We've all watched the beautiful weddings of the royal family over the last several years, and I remember watching Princess Diana and Prince Charles wedding as well, so naturally a book about Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown intrigued me.
The Gown goes back and forth between London in 1947 and Canada in 2016. Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin are two embroiders for fashion designer Norman Hartnell. When news of Princess Elizabeth's engagement breaks, everyone is speculating if Mr. Hartnell will be designing the gown. Ann and Miriam are tasked with the intricate embroidery on the special dress and they bond over this shared time together. Their friendship evolves so beautifully during the novel and we learn more about the hardships they have both had to endure in their past.
Fast forward to 2016, Heather Mackenzie has just learned that her beloved Nan passed away, leaving her with a box of embroidered pieces that remarkably resemble Queen Elizabeth's famed wedding gown. Heather embarks on a journey to learn more about how her grandmother came to have these items and what their significance might be.
I so enjoyed this historical fiction novel. I felt that I was offered a glimpse into the fashion houses of the 1940s and the excitement over the royal wedding after such a bleak time of war. My book club also selected this as one of our monthly reads and I think it will offer some interesting discussion. The novel is so descriptive that I could picture the gown in my mind, but I did search the internet after reading the book to see pictures of the wedding. I felt that deepened my appreciation for the novel. The Gown is a wonderfully developed story that I will remember for some time. A strong four star read for me. I'm looking forward to reading other books by Jennifer Robson.
I received this book courtesy of William Morrow through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Gown goes back and forth between London in 1947 and Canada in 2016. Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin are two embroiders for fashion designer Norman Hartnell. When news of Princess Elizabeth's engagement breaks, everyone is speculating if Mr. Hartnell will be designing the gown. Ann and Miriam are tasked with the intricate embroidery on the special dress and they bond over this shared time together. Their friendship evolves so beautifully during the novel and we learn more about the hardships they have both had to endure in their past.
Fast forward to 2016, Heather Mackenzie has just learned that her beloved Nan passed away, leaving her with a box of embroidered pieces that remarkably resemble Queen Elizabeth's famed wedding gown. Heather embarks on a journey to learn more about how her grandmother came to have these items and what their significance might be.
I so enjoyed this historical fiction novel. I felt that I was offered a glimpse into the fashion houses of the 1940s and the excitement over the royal wedding after such a bleak time of war. My book club also selected this as one of our monthly reads and I think it will offer some interesting discussion. The novel is so descriptive that I could picture the gown in my mind, but I did search the internet after reading the book to see pictures of the wedding. I felt that deepened my appreciation for the novel. The Gown is a wonderfully developed story that I will remember for some time. A strong four star read for me. I'm looking forward to reading other books by Jennifer Robson.
I received this book courtesy of William Morrow through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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