The Gown audiobook

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 a welcome distraction, I did find myself feeling more emotionally invested in some of the characters than I initially had predicted. Sometimes a book finds a way into your hands at the perfect time and that certainly was the case here.While World War 2 was over, life in London in 1947 was pretty bleak but the country did have the upcoming wedding of Princess Elizabeth to look forward to. Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin are part of a team of embroiderers and seamstresses that have been tasked with the making of the wedding gown. Fast forward to 2016 where Heather has found a set of embroidered flowers in her late grandmother's possessions. Not knowing why her grandmother, Nan, had them to begin with, Heather embarks on a quest to find out more about Nan's mysterious life when she lived in London decades ago as it was a topic that always seemed to be off-limits in the family. In regards to the historical accuracy of the book, this is a case of the author taking some known facts about the making of the wedding gown but also largely using her imagination in regards to the story. The main characters in the book do not exist in real life which might disappoint some historical fiction fans but I thought what the author came up with in terms of a story still makes for a compelling read. I highly recommend reading the author's note at the end as it provides a good context into her writing process.I like how the novel touched on what life was like in London a few years after the war as it's not a topic explored nearly as much as it could be in books. Miriam's backstory brought a lot of depth to her character. But for me the most meaningful part of the story was the special relationship between Heather and her grandmother and how fortunate I was to have that same connection with my grandmother. I don't think you necessarily have to be a fan of fashion or the royals to enjoy this book. It's just a good, solid read with strong female characters and I don't hesitate to recommend giving it a chance.

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 and Ann are both battling inner demons when they meet in the backroom of England's most famous couture house, but the chance of a lifetime--the task of embroidering Princess Elizabeth's gown for the wedding of the century--will open new doors for both women, and lay the foundations of a mystery to be unraveled seventy years later by their grandchildren. THE GOWN is marvelous and moving, a vivid portrait of female self-reliance in a world racked by the cost of war."

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 full glory along the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral took my breath away. That started my interest and it grew into the whole British Royal Family and then eventually to all European Royal Families. (Princess Grace and the Monaco Royals were another favourite of mine too!) So, when I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway you can imagine how ecstatic I was! Well, this book did not disappoint me! I did not know that much about Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown but the cover was beautiful. Her gown was exquisite!First off I loved the writing style! The words just flowed beautifully and I was immersed fully into another time. Jennifer Robson has a way with words.The story is told in Post World War II time (1947) and present day.The 1947 story revolves around 2 characters. Ann Hughes, and Miriam Dassin. They are fictional characters who work for the famous Norman Hartnell Fashion Design House in London. They are embroiderers who are working on the wedding gown of the then Princess Elizabeth. The wedding brings an excitement to England after the War. As the women work on the famous wedding gown their own stories start to enfold. The third story of the journalist named Heather begins in Canada in present time. She begins to unravel the story of Ann and Miriam in England.This book was written and researched very well. I so loved that part of the story took place in Toronto, Canada. It was a pleasure to read about local areas and attractions. The stories of all 3 women were equally enjoyable. I was captivated from beginning to end. I would highly recommend this book for Historical-Fiction fans!

Lucky me got to read this all in one day while sitting poolside on a mini getaway. I love a good dual time periods tale, where the melding of past and present is believable and refined. This is that kind of book. And oh, that cover...

While The Gown is a heartfelt tale about the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown, it is also ultimately the story of three women who strive to find their place in the world and how each deals with love, loss, and family. The book is told in a dual timeline format with Miriam’s and Ann’s stories taking place in 1947, and Heather’s in 2016. In the midst of the harshest winter in memory and shortages still resulting from the war, England welcomes the engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. Norman Hartnell is chosen to design her gown, and Miriam and Ann are chosen to help embroider the creation. Years later following her grandmother’s death, Heather uncovers a box with her name on containing some beautifully embroidered flowers. As the women’s tales unfold, the connection between them all is slowly unveiled in a touching and realistic manner.While I am a lover of history and particularly tales about woman who have made a positive impact on our world, I have never really had much interest in England’s modern day royal family so I have to say I was not totally sure whether this book would appeal to me. I am so glad I decided to read it anyway because it is a fascinating and beautiful tale which touches briefly on then Princess Elizabeth and her family but mainly details the creation of the wedding gown and the despondency of London following the end of World War 2. It is a true page turner, and I finished it in under 24 hours. Robson exhaustively researched the time period resulting in a descriptive and compelling tale of courage and triumph in the face of horrible shortages and grim weather conditions. I was surprised to learn that the end of the war was not the end of wartime rationing in London and how harsh living conditions were for London residents long after the war had ended.I highly recommend The Gown. As only wonderfully written historical fiction can do, The Gown transports the reader to war-torn London and allows the reader a glimpse into a bygone era and events that are not commonly known today.For more reviews, check out my Instagram account, https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....

