England after World War II was a grim place, and the winter of 1947 was one of the nastiest Britain had seen, which is saying something. The major cities, especially London, had been bombed to smithereens by Hitler's Luftwaffe. There was still rationing of fuel to heat tiny rooms, and even soap and potatoes were scarce. The one bright spot was the upcoming wedding of the heiress presumptive to the throne, Princess Elizabeth. Then, as now, the royals gave good value in troubled times.

Jennifer Robson's latest novel focuses on three women, with a few men and glimpses of royalty on the side. Ann Hughes is an embroiderer at the salon of Norman Hartnell, couturier to the royal ladies and designer of the princess's wedding gown. Ann considers herself a plain girl that no one would notice. Her roommate and friend Miriam Dassin, another embroiderer, is a French émigré who arrived in London with a recommendation from Christian Dior in hand. She's also a Jew and a Holocaust survivor, something she reveals but sparingly; this was a time and place when anti-Semitism was casual even after the Nazis had been routed.

Both women live to great old age, and when Ann finally dies, she leaves a box of embroidered flowers to her Canadian granddaughter, Heather. Heather has no idea why she's received the box, or that Ann worked for Norman Hartnell and helped put together the royal wedding ensemble. Ann never spoke of her life in England or her friendship with Miriam, now a world-famous artist—why?

Robson, bestselling author of Somewhere in France, makes the reader eager to find out Ann's secret. Ultimately, it's one of those things you see coming, and yet you hope you're mistaken. Did Queen Elizabeth know what Ann went through to make her wedding gown? Of course not. Nor does Heather. But Ann does the British thing: stiffens her upper lip and soldiers on.

The Gown is an inspiring story about strength, resilience and creativity.

 

This article was originally published in the January 2019 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Ann Hughes has worked for Normand Hartnell, famed dressmaker for the queen and royal family, since she was 14. After her roommate immigrates to Canada, Ann, having survived the Blitz, her brother's death, and a horrible winter, is now faced with losing her home. Luckily, Miriam Dassin, a fellow embroiderer and recent refugee from France, is looking for better lodgings. The new roommates form a friendship and Ann learns the horrible story about what happened to Miriam and her family during the war. Seventy years later, Ann has recently died and her heartbroken granddaughter Heather is cleaning out Ann's possessions. She finds a box filled with intricate embroidered fabrics. Heather knew her grandmother was a crocheter and knitter, but after a little sleuthing, she discovers that Ann worked on then Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress. VERDICT Alternating time lines between 1947 Britain and 2016 Canada, Robson (Goodnight from London) vividly brings to life these three women's struggles. Historical details about fabric, embroidery, and the royal family are well incorporated into their stories, with light romance rounding out this charming work of historical fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 7/30/18.]—Lynnanne Pearson, Skokie P.L., IL

Robson (Moonlight over Paris) delivers a satisfying multigenerational epic linked by the intricate embroidery used on Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. In 1947 London, Ann Hughes works as an embroiderer at Hartnell, an exclusive clothing designer whose designs have been worn by the royals. Ann lost her brother during the Blitz and now lives with her widowed sister-in-law Milly. When French émigré Miriam Dassin starts working as an embroiderer at Hartnell, she and Ann become friends, and she moves in with Ann after Milly leaves England to live in Canada with her brothers. After Hartnell is chosen as the designer for Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress, Ann and Miriam work on the dress's embroidery. The story jumps forward to 2016 Canada when journalist Heather Mackenzie's grandmother dies and leaves her a box with beautifully embroidered fabric. She had disclosed little of her life in England before emigrating to Canada, and Heather travels to London to uncover the secrets of her grandmother's life in London and her friendship with Miriam, now a celebrated artist. Robson's meticulous attention to historical details—notably the intricacies of the embroidery work—is a wonderful complement to the memorable stories of Ann and Milly, making for a winning, heartwarming tale. (Dec.)