As with Fiona Valpy's other novels set in France, The Dressmaker's Gift transported the reader to the lives of everyday French women, undertaking extraordinary acts of bravery.

This book is primarily set among the streets of Paris, and the dual time frame didn't disappoint.

The parallels between Second World War France and the recent terrorist attacks in both Paris and Nice were striking and the feeling that we are living in dangerous times persisted. Couple that with the theme of mental illness and recurrent trauma, and this could have been a dark and depressing book, but instead the reader was gripped by the themes of optimism, bravery, and overall friendship.

A real pageturner, and I shed a tear as the two generations were brought together in a very satisfactory resolution.

I wait for Fiona Valpy's next book with anticipation.

The author draws us into the poison fog of the Third Reich. Rising out of this darkness the story delves into the courage, sacrifice and love thre young girls working under the cover of Haute Couture. Running through the threads of their lives is the troubled life of a granddaughter who questions her empty life. Was she also a victim? She finds her redemption in her search for answers. The story is so intense you feel drained. The best story of this time period.

My rating:

Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction
Women’s fiction

Review:

The book is vividly written and the plot flows well. The narrative is sad at times but at the same time uplifting in a way.. The story line is made up of dual time lines. Harriet’s story in the present and her grandmother Claire’s during WII. The characters had interesting personalities with strong admirable traits as well as weaknesses and flaws this made them fascinating but also realistic.

The only weakness in the plot that it wasn’t explained how Mireille knew every intimate detail of Claire’s life even the bits when she wasn’t actually there with her. It is of course possible that Claire could have told her afterwards or maybe there was a diary. This could have been explained better because it wasn’t it left a little bit of a hole in the plot which made it feel less credible. However it is still a good story that I enjoyed reading.

Overall this is nicely written book, thought provoking with realistic strong characters. If you enjoy historical fiction, you don’t want to miss this book.

The Dressmakers Gift was a look back at young people surviving the war in Paris in the 40’s. I liked that we were given a real glimpse into the life’s of the you g as they tried to survive and still resist the Nazis in occupied Paris. The granddaughter coming to work in seemingly the same area of the City of lights and yet feels a pull to this different Paris her ancestor experienced. I loved that Claire went from a shallow girl with remarkable needle skills to a determined member of the resistance and as her granddaughter moves through her life with modern eyes she too learns a few lessons for today.

Not sure where to start with this book - I had high expectations after reading The Beekeepers Promise which I thoroughly enjoyed. And it did not disappoint. This book takes you through the whole range of emotions and I don't ant to give anything away and spoil it. Full of hope and expectation but also of extreme sadness and horror. I kept thinking about this book long after I finished it. So hard to comprehend that these atrocities occurred and disbelief that humans could do this to one another. Beautifully written and I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Fiona Valpy is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of her best. A dual time line, family stretched across the years from Paris during the resistance to today's Paris. Strong women, strong friendships. And Paris. Beautifully written. I will be recommending this to everyone.

This is my first book by the author and I will be checking out more of her books. I really loved reading this book. The author was able to pull me inside of Paris during WWII and present day Paris.

This book contains two storylines, one taking place in Paris in 2017 during the time of the terrorist attacks and one in Paris during WWII. We follow the story of Claire, Vivienne and Mireille during that time. It is a story of friendship, staying strong, hope, but also about the horrors, hunger, cold and fear in those times. It is also about how our past has an effect on our present and the choices we make.

I won’t say more about the story, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it is a beautiful, intense story filled with love and hope during the most dark times.

I will definitely recommend this book.

Never Give Up

This is a story of Friendship, Love, Loyalty, Pain, Suffering, and a spirit within that never gives up.

It is the story of Harriet and how she comes to grips with her life after her mother's suicide by learning the story of her grandmother during WWII. Her friend Simone and both their families. Her friend Simone's grandmother was a friend to Clare Harriet's grandmother and thus related the story.
What I enjoyed about this book were the little details the author added. The bicycle from the man with the yellow star, The willow tree in the park, The bracelet with the charms, The gold locket, The blue dress pieced together are examples of these little special touches.

The story of her grandmother Claire is that of her and her two best friends Vivienne, and Murielle. It tells of their work in Paris as seamstresses and their work in the underground resistance during the War and the Nazi occupation of France. It tells of the capture of Claire and Vivienne and their time spent with the Gestapo and in the concentration camps. Sometimes so sad, but they kept each other going for almost two years in the camp. They always told each other "Hush now." "We are together." "Everything will be alright."

It is a wonderfully written story about life, Love, and Happiness. It tells of a powerful friendship that endured time and the ages.

This was a great read and I recommend it.

Thanks to Fiona Valpy, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

Thanks To NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Fiona Valpy for my copy of her new book: The Dressmaker's Gift. I have read her previous book: The Beekeeper's Promise and I loved it.
Paris, 1940. The city is occupied by the Nazis, three young French seamstresses Claire, Mireille and Vivienne are kept busy sewing beautiful dresses for German officers wives and their mistresses.
The girls share a tiny apartment, it's situated on the top floor of the fashion house where they work and the three girls are best friends.
The French citizens are struggling to survive, basic necessities are in short supply, everything is restricted and taken by the German army. Food, clothing, new shoes, fuel to run heaters and cars is hard to find. People are being sent to work in Germany, others are arrested, their families and friends never hear from them again.
The French people are doing what they can to rebel against the German's, many are involved in the resistance and are the girls?


