For readers of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Jio, or Susan Meissner, this gripping historical debut novel tells the story of two women: one, an immigrant seamstress who disappears from San Francisco’s gritty streets in 1876, and the other, a young woman in present day who must delve into the secrets of her husband’s wealthy family only to discover that she and the missing dressmaker might be connected in … in unexpected ways.
An exquisite ring, passed down through generations, connects two women who learn that love is a choice, and forgiveness is the key to freedom…
San Francisco: 1876
Immigrant dressmakers Hannelore Schaeffer and Margaret O’Brien struggle to provide food for their siblings, while mending delicate clothing for the city’s most affluent ladies. When wealthy Lucas Havensworth enters the shop, Hanna’s future is altered forever. With Margaret’s encouragement and the power of a borrowed green dress, Hanna dares to see herself as worthy of him. Then Margaret disappears, and Hanna turns to Lucas. Braving the gritty streets of the Barbary Coast and daring to enter the mansions of Nob Hill, Hanna stumbles upon Margaret’s fate, forcing her to make a devastating decision…one that will echo through the generations.
San Francisco: Present Day
In her elegant Marina apartment overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, Sarah Havensworth struggles to complete the novel she quit her job for. Afraid to tell her husband of her writer’s block, Sarah is also hiding a darker secret—one that has haunted her for 14 years. Then a news headline from 1876 sparks inspiration: Missing Dressmakers Believed to be Murdered. Compelled to discover what happened to Hannelore and Margaret, Sarah returns to her roots as a journalist. Will her beautiful heirloom engagement ring uncover a connection to Hanna Schaeffer?
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I really wanted to like this book. I loved the premise of both timelines but I found myself not liking any of the characters. I couldn’t get invested in any of them. I felt the stories were rushed and needed more depth all the way around. It wasn’t at all what I was hoping for.
Loved the history of old San Francisco and the contrast with the fast-paced tech savvy city today. Engaging story with terrific character development.
I really enjoyed it.
Hannelore and Margaret were more interesting . As for Sarah she remained a blank until the end, couldn’t wait to get away from present day. Best part of the book, the end as I learned about Sarah and her findings. I appreciated the epilogue.
Not a particularly strong story or writing for that matter, but entertaining enough I guess. The chapters about the Irish girls were the best parts of the book.
Set in San Francisco before the Irish connection was bragged about and individuals struggled in ways most modern people cannot easy believe—-except similar struggles go on in many cities around the world today–we are just unaware. I appreciated the details of life for the working classes, strengthened my admiration of those who managed to overcome the obstacles without resorting to illegal activities. The two seamstress provoked smiles, sheers and tears.
This was the first book I read by this author and would like to read more. She has a gift for writing intriguing historical fiction.
An absolute must read!!
It kept me interested the entire book. Need to read the second book for conclusion.
This was a wonderful story.
I really loved this book. Has everything I enjoy – romance, historical, mysterious, intrigue and memorable characters.
Great historical piece but not extremely well written!
Just wanted it to finish. The contemporary character was insipid.
I really want this story to end a certain way cause I felt invested in the female character and wanted her to be true to herself.
I loved this book. I loved the time period, the setting is San Francisco. It switches from present time period to Barbary Coast time period. Very good story.
I really enjoyed this book. It was engrossing while still being light hearted. I found myself thinking about the story throughout the day and couldn’t wait until I could go back to read it some more.
I think it had the feel of a first book. The shifts from present to past were not natural, the dialogue was strained and the plot predictable and somewhat of a silly attempt at minor world building. The “gifts” and “witches” in the story were unrealistic in terms of witchcraft. As an artist the protagonist was decent but her “gift” involved drawing/painting people with clear messages of their secrets while wearing a blindfold. Come on! It was poorly enough written that if it did not have adult content added in it could have been in the teen section – took me about 2 1/2 hours to read. Clearly a light-weight!
Such a great tale of generations tied to a sewing machine and the factory where it was made. Very memorable
A nice story. Easy to read. Some intrigue that ends nicely.
This was an exciting read. The story was easy to get into and I enjoyed all the twist and turns of the storyline. It showed the higher class and the poverty stricken with clarity. I loved that it went from present day to the 1800’s but was never confusing.