The Gown by Jennifer Robson

I, like many other Americans, love anything that has to do with the royal family. It’s such a foreign concept (pun intended) to us that I think we can’t help but grasp on anything revolving around them. I think there’s always been an interest in them but it wasn’t until Princess Diana that people really started following them. There’s just this air of secrecy about them. Like I don’t find myself this intrigued in learning about any other royal family, but there’s just something about those British royals. Not to get super side tracked but when I was visiting in London a few years ago, I ended up seeing the entire royal family walk into Westminster for Commonwealth Day. It was probably the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. Ever since then, if there is a book that involves the royal family it immediately goes on my want to read list hence me reading a book about the creation of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

London, 1947 is often thought of one of the harshest winters that the country has ever faced. The war is over but the country is still struggling to find some normality and rationing is still widely in effect. Ann Hughes is an embroiderer at the famous Norman Hartnell fashion house when France native Miriam Dassin comes to London and beings work as an embroiderer as well. Ann and Miriam quickly become close friends and are ecstatic to learn that the Hartnell fashion house will be designing Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown for her upcoming nuptials to Prince Phillip.

Toronto, 2016: Heather Mackenzie is trying to figure out her career while also grieving the loss of her dear Nan. Heather is confused when she gets a package from her late Nan that is filled with embroidery flowers. As far as Heather knew, her Nan moved from England when she was a young girl and opened up a yarn store in Toronto. Why does her Nan have similar flowers that were also featured on the Queen’s wedding dress? When she decides to go to London for some answers she quickly learns why her Nan never talked about her time in Britain and how she became one of the biggest supporters for a Holocaust survivor.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is how Jennifer decided to not write from the perspective of Queen Elizabeth. She’s too much of a mystery that it would’ve been close to impossible to write from her view. So to write from two of the embroideries as they worked on her gown was a very interesting take. Robson was actually able to interview one of the original seamstresses who worked on this dress to help her get a lot of the details she might not have been able to from just reading old journals and papers. As someone who doesn’t always understand fashion, it was still clear to me how much time and work went on to create this beautiful gown. A gown that was part of a historical event that was able to bring a country together after years of war and sacrifice.

Until Next Time, The Library Abroad