This is a lovely historical fiction rendering of two young women who were embroiderers for royal dress designer Norman Hartnell. He designed the future Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gown when she married Prince Philip. I was keenly interested in the working process of how this iconic bridal gown came to fruition. The author took us right into this dress factory and into the talented hands of these young embroiderers. They described in minute detail how the beads, pearls, sequins, tulle, silk and satin were manipulated into the sparkling flowery wonders that adorned the princess's gown. The run up to this royal wedding was 1947 during a time of austerity where food and clothing was rationed as a result of WWII. I particularly enjoy reading about this time when people made due with what they had without waste. The British were just coming out of the war and this wedding was a cause for excitement and joy after bleak times. In their genuine affection for this beautiful princess, many British citizens sent in their clothing ration tickets to assist her in acquiring The Gown. The story also benefited by the truly endearing and good main characters of Ann and Miriam who both worked at the Normal Hartnell factory and shared a government council house. There was also a dual timeline element involving their decendants with a mystery to solve. A swatch of embroidery involving Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown was left to a granddaughter named Heather prompting her trip to England to find out more. I read extensively about the British Royal Family, so this was a unique perspective on the subject. It was very interesting to read about the behind the scenes workings of a high end clothing factory serving the royals. Some of their work protocols were to wash their hands often and not wear makeup. It was also a delight to read about Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mum, Queen Mary (grandmother), and Princess Margaret visiting the factory to check on the status of the bridal and bridesmaid gowns. The book also took you into Buckingham Palace as the bride and her bridesmaids got dressed for the Royal Wedding with all of its last minute trevails- like Princess Elizabeth's tiara splitting apart at the middle and needing a repair, and the pearl necklace her parents gifted her having to be fetched from another palace location where wedding gifts had been on display. This was a pleasant "quiet read" for me that I popped in and out of while reading other things, but was prompted to stick with during its last 30%, carried away by the history and warm nostalgia of a golden era gone by.

The Gown is such a beautiful novel where Robson has written a story for the ladies that created Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown! The story is so perfect in every dimension and I love Jennifer's style of writings so much! The book is told from three viewpoints!.The book is so evocative and enchanting, I love historical fictions merged with royal Families within, the drama and the plot gets very interesting and intriguing in different angles, reading this will give you mixed emotions and for sure you are going to love it, you can feel special positive vibe within the lines which makes the novel so beautiful!.I really loved the characters that the Author has created they are so brave and smart girls that have such a lovely personalities!Ann and Miriam are working for the famous designer Normal in the 1940s , the topics the Author uses are so deeply moving and elaborated in the best way as you feel all the time just as the storyis real! You can find from the past emotions of the Holocause to the sexual consent and grief! I really enjoyed every page of this masterpiece historical fiction, and the way that the Author writes about a strong female relationship is so perfect! .Heather is Ann's Granddaughter who finds a box of embroidery samples with her name on it after Ann's death! The story gets so interesting and intriguing after that moment all the past and present details were revealed so magnificent! I really enjoyed every part of the book, every intrigue moment of the workers within the design factory, and the friendship between Ann and Miriam everything was awesome and we highly recommend you to read THE GOWN!!

If there were ever a wedding dress to base a book upon, this is the one. What an incredible triumph of artistry. With plot threads from the past and the present, we have a front row seat to the incredible detail work that went into embellishing Princess Elizabeth's gown in 1947. The present day POV shows us the granddaughter(Heather) of one of the embroiderers (Ann) discovering her grandmother's work and connecting with another artist(Miriam) who worked on the dress. Miriam is a Jew who emigrated to London from France after the war and her suffering is worked out in beautiful ways beyond the gown. Now I need to watch the wedding episode of "The Crown" again to really appreciate the expertise highlighted in this novel.Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you TLC Book Tours for gifting me a copy of The Gown in exchange for an honest review.It is no secret that Historical Fiction is my favorite genre to read and The Royal Family are my favorite people to obsess over. So, of course, I would have to read The Gown, a fictionalized account of the Norman Hartwell's fashion house as they created Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown in 1947. The story focuses on Ann Hughes and Miriam Dessin, two young girls working for Mr. Hartwell. The story jumps ahead in time to Heather MacKenzie and her quest to understand more about the beloved woman she called "Nan." Her journey takes her to London and discover more about her grandmother.I absolutely loved this book. Loved the history, loved the fashion, loved the characters. It was the perfect read for HF lovers.

Evocative, enchanting, and beautifully written!The Gown is a captivating, sentimental tale predominantly set in London post-WWII, as well as present day, that follows the lives of three main characters.  Ann, a young talented embroider employed by the esteemed Norman Hartnell; Miriam, a Holocaust survivor and émigré from France who becomes Ann's coworker and close friend; and Heather, Ann's granddaughter who after discovering embroidered flowers in her grandmother's possessions after her passing embarks on a journey to determine their significance.The prose is eloquent and well turned.  The characters are flawed, multifaceted, hardworking, and brave. And the plot, along with all the seamlessly intertwined subplots, is an impressive mix of drama, familial dynamics, emotion, secrets, love, loss, duty, heartbreak, passion, and courage; as well as an insightful look at life in postwar London and the importance of female friendships.Overall, The Gown is a wonderful blend of historical facts and compelling fiction that's mesmerizing, gripping, nostalgic and perfect for those who love anything royal.Thank you to William Morrow and Goodreads Giveaways for my copy!