The Gown
Ratings20
Average rating3.9
Perfect for anyone who's captivated by The Crown, The Gown 'will dazzle and delight' (Independent)! The Gown is 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. London, 1947: Besieged by a harsh winter, burdened by shortages and rationing, the people of post-war Britain are suffering despite their nation's recent victory. For Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell, a glimmer of brightness comes in the form of their unlikely friendship and being chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honour: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. Toronto, 2016: Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved nan, 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 to tell a story of women whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love. 'Robson succeeds in creating a riveting drama of female friendship, of lives fully lived despite unbearable loss, and of the steadfast effort required to bring forth beauty after surviving war' Independent 'A great tale of female friendship' The People's Friend
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Loosely based historical novel of 1947 London and the making of the wedding gown of Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth to the Duke of Edinburgh. It was hard to remember that it wasn't totally fact based; however, Robson conducted enough research to make it feel so. It's also a book about the women of that era, after the war, and how they were not cowed by the adversities they faced. Highly recommend “The Gown”.
I'll be honest. I've had this book since December, as I received it as part of my book club being chosen by Harper Collins during 2018 as one of the clubs that receives monthly books to review. It was one of the generous ‘extra' books we received, so it wasn't lined up for one of our monthly discussions, but now I really wish it had been. For some reason, I think the cover doesn't pull in a reader, but oh my the story does. (I wish the cover had been a close up of the embroidery of the gown.)
What a great book! I found myself completely drawn into the characters and journeys of the three women in the story - one a British woman whose story begins right after WWII, the second a Jewish/French woman who had survived the war during the same time frame, and the third a granddaughter of one who is Canadian and sets out to learn more about her grandmother.
The story alternates between viewpoints, but I didn't get whiplash, as can happen sometimes. I found myself anxious to find out what happened next, and was hoping for good things for the characters.
Great story - perfect one to get lost in over a few days on vacation this summer!
I think this could have been a 4 star read, but the rape scene feels both tonally out of place and unnecessary to reach the end goal of giving Ann a reason to leave her old life behind and get us to present day Heather.
Miriam is my stand out character for sure. I think I could have loved Ann just as much, but we get to see so little of her after a time jump, and I know this is purposeful, the point of the story is to go on this journey of learning about Ann as Heather does, but I wanted more.
Otherwise, this is a cozy, heartwarming historical fiction that gives a fresh angle of a much written-about historical event. I really wanted to suggest this one to my grandma, but I am hesitant now I know about the rape scene. We'll see.
