<b>**FULL REVIEW**</b>

This book was so well thought out, I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading. Claire’s story, along with Vivi and Mierelle in war-torn Paris during the German occupancy...the uprising against the Nazi soldiers in a secret network of people determined not to succumb to a communist way of life. Women were grossly underestimated and utilized their resources in creative and deceptively simple ways.

I loved the ties between generations, the solid foundation a young girl discovers in the midst of grief and loss. Harriet’s journey away from her family, in hopes of finding her place in the world is told from a perspective that captivated me. 

A story shared between friends. A connection to places and people of the past...it was amazing.

I only hope when people read this story, they truly take the time to remember the history of the hardships, the gruesome conditions lives were made to endure...and the research the author did in order to honor the accuracy of the Holocaust and World War Two.

I will read more by this author for sure.

<b>**4.5 Never Forget, Stars**</b>

The Dressmaker’s Gift set in both  WWII and modern day France weaves a tale of three courageous women and the toll their part in the war takes on future generations.  Set against the backdrop of France’s fashion business, the story is just the right mix of intrigue, suspense and love backed by historical incidents.          

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

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC. The book is given to me as an exchange for an honest review. 

#TheDressmakersGift #NetGalley

An excellent novel set in WWII. I greatly enjoyed this one. 

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Having loved the beekeepers promise I was looking forward to reading another from this author. I really enjoyed this book , well written and bringing the time of war to life . Struggled slightly with Harriets drama at times but good overall

I love Fiona Valpy's books. At times I find I am holding my breath while reading. Her books are always well written with a lot of historical detail.

This book is a real hidden gem. I love fashion so the idea of this dress that calls down through the years - the midnight blue satin, made of many pieces but with such tiny stitches it appears as if one piece of fabric - really appealed to me. Added to this my in-laws history of escaping the Warsaw ghetto at 8 years old in one case, and being sent to Siberia in the other, means I am interested in the threads of family history here. Their family has its own incredible story with repercussions that echo down the generation so I understand lives being displaced and changed beyond recognition, and the results of that still being felt two generations later, 

It is Harriet’s  blove for fashion and a. Old photograph that leads her to the door of a Paris fashion PR for a year long internship. She is loaned a room in the apartment above the office alongside another girl. Harriet knows this is the very apartment where her grandmother Clare lived in the 1940s. She has left behind a difficult situation!. Having finished university Harriet has been living with her father and stepmother, where she has never felt welcome. Her father sent Harriet to boarding school when he first lived with her stepmom, following her mums death. Her father seemed to find it difficult to cope with a grieving daughter and a burgeoning relationship. 
One of Harriet’s most treasured possessions is the photo she had of her grandmother Claire she her two best friends in Paris, Mirreile and Vivi. She also has a charm bracelet given by her grandmother and it’s charms show Harriet a story of who her grandmother was. When we are taken back into the past we learn more about these three women. All work in an atelier for the Paris fashion houses. We find out that Claire and Mirreille lived upstairs first, but are later joined by Vivi. All three are great seamstresses and are quick to become friends. 

When the Germans arrive in Paris at first is it easy to carry on as normal. Yes, there are more German voices in the cafes and bars, German vehicles in the streets and people still order couture clothes, but as the war really starts to bite things begin to change. The girls friendship survives Claire’s disastrous dalliance with a German officer, but afterwards things begin to change. What mysterious work is Vivi doing in the atelier after hours? Who is the gentleman Mirreille is seen with and why is she often missing after curfew? The girls are about to be involved in the war in ways they didn’t imagined; ways that could mean paying the ultimate price. 

Just like the stitches in a beautiful garments the threads of history are so beautifully intertwined with the fictional story of the girls. I read Alice Hoffman’s new novel in the last few weeks and it is also set in 1940s Paris so it was interesting to see the same historic events from a different viewpoint. I could see how much research the author had done and her skill in mentioning actual events without them feeling tacked on to the girls story was brilliant, I slowly came to care about each of the girls and although Vivi seems less accessible than the other two at first, it was interesting to see how central to Harriet’s history she becomes. 

The detail is often harrowing to read and the idea that trauma can be passed through generations is one I’m familiar with because I’m a therapist and have read the same research as the author. She uses this beautifully in the novel, illustrating that the German’s horrendous acts of cruelty were on such a scale that it echoes down to the next generation. It is only when someone identifies the trauma in their family and gets professional help to let go of it’s effects, that someone can start to heal. I think I expected this book to be lighter and more focused on fashion from the blurb, but what I got was far superior: an incredible story of friendship and survival. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

A gripping tale of 3 young women in Paris during WWII is tragic, heartwarming and inspiring. Lover's of a good story, French resistance friendship will enjoy this book. The girls all have sewing in common and being in Paris and it's fashion industry is the thread that binds these three women. You cheer for the women and put yourself in their place as the war brings love and tragedy.
The story weaves back to WWII and the present with Harriet, the granddaughter of one of the women. Harriet tries to understand her grandmother and her own family's past as she goes to live and work in Paris.
It's a fascinating read and very realistic. Enjoy.

