After a revealing conversation with the first children of her age she’s ever met, curious eight-year-old Alice Chattoway realizes that one ought to have a father … and she doesn’t. Having determined that his absence is making her mother unhappy, Alice resolves to find him and create a family for herself.However, Alice’s mother, Miss Chattoway, is reluctant to answer any questions posed about a … about a man she’d much rather forget. While Alice investigates, Miss Chattoway tries to balance her own spiritual turmoil with her need to be both mother and provider to her daughters.
Will Alice ever unravel her mother’s secrets? Can Miss Chattoway let go of the past to reach for the future?
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The secret isn’t what it was before. And that makes this a hard review to write. Just because there is so much more to the story now. I applaud Kellyn Roth’s growth in writing as this new secret shows her growth as a writer. With the first version of The Dressmaker’s Secret, I found a love for indie books, one of the first indie books I read that was written by someone who was not over ten years older than me. At the time, I hadn’t really taken much notice of indie books and Roth’s was a first in a long line of indie books. Now, if I had read the first version now I would have liked it, but not enjoyed it due to the fact that it may have bored me. No offence meant, with the things she has changed the author has shown an incredible new maturity in her writing, which is wonderful. I enjoyed the story the first time and the changes have made it so much better.
While I disliked characters at first I grew to like them, seeing that their past mistakes have molded their character. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting. Alice, wow, I had forgotten how much I loved reading about her, she is such a spunky girl. Ivy, sweet precious Ivy, who I am eagerly waiting for her (rewritten) book from the author.
Warning: mentions of unwed pregnancy, rape, mentions of a baby being stillborn.