The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow is a multiple time period novel in which our present day narrator, an aspiring interior designer, finds a beautiful quilt in her mother’s attic with a message embroidered into the lining. She sets out to learn more about the quilt and discovers a connection with a young woman called Maria who spent most of her life in a mental hospital claiming to be a former lover of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII). As Maria’s story unfolds, in the form of taped interviews recorded by a student in the 1970s, we find out whether she was telling the truth and, if so, what secrets are hidden in the quilt’s design.

I wasn’t expecting too much from this book, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would – and for once, I found the modern day storyline as compelling as the historical one. On one level it’s almost a mystery novel, with the narrator hunting for clues to the quilt’s origins, tracking down people who may have known Maria and piecing fragments of information together to try to discover the truth. However, it also provides some insights into social issues such as living conditions in mental institutions, psychiatric treatment in the early 20th century and the later policy of ‘care in the community’. Some parts of the story were too predictable, but it was an interesting read overall and I will probably look for more of Liz Trenow’s books.

This is a story that transcends generations to tell the story of 3 very different women. Two are from the past and one from modern day that is both mysterious and heartfelt. Its begins with a seamstress who is noticed by a queen and takes the reader across time, to very different lives. It is a story of strong women, of survival and how ancestors and their stories collide with our lives. Very well done.

I had chosen this book for it's amazing, beautiful and engrossing cover and blurb. I had read it half way through- loved the narration, the building up of themes of suspense and secrets. But I couldn't finish reading it, due to some personal issues, and the book expired... :(

In England right before the start of the First World War a young teen-age girl, Maria, who from the age of two lived in an orphanage where she learned to be an excellent seamstress, was summoned to Buckingham Palace to be a part of the staff. While there her choices and behavior dictated the rest of her life. In “The Forgotten Seamstress”, Liz Trenow writes a fictitious account of the seduction of a naïve young girl who is dazzled by the attentions of the young Prince Edward, heir to the throne of England. Her skill with a needle brings her to the rooms of the Prince to alter a garment for him. He initiates meetings with her and soon they become lovers. When the Prince is called to war, mind you, only behind the lines and in no danger, he promises that he will return and will continue to write. After a while, there are no letters and no further contact between them. However Maria is left with a lasting remembrance of the Prince and their affair. A few months after the Prince has gone to “war”, Maria is swept away by one of the palace’s staff to an insane asylum where she and her “fantasies” about her relationship with the royal son are dismissed as those of a lunatic. The story comes to light as we follow a young woman who inherits a beautifully made quilt and tries to find the story behind the creation. Even though this story is fiction, as I read, I could imagine exactly this scenario happening in real life, especially during the beginning of the twentieth century.

I did enjoy this novel, but I must say that it took a few chapters before I fully understood what was going on. The book skipped back and forth from 1918 to present day and following the story was at times difficult. This story was written so well that after I was finished reading I was almost convinced that this story was true. Ms. Trenow has a knack of bringing history to life and intertwining her love of fabric and its history with the characters.

I was received complimentary Kindle copy of this novel by NetGalley.com in return for my honest review.