A Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestseller.
From the bestselling author of The Beekeeper’s Promise comes a gripping story of three young women faced with impossible choices. How will history – and their families – judge them?
Paris, 1940. With the city occupied by the Nazis, three young seamstresses go about their normal lives as best they can. But all three are hiding … normal lives as best they can. But all three are hiding secrets. War-scarred Mireille is fighting with the Resistance; Claire has been seduced by a German officer; and Vivienne’s involvement is something she can’t reveal to either of them.
Two generations later, Claire’s English granddaughter Harriet arrives in Paris, rootless and adrift, desperate to find a connection with her past. Living and working in the same building on the Rue Cardinale, she learns the truth about her grandmother – and herself – and unravels a family history that is darker and more painful than she ever imagined.
In wartime, the three seamstresses face impossible choices when their secret activities put them in grave danger. Brought together by loyalty, threatened by betrayal, can they survive history’s darkest era without being torn apart?
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An incredibly moving dual timeline set in France during World War II and the present day.
Harriet goes to work in a fashion house in Paris and learns the truth about her late grandmother, and her life in France during World War II.
It moved me to tears on several occasions reading about the horrors of the war.
This book is so well written and researched, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
This is a dual story, decades apart, about a granddaughter and her grandmother, set in Paris, and begins with the description of a dress. The theme of couture plays throughout, and threads together the story, as does a photograph of the young grandmother and two other young women. This is a good but not stellar book, with the most value directed toward its historical aspect.
The Dressmaker’s Gift: Fiona Valpy
The magic of Paris, and a long-studied photograph, transform the life of a young woman as she explores her family and choices they made in World War II. Modern-day Harriet takes a job in public relations in Paris’ exciting fashion sector, to discover that she is retracing steps of her grandmother Claire. With two friends who work alongside her crafting gowns in a posh salon, she endures the Nazi occupation. Can a wonderfully crafted dress be a character in a drama? Yes, when it is described lovingly by this author. The story highlights resilience, intuition, judgment, and loyalty, as touchable as the charms on the bracelet Harriet inherits.
I loved this historical fiction I had a tough time putting it down. My only observation is that when it came to current terrorist attacks in France the author never called it what it is.
It is radical Islamic terrorism. If you are not well informed you wouldn’t know that fact. I was left wondering why the vagueness? Other than that it was a fabulous read.
Loved, loved, loved this book
So well written
Didn’t want to put it down
I would rate it more stars if available
You will not be disappointed
Pedestrian writing and plot (didn’t get started until halfway through and finished long before the book was done.) A lot of psychobabble…. I don’t understand all the good reviews, and I certainly have no interest in reading anything else by this author.
I found this to be a wonderful story of war torn Paris during the Nazi occupation. Three young girls, living and working as seamstresses in one of Paris’ fashion houses, as they become involved in the Resistance.
This is their story of friendships, struggles, losses and the heartbreaking effects of war. It is written in two eras, 1940 and modern day Paris. It paints a picture of the fashion houses of Paris, that continued to create beautiful designs for the Nazi wives and mistresses, while the creators of the beautiful garments struggled to survive. If you like historical fiction, you will appreciate the extensive research of author #Fiona Valpy. Her characters are strong and demonstrated unbelievable bravery and survival!
My thanks to #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
What a great informative book about the occupation of France by the Nazis. Showed great courage of women in the resistance. Plus there was some beautiful friendships and romance. Don’t miss it.
What an absolutely wonderful book! The Dressmaker’s Gift is a such a touching story and so beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s writing and would highly recommend this book to everyone. It totally exceeded my expectations and I was so engrossed in this story I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait to read more books from Fiona Valpy.
The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy is a story that pulls at the heartstrings. Set in two-time periods, Claire’s granddaughter, Harriet travels to France to complete a one-year internship in a Paris fashion house in 2017. Her internship includes housing in an apartment on an upper floor of the fashion house. While settling, her roommate sees a picture of three women that Harriet places next to her bed. Her roommate tells her one of the girls is her grandmother Mirelle. Harriet’s grandmother, Clare, and Vivienne. The three women also lived in the same apartment and worked for a fashion house during WWII. Valpy made the stories of these three women come to life and provokes a variety of emotions for the reader. We learn what each of the women do to help the Resistance and follow two of them to a concentration camp. I felt this was a powerful book and learned so much about these three strong women. Thank you NetGalley, Amazon UK , and Amazon First Reads for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very good book, a little redundant but very informative and sad, tragic time of WW2 and man’s inhumanity to man.