Paris 2017. Harriet arrives in France, she's Claire's granddaughter and she moved to France to work for a year. Much to her shock she discovers she's living and working in the same building on the Rue Cardinale as her grandmother. Harriet's mother died when she was very young, her dad married again and she's struggled with finding her place in the world. She's discovers a picture of three smiling girls in Paris, taken during WW II and in a box of her mother things? Harriet decides to investigate, find out the girls identities, what happened to them during the war and she's not at all prepared for what she uncovers.

Three young women living, working and trying to survive in Paris during WW II. They had to make difficult choices, it's very dangerous, anyone could betray them and they had no idea who they can trust? Claire, Mireille and Vivienne had a friendship that was sewn together by a unbreakable thread and it lives on in the beautiful gowns they made.

I enjoyed, The Dressmaker's Gift, the dual time line was easy to follow and it was relevant to the books ending.
Harriet's grandparents never spoke about what happened to them during WW II, it effected their daughter Felicity, she struggled to cope, by discovering the truth about her grandmother experiences during the war, it helps Harriet understand her own mothers battle with mental illness and she's reunited with her father.

I received a complimentary copy of The Dressmaker's Gift, opinions expressed in this review are my own and I gave the book 4 stars.

There is a beautiful blue historic gown held in a museum. Harriett is embarking on a new adventure. She is interning with a fashion icon in Paris. I just couldn't get reeled in

A wonderful dual timeline story set in Paris during WWII and the present day. In 2017, after discovering a photograph of her grandmother as a young woman, Harriet travels to Paris to explore her family’s history. In the 1940s three seamstresses become members of the French Resistance and find themselves in grave danger.

The Dressmaker’s Gift is a moving tale of friendship, courage, resilience, love, loss and hope. I found it gripping, suspenseful and somewhat harrowing. It kept my attention throughout - I was eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next. I thought the two interlinked stories were sewn together quite seamlessly, a little like the lovely blue dress which one of the characters wore, and I very much enjoyed both timelines. I liked the way it was told and thought it had a lovely, easy style. Having read The Beekeeper’s Promise by the same author, it was great to recognise the name of Mereille, one of the seamstresses, and read her personal story.

Well researched, beautifully written and nicely plotted with some captivating characters, it gives a fantastic insight into the life of the resistance fighter and how the French coped with life during German occupation in such perilous and disturbing times. Well worth the read. I loved it!

This is the second book I have read by Fiona Valpy and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. The characters in this book were full of life and courage. I could not help myself from being instantly drawn in by them and I wanted to keep turning the pages to discover the present day story and the past story of life in France during the Second World War.
I will certainly be reading more books by this author and will recommend this book as highly as I recommended The Beekeeper’s Promise.

A beautifully written moving story that had me close to tears on many occasions. The work of the resistance and life in World War 2 Paris and beyond is told in a way that brings history to life. Strength, love and friendship prevail in this story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I love this book. There is romance, but it isn’t the point. The main character struggles with finding herself and her history, and in Paris, working in the fashion industry like her grandmother and great-aunt before her, she learned the story of Claire, her grandmother and a French Resistance worker.
As she learns her grandmother’s stories, she begins to connect what she learns with her own life, to develop some insights into her mother’s suicide, her own problems.
The World War II setting for the three young women connect this book with a story that has been told time and again, but from the perspective of seamstresses working in Paris, basically for German officers and their wives.
I love the circular story, how it ends where it begins, at the Palais, with Harriet readying her grandmother’s dress for exhibition (although you don’t know it at the onset). The connection of the past with the present, the atrocities occurring in both times, tie grandmother and granddaughter together in a beautiful prose.

An excellent novel that really draws you in. I was immersed in the storyline and couldn't stop reading well past my bedtime. Highly recommended.

Life in Paris in 1940 was anything but ordinary, the Nazis had taken over and residents lived in constant fear. Three young women, friends and dressmakers, try to carry on, but each one carries a secret so life threatening, they dare not speak of it aloud. Many years later, Harriet, the granddaughter of one of the friends, arrives in Paris. Unhappy and adrift in her own life, she’s looking for connections with her past, with her family. She never expects that the truth she uncovers about her grandmother will provide answers she might not want to hear. A moving story about the terrible choices made in the darkest times, and the far reaching impact of those decisions

This book got off to a bit of a slow start, but I had a feeling that I'd like it so I persevered. I wasn't wrong, and I'm glad I did.

The story follows Harriet to France on an internship in the fashion industry. She's following her grandmother's footsteps back during the second world war. The story intermingles Harriet's present day narrative with Claire's during the war.

Claire's story was captivating, and very enjoyable.

The story of Harriet whose mother has died and now knows very little about her family.She does have a picture of her grandmother and two other women taken in Paris during world war two.
Harriet finds a job at a fashion house in Paris and then goes on to uncover the truth about her gran during nazi occupied France.
I enjoyed the war chapters more than the current days story but I suppose they both have to be there to tie up the story.

When I read the synopsis for this novel I felt a need to read this novel
"Paris, 1940. With the city occupied by the Nazis, three young seamstresses go about their normal lives as best they can. But all three are hiding secrets. War-scarred Mireille is fighting with the Resistance; Claire has been seduced by a German officer; and Vivienne’s involvement is something she can’t reveal to either of them."

This is a period of history which I find intriguing and horrific in equal measure. I had high hopes for this novel but unfortunately not all of my expectations were met. I enjoyed the chapters based during the war and found them to be informative and from other sources that I had read very accurate. Fiona Valpy had a descriptive style which I found easy yo read and filled my imagination.

The downside for me were Harriet's chapters which i felf provided little to the main story. The coincidences which Harriet had I found implausible which did distract from the main story for me.

I found the focus of friendship, loyalty and strength in adversity engaging and on the whole I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it