One of the most anticipated reads from InStyle, HelloGiggles, Hypable, Bookbub, and Bookriot!
One of Real Simple’s Best Historical Fiction novels of the year!
“The Gown is marvelous and moving, a vivid portrait of female self-reliance in a world racked by the cost of war.”–Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
From the internationally bestselling author of … Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
From the internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century—Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown—and the fascinating women who made it.
“Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.”
—Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding
London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.
Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?
With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.
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Loved this book. Told from three different points of view set in 1947 Ann and Miriam form a friendship when they meet in the shop of famous designer Norman Hartsnell, designer to the Queen and other high end customers. Miriam comes with a background of sad memories involving her Jewish family and persecution. She reluctantly accepts Ann’s friendship and offer of sharing her home. Both women meet men and become involved one with disastrous consequences.
The women’s beautiful embroidery skills are used on the assignment of a lifetime—to make the wedding gown for a princess…the Future Queen Elizabeth.
The other point of view is Heather, Ann’s granddaughter is
Gifted a mysterious box of beautiful embroidery samples. Challenged with finding out the importance of the samples and why her nan gifted them to her, Heather visits England to see what she can learn about the samples
I devoured this book! If you love The Crown, you’ll love this one.
In The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding, author Jennifer Robeson delivers an engrossing tale of post-war Britain, the country’s national obsession with the making of then Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown, and the lives of three strong women. Expertly handling the sometime tricky task of going back and forth from past and present, Robeson focuses on the lives of Miriam and Ann, two women from different backgrounds who become friends while embroidering the delicate designs on the gown’s train, and Heather, Ann’s granddaughter, as she seeks to unravel the mystery of her grandmother’s life. I have to admit, that I — who cannot even sew a button on straight — was fascinated by the detailed attention the author paid to the process of creating the magnificent designs on the train. The Gown delivers a compelling story of friendship, secrets, and the ability to rise above misfortune and haunting memories of the past.
This is a fascinating glimpse into a different time, and I can’t resist anything to do with the English monarchy. Beautifully woven tale. Some aspects reminded me of “It All Comes Back to You”, so if you loved it, you’ll likely love this!
Lots of history!
I picked this up and didn’t think it would hold my interest, but I was wrong. The Gown is an engrossing look at the lives of three women, two in 1947 London and one in modern day Toronto. Ann and Miriam are embroiderers for the fashion house of Norman Hartnell, who has just been chosen to create the wedding gown for the newly engaged Princess Elizabeth, while Heather has just lost both her job and her dearly loved grandmother.
The characters were very well drawn and compelling: I cared what happened to them even after I finished reading. Each chapter centered on one character, and the reader learns distinct details of each life. The plot focused on the Hartnell workers as they labored over different parts of the dress, which was more interesting than I had expected. I had not expected to see the same clamoring interest in the wedding gown of a royal as we just saw with last year’s royal wedding, but some things don’t change. After a grueling war and a bitter winter, the people of England were much cheered by and intrigued by then-Princess Elizabeth’s upcoming wedding.
Highly recommended
This era is so interesting to me. The story was good, believable and you are able to learn something.
The title is misleading. Yes, it’s the story of the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown in post WWII London, it’s really the story of recreating families after the losses suffered during the brutal war.
A pleasant read with some interesting historical tidbits.
I loved the characters in this book. A great read.
It was enjoyable to read and intriguing. As historical fiction, it also appealed to me.
The Gown is the story of post World War II England, and the fervor surrounding the Royal Wedding, a balm to the people still suffering the ravages of the war. The story brings together several points of view: Ann, an embroider who worked on the princess’ gown; Miriam, also an embroider as well as a French Jew who survived the camps; and their grandchildren. The story revolves around Ann’s granddaughter Heather, who, after Ann’s death, discovers a box with her name and some beautifully embroidered flowers. Heather has no idea of the role Ann played in the royal wedding, and her detective work leads to the telling of these intwined stories. The book is masterful in how the history of typical Englishmen and women comes through against the backdrop of post World War II England. Miriam’s story is also interwoven through story and in her artwork. This book will not disappoint, and I finished it in a day. It’s such a well written and moving story that you will not want to put to down. Highly recommended.
Loved it! The historical detail was wonderful, coukd reall imagine rhe dress details in my mind. Highly recommend
The British royals have provided excellent material for historical fiction over and over again, but never quite this literally — Robson’s subject is Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown and the seamstresses whose embroidery made the dress a true work of art. The story of these artisans spans a dual-timeline that moves effortlessly between postwar Britain of the 1940s and modern Toronto. Robson weaves three women’s stories into a compelling narrative propelled forward by secrets, loss, survival, and hope.
Very interesting story about the women who worked in the fashion house which made princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress. It has lots of details about the beautiful embroidery that embellished the dress. Lovely storytelling and a good ending.
Set in both 1947 post-war London and 2016 Toronto, Ontario, The Gown immerses us in the lives of two women who embroidered Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown and the granddaughter who uncovers the hidden life of her mysterious British grandmother.
Ann and Miriam work together as embroiderers in London’s fashionable House of Hartnell. Ann, a working class woman, befriends Miriam, a French Jewess, the only member of her family who survived the German occupation and death camps. Together they work their expert needles on the gowns that clothe the royal family, and ultimately, the Princess’ wedding gown.
The story is rich with the intricacies of the shop: the excitement of winning the commission to make the gown, the backbreaking hours over the beads and pearls and floral designs, the unexpected visit of the Royals to check on their project, the secrecy and stress of keeping mum about the project, and of course, the Royal Wedding.
The story is about friendship and acceptance, and the strength of the women who must earn their way in this era where women’s roles are evolving. We share their joys and sorrows and ability to lean on one another. We discover all of this just as Heather, Ann’s Canadian granddaughter does.
The Gown will stay with me for a long time. This is a keeper, a story with exquisite writing and characters I’d like to know.
Jennifer Robson’s charming historical novel weaves the present with the past as the search for understanding unfolds following the discovery of exquisite needlework resembling the flowers on Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown.
I read this book in two days and I loved how tragedy brought two people together and how they made history. Imagine what it would have been like to embroider the veil for a queen. The skill that the characters had was amazing. It made me look for books about those who made clothing for famous people.
Loved this book. The details of the embroiderers who completed princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress was very interesting.
Very interesting subject, flowed really well.