very first flutter of butterflies wings. Moments that are so profound and so purely beautiful, you try to capture them so you can come back to them later.”
From the first page, I was enthralled by the memories Ms. Clark evoked. I started sewing at age 9 on a Singer treadle machine. My mother was an Antique collector and dealer, so I grew up going to estate sales, auctions and consignment shops. My teen years were in the 60s. Although I lived in Northern Illinois, I remember the unrest of the times. The nostalgia made this story very real.
Harper and Mille share a dream of opening a dress shop. Will they realize their dreams and what will they learn along the way? At any rate, there is a transforming story to tell on their journey.
“But you cannot ignore the thing that keeps your soul alive because I believe God puts that sort of stuff in us for a reason. That He speaks to us through it. God is faithful, and when He calls you to something He will also give you the means , even if it doesn’t look as expected.”
This book is a beautiful treasure to be pondered over. I will certainly read the next book in the series as more of this story unfolds.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark is a unique and timely story about how race can affect a person. This story reminded me a lot of The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck and The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton. This is a split-time story with present time and flashbacks to 1946 and jumping around into the two timelines meet. While race relations and issues may be present in the news, in the fifties and sixties, it was definitely an issue. Today, not as realistic as it was then. While the characters did shine in their glory, the plot felt like I have read it before. While I did enjoy it, it just felt like a repeat story. So it was not that unique or original. As for the romance between Peter and Harper, I didn’t buy their relationship at all. When Millie had to announce to Peter that they liked each other, I was like they do. When did that happen? I wanted more to show their emotions blooming on the pages of the story. The writing was well-written. Clark did a wonderful job at showing the storyline, but I had a hard time with not feeling like it was deja-vu. Overall, The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark reads like a repeat story about race with a little twist to the plot. Fans of Rachel’s Hauck’s The Wedding Shop or Southern Fiction may find delight in the novel.
I received a complimentary copy of The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark, but the opinions stated are all my own.
I finished this book a few days ago and it’s still making me think about it. This is a debut novel from the author. I was brought to tears at the beginning. And then I was brought to tears at different scenes throughout the book. Millie has so much happen during her life. Ups and downs and the struggles she has with who she is, due to her heritage. She is torn between two cultures. Harper is an aspiring fashion student. She has struggles of her own. When the two come together, they grow and help one another through their friendship. The historical tidbits and setting in both Charleston, South Carolina and Fair Hope Alabama make the book even more interesting. The love of clothing and vintage clothing is a passion of both characters. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next book written by this author. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All views stated here are my own opinion.
Millie looked up at the still train. “Because sometimes we put a halt to the very things that would free us—we stop them, push them away, because our fear becomes too strong.”
The Dress Shop on King Street is the first book by Ashley Clark, in the Heirloom Series, it is about a multi-generational novel filled with special buttons, family secrets and fabric. Harper Dupree longs to be a fashion designer, when her college advisor tells her that her final dress project does not meet her standards she returns to Fairhope, Alabama.
“We’re just trying to control the stuff that scares us rather than to feel the fear and move on.”
Millie Middleton, the daughter of a black woman and an Italian man board a train heading to Charleston to keep half of her racial identity hidden. In her bag she is carrying two signature buttons and dreams of owning a dress ship. Along the route she meets a train jumper, both lives and dreams are changed forever.
Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they are looking for and a dress shop that they have both dreamed of.
I loved how the author brought past and present together, messages of God’s mercy, love, and faithfulness. I was pulled in from page one reading till late at night and how our dreams can come true if we honestly believe. A story of love lost and found, and hope and dreams restored. Ashley did an incredible job weaving the story together between past and present.
“We will live fragile lives, my dear Harper, if we avoid that which is delicate for fear it might break at the seams.”
What a debut! I thoroughly enjoyed the dual storyline. Talk about tears in the first scene!!! The author did a beautiful job communicating the Millie’s hardship in Charleston in the 1940s. I instantly LOVED Millie and Franklin. Their relationship was a tender one that made my eyes water on several occasions.
I also really liked the contemporary thread with Harper and Peter. Both these characters had believable struggle en route to achieving their dreams.
The shifts between eras were seamless. The narrative was gorgeous. And the spiritual theme that despite perfect loves drives out fear is so relevant and inspiring.
