The Dressmaker's Gift

I totally enjoyed this book and the story line of a young woman looking to find her own identity and feeling connected and discovers all through the life of her grandmother.

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.

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.

Words.could never express how much I enjoy all of Fiona's books and The Dress maker's Gift did not disappoint. Thank you Fiona

At the heart of it, this book is about Paris during Nazi occupation in WWII. The story involves three young seamstresses who get involved in the Resistance; their stories reveal daily life of the working class and the brutal conditions of war as well as the courage and determination of people who fought back. WWII was less than 80 years ago yet many Americans are unfamiliar with the ways it impacted all of Europe. This engaging story brings a piece of that history to light. The author uses a split time frame to tell the story, dividing chapters between a contemporary young woman who goes to Paris to learn about her grandmother and the story of the grandmother herself. For me, that technique was less than effective. The strength of the book lies in the historical story of the grandmother; many chapters about the contemporary storyline were so short they simply served as disruptions. The beginning and ending pages are contemporary and effectively frame the book but I wish the author had used a different strategy for the substantive heart of the story. I also felt like the ending dragged on and on. After the story of the grandmother concludes, the author brings us back to the present with a weak storyline that serves primarily as a forum for lecturing the reader, pounding the same moralistic points again and again. Give up. If readers haven't figured out these issues already, a long last-minute lecture is not going to get through to them. That entire last section could be reduced by half. In spite of those limitations, this is a good book. It was engaging and easy to read, and the messages about war and resistance are important to remember.

This was a good story of the strength of friendship and encouragement. It took me a while to get into the story and the “Harriet” chapters bogged it down for me. Otherwise, I did like it. It is about a young woman in search of answers. She winds up learning a great deal about her grandmother and the woman she is named after. Both of those women were part of the resistance during WWII and wound up in a couple of concentration camps. They experienced horrible situations, but stood strong for each other to the end.

I have never read a lot or even have heard much about France during WW II. I have read all the books Fiona Valpy has written about it. The way each book intertwines with the others is amazing. Although book is a standard alone, they are all connected by characters from a previous book. I laughed and I cried! Each time I discovered a relationship from another book or even time period, I rejoiced. Claire, Vivienne, and Mireille were the most amazing women. It made me realize how easy we really have it now. Even within our beautiful country there is turmoil today. But nothing compared to the atrocities placed upon these women, France, and Europe as a whole. This series of books is one I believe everyone should read. Especially the youth who think this world treats them badly. My heart aches for all the people who lived through the terrible time of an evil man who thought he'd rule the earth. They were indeed made of stronger stuff than our world today. Beautiful, heart wrenching, researched extremely well, need to be read books! Thank you MS. Valpy! I am indeed a new fan and will search for more of your books! You are truly gifted.

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.