Torn between her dreams and the truth, she was faced with an impossible choice . . . Tess, an aspiring seamstress, is stunned at her luck when the famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon hires her to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. When disaster strikes, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat - her employer also survives. On dry land, savage rumours begin to circulate: did Lady Duff Gordon save herself at the expense of others? Tess's dream of becoming a skilled dressmaker is within her ...
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Torn between her dreams and the truth, she was faced with an impossible choice . . . Tess, an aspiring seamstress, is stunned at her luck when the famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon hires her to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. When disaster strikes, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat - her employer also survives. On dry land, savage rumours begin to circulate: did Lady Duff Gordon save herself at the expense of others? Tess's dream of becoming a skilled dressmaker is within her grasp but now she is faced with a terrible choice. Suddenly she finds herself torn between loyalty to the fiery woman who could help her realise her ambitions and the devastating truth that her mentor may not be all she seems. Authentic and honest, The Dressmaker is a compelling and vivid story that will have you holding your breath until the last page. *Shortlisted for the Goodreads Historical Novel Award*
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Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.20, good condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Anchor.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.20, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Anchor.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.20, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Anchor.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.20, fair condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Anchor.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.20, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Anchor.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.20, fair condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Anchor.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.59, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Southern California rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Doubleday Books.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.70, good condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Doubleday.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.70, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Doubleday.
Add this copy of The Dressmaker to cart. $1.70, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Doubleday.
A fascinating fictional account that renders insight to the lives of Sir and Lady Duff Gordon, both survivors of the Titanic's shipwreck. The story mainly centers around Tess Collins, a woman who after leaving her job as a servant in England, decides she's had enough of menial work, and hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a seamstress. What better thing to do than set for America on the "Ship of Dreams" as an aid to a fashion designer?
The story unfolds beautifully. The historical detail is especially interesting to me. The author has much knowledge of the RMS Titanic and customs of 1912. Also, it was great to see so much of Lady Lucille's fashion business included in the story -- this is the woman who started the idea of having live models wear her dresses for a fashion show!
"The Dressmaker" isn't just a story about the sinking of the ship, but also tells of the aftermath and how it affected the survivor's lives. Surviving a harrowing experience comes with its faults, as Tess and the people around her soon discover.
Due to switching between the characters, the author is able to reveal much more about what went on after the Titanic's sinking, such as the court hearings and the newspaper headlines. I enjoyed this historical aspect of reading the chain reaction of events that were all caused from a single iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean.
There is some romance intertwined into the plot as well. On a couple occasions, there was just enough romantic inclinations to make the reader blush (not graphic in any way, just a sentence or two that a character might have said).
Overall, a great book!
Patricia M
Oct 26, 2014
Not enough substance
If you are looking for some mindless reading, or something predictable, this is for you.