*I received a copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The Dress Shop on King street is a beautiful book about two women and their dreams. It is written in two different time frames yet in the same time era. A heartwarming story of what a person will do for love and to protect those whom they love. Even at a very great cost to their own happiness. Millie Middleton, daughter of an Italian father and Black mother, was sent out into the world as a young teenager. This was in the ’40’s. As her father had been murdered for marrying a black, her mother felt that this was best since she looked white but lived with blacks and this was inviting more trouble and she feared for her daughter’s safety. Then we have Harper Dupree, a twenty-something year old in modern day, who has become discouraged in her aspirations. Both shared a love for dress making and someday having their own dress shop. This story of second chances, forgotten dreams and sacrificial love will tug at your heart strings. This is Clark first novel and it reads like a seasoned author. Look for her name to be among those receiving awards. I was most impressed with this book……..I received an early e-book copy of the story from the publisher via NetGalley and this review is in my own words
In her debut novel, Ashley Clark blends the past and the present with a story the drew me in, challenged me at times, and ended with the hope of overcoming obstacles (whether set there by ourselves or by others).
The Dress Shop on King Street gives readers a true taste of the south—both in 1946 and in present day as the story shifts from Fairhope, AL and Charleston, SC (there’s even a little Savannah, GA in there).
My heart hurt for Millie and the things she experienced trying to forget half of her heritage. And Harper and Peter enhanced the overall book. I look forward to what Clark has in store for us in book two of the series.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Love love and love this story!! We each have days where our hopes and dreams seem a million miles away. We question why God would place these desires in our hearts just to keep them out of reach. We don’t know much of the story beyond the past or the here and now. Timing is everything, and His timing is perfect, even when it seems He’s taking forever and holding out on us. But nothing could be further from the truth, He wants the absolute best for us and won’t accept anything less.
I received a copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
A deeply moving story!
Hopes, dreams, and a desire to belong fill the pages of The Dress Shop on King Street.
Hauntingly beautiful and of great depth, this is made to savor. I often get frustrated when I only have snatches of time to read a book, wanting to consume most in a single sitting. Yet I found as I read and had to put the story down to do real life, I was glad for the opportunity to ponder the things I had read.
The characters were richly developed. I was able to experience Millie’s fear of discovery and understand why she would keep her secret from the one who loved her the most. I ached for Harper as her dream slipped out of her hands and she scrambled to make sense of her life. And hoped for Peter to find the heritage he sought so diligently as he brought other people’s history to life. And Franklin. Oooh! He captured my heart from the very start.
The author’s sensitivity and insight about the racism that was so prevalent not very long ago in our country were astounding and I gained a new understanding of the pain inflicted on so many for far too long. While racism was the reason for the story and provided the motivations, The Dress Shop on King Street is about having the courage to follow your dreams, even when it looks like they are impossible. And about having hope in the darkest of circumstances.
The pacing of the story was perfect, especially the rate at which the mystery of Millie’s life was revealed. Just as the next tidbit was going to be shared, the story jumped ahead to the contemporary part, leaving me anticipating finding out the rest!
I am so glad to see that the next book in the Heirloom Secrets series, Paint and Nectar, is already available for preorder, ready to be released in May! This series is not be missed!
Read my review of The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Ashley Clark has written a beautifully intricate debut novel that is both heart-wrenching and full of hope. The gorgeous cover caught my eye and the description captured my interest. The Dress Shop on King Street is a time slip novel that moves between 1946 and the present day, with a few scenes in between. Set in Charleston, South Carolina and Alabama, it tells the story of Millie Middleton, the daughter of a Black mother and Italian father. She is a talented seamstress and dreams of having a dress shop of her own.
In the present day, Harper Dupree also wants to own a dress shop and design dresses. She especially loves vintage fashions, and having taken sewing lessons from Millie, she is an expert at restoring them. When Harper meets Peter Perkins who restores old buildings, she sees the chance to make her dreams as well as Millie’s come true.
“But if God gave you a dream, you’d better listen. You just remember that God knows the how and the why, though the when may be frustrating.”
The colorful, engaging characters come to life between the pages of this story. Clark has expertly meshed the stories and the people together, although I did have a bit of trouble keeping the timelines and places straight part of the time. Her careful historical research was obvious, and I enjoyed the tender message of holding on to our dreams and keeping hope alive. I’m looking forward to more stories from this talented author. 4.5 stars
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own.