An amazing and engaging story that exposes the reader to a different aspect of the Nazi invasion during WWII. The book goes back and forth through time pulling you into the lives of the characters. As the reader gets to know the ladies, you will experience mixed emotions … admiring some of them and having no respect for others.
How much can a person influence another’s integrity? It was uplifting to discover how these amazing ladies were willing to do everything possible to make a difference and take a stand against the atrocities Hitler’s regime inflicted on so many innocent people.
This was an emotional read and I found myself sobbing out loud. But the story is one that is worth reading as you observe the growth of the characters and the relationships that develop and strength as you turn the pages and get engrossed in the story.
WWII French Resistance in the Fashion Industry
For mature readers – more graphic than “The Diary of Anne Frank”
Violence – Nazis & Wartime hardships
No sex
No harsh language
Harriett finds a WWII vintage picture of her grandmother and two friends standing in front of the dressmakers’ shop in Paris where they worked. The picture inspires her to apply for and receive an internship at the same establishment.
There, she meets the granddaughter of one of the young girls pictured. Because of the friendship they develop, and because Mireille, one of the three pictured, is still alive, Harriett is able to piece together what happened to her own grandmother during the war years.
Chapters switch between nowadays and the war years. There is no confusion because chapter headings such as “Harriett” or “1942” let us know where we are in time.
Because the three young women have chosen to work with the French resistance, we learn of the extreme dangers and heartbreak they face, as well as their personal endurance –all this tempered by their love and friendship.
This is not light reading. In fact, elements of it are quite disturbing; nevertheless, it is good for us to be reminded of what uncontrolled political power and the willingness to inflict pain upon others can do. Consequently, we vow never to let it happen again (knowing that in some parts of the world it does continue – and we must fight it.)
Recommended.
This is my first book by the author and I will be checking out more of her books. I really loved reading this book. The author was able to pull me inside of Paris during WWII and present day Paris.
This book contains two storylines, one taking place in Paris in 2017 during the time of the terrorist attacks and one in Paris during WWII. We follow the story of Claire, Vivienne and Mireille during that time. It is a story of friendship, staying strong, hope, but also about the horrors, hunger, cold and fear in those times. It is also about how our past has an effect on our present and the choices we make.
I won’t say more about the story, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it is a beautiful, intense story filled with love and hope during the most dark times.
I will definitely recommend this book.
Never Give Up
This is a story of Friendship, Love, Loyalty, Pain, Suffering, and a spirit within that never gives up.
It is the story of Harriet and how she comes to grips with her life after her mother’s suicide by learning the story of her grandmother during WWII. Her friend Simone and both their families. Her friend Simone’s grandmother was a friend to Clare Harriet’s grandmother and thus related the story.
What I enjoyed about this book were the little details the author added. The bicycle from the man with the yellow star, The willow tree in the park, The bracelet with the charms, The gold locket, The blue dress pieced together are examples of these little special touches.
The story of her grandmother Claire is that of her and her two best friends Vivienne, and Murielle. It tells of their work in Paris as seamstresses and their work in the underground resistance during the War and the Nazi occupation of France. It tells of the capture of Claire and Vivienne and their time spent with the Gestapo and in the concentration camps. Sometimes so sad, but they kept each other going for almost two years in the camp. They always told each other “Hush now.” “We are together.” “Everything will be alright.”
It is a wonderfully written story about life, Love, and Happiness. It tells of a powerful friendship that endured time and the ages.
This was a great read and I recommend it.
Thanks to Fiona Valpy, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.
I wasn’t a big fan of this one which was disappointing. I was hoping to enjoy it a lot more than I did. I liked that it switched back and forth between 2017 and the 1940s and between Harriet (present-day) and Mireille and Claire’s point of views in the 40s. Character-wise, I didn’t really feel much sympathy for any of the characters. Claire did get better as the book went on, but I liked Harriet less and less. None of the characters were terrible. There were just reactions and bits of dialogue that I didn’t like. The story flowed pretty well, with both timelines moving forward chronologically and with each chapter labeled so that it made following along much easier. I liked the quality of the research regarding France during World War II but the present-day material wasn’t quite as enjoyable to read.
Two thumbs up.