The Dressmaker's Gift

This book is as tender as it is fierce. The contrasts between war and hope are vivid and moving. It’s a story of bravery, compassion and healing. You are not only moved by the characters, that are beautifully transformed to real life, but moved as the elements of the story touch your own. Keep a Kleenex close and keep your heart wide open.

Book Review: The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy 2017. In first person narrative, Harriet from England, a newly accepted fashion intern or "stagiaire" in Paris, searches obsessively for the history of her grandmother after she finds an old photo of her as a young woman with two companions. 1940-1945. In third person omniscient, Harriet gives a detailed account of the exploits of three French seamstresses in a couturier's atelier in Paris - Mireille from the Pyrenees, Vivienne from Lille, and Claire from Brittany, and their harrowing experiences during the Nazi occupation as Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents of the French Resistance. In every chapter after the first, Harriet repeatedly reminisces about the grandma she never knew, which felt largely like maudlin interlude fillers barely contributing to the flow. Furthermore, it is hard for the reader to understand how Harriet in 2017 could have known the thoughts, deeds and feelings of her granny and the women. Although dramatic and entirely engaging, the incredulity renders the account concocted and contrived right through the final chapters, when Harriet finally meets Mireille. But still, Mireille couldn't have been cognizant of details, for example, during Claire's and Vivi's internment. As a Francophile who lived in Paris, I love the authentic setting of the story. The address 12 Rue Cardinale in the 9th Arrondissement of Paris is indeed about a fifteen minute leisurely walk to Ile de la Cite as mentioned in the book. That Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is in the exact spot is a bonus. It's not a fashionable area but a couturier's atelier or workshop could be anywhere in the district. The story's timeline is spotted a dash of creative license. This was famously a time of turmoil for Parisiens, with the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in January 2015, the Bataclan Theater massacre (138 dead) in November 2015, and the terrorist truck attack (86 dead) in Nice on Bastille Day on July 14, 2016. All three are mentioned in the book. A subsequent attack directly involves Harriet and her friend, Simone, which proves key to the plot. The mental state of a person living in Paris during this time, apart from day to day living, would concede little time for concern and research much less be melancholy about an unknown grandmother. Moreover, all three attacks predate the prologue, so we'll have to assume Harriet first arrived in Paris earlier in 2015. Finally, I cannot imagine anyone with Breton blood not be knowledgeable of their ancestry from the day of birth. The Bretons are fiercely proud of their Celtic heritage. In fact, most consider themselves Breton before French, regardless where they live. Claire, Harriet's grandma was a full-blooded Breton. A tale far from compelling, but writing par excellence and good light reading. Review based on an Amazon First Reads edition, and an Advance Reading Copy from Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

A few months ago, I read multiple books/novels about the French Resistance in WW II. And, all of them were about women that were members of the Special Operations Executives (SOE). These females were agents and truly did remarkable 'jobs' in the face of the enemy within their native France. This novel describes....and in rich descriptive language, the stories of three such women....Mireille, Claire and Vivienne who were employed as dressmakers in Paris. These three young women came from diverse backgrounds but ended up being valued members of the Resistance. Fast forward to the year 2017 and Harriet, a young lady is on a quest to find out more about the three young women in a photograph taken during WW II in Paris. The photo belonged to Harriet's mother, Felicity. And, so her quest for more information begins. Anyone who has ever visited Paris will recognize all of the familiar landmarks ..the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Metro and its familiar stops, and many other locations. Loved all of them... The story of the three women and their involvement in the French Resistance is indeed a harrowing and horrific one. It brings home the fact that ordinary people must do something in times of war. And, they did. I was not expecting such descriptive language involving daily life in Paris at that time. Curfew was on, food was scarce, the populace was cold as fuel was so scarce, even the description of the coffee..'roasted chicory and dandelion toots' was mentioned. The readers of this novel will experience Paris during WW II. And, I was not expecting the suicide of a loved one in this novel to affect me so deeply. The idea that perhaps trauma may be inherited is most intriguing. The author does discuss this more at the conclusion of her novel. (And, yes, I lost my brother in 1996 so that is the reason this affected me). As Harriet said 'life can be so very tenuous at times, perhaps that fragility is why we treasure it.' In her quest for the truth about the 3 young women in the picture, she also came to realize that attacks against humanity are still happening with the terrorist bombings. And, so the cycle continues albeit in a different form... Outstanding novel which included a multi-layered plot, characters richly defined and intense action, of some form. included on the pages. Most highly recommended.

