The Gown, Jennifer Robson
The Gown, Jennifer Robson
6 Rating(s)
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Gown
A Novel of the Royal Wedding

Author: Jennifer Robson

Narrator: Marisa Calin

Unabridged: 12 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 12/31/2018


Synopsis

From the internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century—Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown—and the fascinating women who made it.

“Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.”
—Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding

London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?

With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.

About Jennifer Robson

Jennifer Robson is the Globe & Mail and Toronto Star number-one bestselling author of six novels, among them The Gown and Somewhere in France. She holds a doctorate in British history from the University of Oxford and lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and children.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Katie on January 08, 2019

Even though this historical fiction book revolves around the making of Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown, there surprisingly is a fair amount of depth to the story. I actually picked this one up because I thought it would be a nice escape from some stressful life events and while it certainly provided......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on December 31, 2018

5 stars to this story of strength and friendship! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Happy New Year to all my Goodreads friends! 🥳 🎉 🥂 Told in three voices over two time periods, The Gown is a stunning story. In 1947 London, knee deep in a harsh winter with heavy rationing, the war has left its indelible mark. Ann Hugh......more

Goodreads review by Tina on February 09, 2019

FIVE GLOWING STARS!! ***** Let me start by saying I'm a devoted,"Royal Watcher." It all started when I was 11 years old and saw Lady Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles. Watching it felt like a fairytale coming true. The beautiful, young, bride with the long flowing "Princess" gown displayed in its fu......more

Goodreads review by Kate on August 24, 2018

I had a chance to read this for a cover quote, and devoured it! My quote: "Jennifer Robson embroiders life, friendship, and hope into the somber gray world of post-war London every bit as skillfully as her seamstress heroines embroider crystal flowers into the folds of a royal wedding dress. Miriam......more