The Dressmaker's Gift is the story of Harriett's journey to understand her grandmother Claire's history in Paris during WWII. This book is similar in scope to others that I have read recently about family learning the history of their relatives during the war and what these revelations mean to them.

That being said while it feels familiar this one was very enjoyable and a quick read. These characters are well developed and three dimensional in a way that they have personal growth throughout the book making it something you want to read. It does not feel flat in either the 1940s portion of the novel or the 2010s portion. 

If you like this kind of WWII/historical fiction novel, this one is a pretty good one and while it handles some difficult themes you could read this while on vacation (like I did) and not feel brought down.

A beautifully written moving story that had me close to tears.  The work of the resistance and life in World War 2 Paris and beyond is told in a way that brings history to life. Thank you Fiona Valpy for this fabulous book

Loved it!!! I loved reading about Mireille, Claire and Vivienne. Three strong woman who appear to be innocent seamstresses, but are really leading secret lives to help their country during the war. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't a huge fan of Harriet. I can't believe she didn't know anything about her mom or grandmother. I'm not sure why Claire and her husband's story would have been kept a secret. I felt like there could have been more about Felicity. Did she know the truth about her mom? Why did she keep this hidden from Harriet? I'm glad Harriet finally say the truth about her dad and stepmom. They truly loved her and always felt like she was part of the family, even if Harriet didn't see it. It's hard to believe the couture houses were still so busy during the war. The people were living on such small rations of food, but there was still a need for such expensive clothes.

Definitely recommend the book. Yes, you have to suspend reality a little bit. What's the chance Harriet would end up living in the same place as her grandmother and meet someone who could reveal the past to her?? Loved the story of the seamstresses and look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'm often asked how I rate a book and I'm glad it's asked because I've seen other reviewers rate based how they like the characters, unexpected v expected outcome, historical factors even if fiction based, but rarely do you hear about the writing, the plot, the flow, etc.
I'm one that also adds on more to this mix:emotions. In the end, would it be something I'd recommend to others? Did it stir up the creative juices? Was it moving and heartfelt and captured the moment even if not an accurate portrayal?
If I answered yes then for me that book deserves a higher rating and this is one such case.
I always preview my book blogger/reviewer opinions and take them to heart before I set my own review out there.
In this case I disagree with many when they comment on inherited trauma and whether or not it was wise to bring this into an already heavy mix of dark and depressive formats including the horrendous time frame involving Nazi occupation.
I believe it's better to have placed this in here for discussion and for insight because it will get others talking.
With this said I didn't mind the back and forth time lines nor did I mind the fact that the granddaughter magically ended up right where she was meant to be in examining the past.
Can one die of a broken heart?
Can the past be re-written?
Will the closure be evident?
I can't imagine the horror or the pain those during WWII experienced but I've read plenty to get an understanding of how I hope history doesn't repeat itself.
Will these characters ever reunite: Together in life and death?
Now that's the ultimate question here and I love the way the author addressed it all in her own way!
Kudos!

A beautifully written book with four interesting and inspiring women at its core. Harriett finds a photo of her grandmother which leads her to Paris and the discovery of the family's journey during the German occupation.  Another story of determination and the will to not just survive but to live.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this new title. I had never read this author before and was impressed by both her writing style and character development. My only complaint was the modern timeframe with Harriet.  I think the story would have been better with just the wartime story of the three friends.

Fiona Valpy has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers!  The Dressmaker’s Gift set in both  WWII and modern day France weaves a tale of three courageous women and the toll their part in the war takes on future generations.  Set against the backdrop of France’s fashion business, the story is just the right mix of intrigue, suspense and love backed by historical incidents.   It is a must read for anyone who is a fan of WWII historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this book. Set in two time periods, present and 1940’s, it tells the story of a granddaughter trying to find herself and about her grandmother. Her grandmother was a dressmaker in Paris during the war and became friends with two other seamstresses. They become involved it the resistance program and many interesting things follow after that. The granddaughter, Harriet, begins to understand not only what her grandmother went through but also begins to understand her own mother.

Unable to give feedback as issues with this and several other titles and unable to download another copy

The Dressmaker’s gift was a beautiful story. Young Harriet follows a picture of her grandmother all the way to Paris. She never expected to find a friend who’s grandmother knew her own grandmother, Claire. The story of Clair’s time in Paris during WWII unfolds. It’s a heartwarming story of how love got three friends through terrible times.

The Dressmaker's Gift - Wow this book captured my attention from page one and held it until then last page.  The courage of the resistance people was amazing.  I loved this book!  I have a couple other books by his author that I can't wait to read.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC. I loved the dual timeline. Gripping from the start. Very emotional story. This is my first time reading Fiona Valpy and I'm looking forward to reading more

This one fell short for me. The characters were lackluster and somewhat uninteresting. The coincidence of two granddaughters sharing the apartment just seemed to far reaching. And I could not follow how Harriet was getting the back story. It started out with Simone telling her the story, but then going forward there are random scenes from the past and then scenes from the future, with Harriet ruminating on the past story, but no idea how she came to know about it. This story could have been so much better than it was.