I highly recommend this book to anyone 18 and over. There are parts that are heartbreaking to read and tears may very well spring to your eyes. Heartwrenching abuse by the Nazis is prevalent without too much detail. I was disappointed when one of the characters didn't make it yet I felt that was probably going to be the case. I love the ending, especially so actually. I could definitely read this book again sometime in the future. New fan of Fiona Valpy here. Excellent author.

It was a good story, There were some redundant chapters, and pages, that had me speed reading past, hence the four stars. I enjoyed being surprised now and again, which doesn’t happen often to a dedicated bibliophile. Some really vivid parts- hard story to tell without “telling”, but done fairly well. Loved the dates to keep me straight in the correct plot line.

I found the parts from the past were well written, but modern day Harriet kind of annoyed me. You feel the concentration camps without too much horror. Cool things: having her granddaughter stay in the same place with the granddaughter of her friend. I'm not a huge fan of Paris fashion so those parts we're not something i would normally pick up and read, so those were slow for me. The many terrorist attacks i felt were a bit much and inherited trauma kind of made me struggle ok book, just felt slow to me

This is a very well-written historical novel. Though it is not "great literature", it is very well done modern take on Paris during the Nazi occupation. The story like so many now, is told by a modern woman who is looking for her French roots and the story of what really happened to cause her mother to commit suicide. Her discussions of generational trauma were interesting as I am the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. I like her conclusion that even if inherited trauma is real, we can rise above it with courage and knowledge. But basically the book was good because it held my interest, I loved the three main characters, and also very interesting to find out more about what it was like to live in Paris under the Nazis. I have been to Paris and remember thinking, here I am with my Jewish daughter and you Nazis are all defeated and dead. That was before the horrendous attacks on France by terrorists and the story is told against this background of modern day terrorism. I gave this book five stars, not because it is great literature, but because it is very good fiction. I highly recommend this book especially if you like stories about amazing courage. This is not for the faint hearted. The descriptions of the Dachau are all too accurate as well as the torture meted out to resisters. The end notes by the author are also interesting. Researching this book was not an easy job. I have done Holocaust research and she has done her job well. The book is really a page turner and a really fine book about a time we should never forget.

This would be perfect for a book club group. It has elements of mystery, surprise, unexpected courage and bravery, and much more. The author has written her story well, never leaving her readers in the dark, keeping the story well-paced and taut. The history is authentic and gives a most personal sense of how dark and unnerving were the times of the Nazi occupation of Paris. Along with that, one can feel the fear and the intensity of the work done by members of the Resistance accompanied by the fierce determination of those involved. The illumination of life in the camps was horrifying and deeply sorrowful even though so many have heard and read about the unbearable dehumanizing of the inmates therein. It often seemed unreal to read about; this makes it real and heartfelt. Claire’s story of her involvement with the Nazi officer brings more clarity and understanding of how this could possibly come about in the life of a normally moral and loyal young woman in wartime. Her subsequent knowledge of the true nature of the officer along with her own growth of self is a story in itself. Well done!

Awesome inspiring story. A work of fiction grown from reality. Brought me to tears. A must read Beautifully written. Highly recommend

The Dressmaker is a real page turner, bringing you both the pleasure of a well written story with complex characters among different times, and the reminder of a tragic time, less than hundred years ago. Somehow, you'll be left speechless, sometimes crying, sometimes smiling, always invested. An excellent book, and a enjoyable way to remember…

Me atrapó por completo este libro me encantó.

Está bien escrito y muy bien acabado. Se lo recomiendo a cualquiera que aprecie la historia dramatizada. La historia te transporta a otra época.

Liest sich gut!