"The Gown" by Jennifer Robson

The Gown by Jennifer Robson
Call Number: FICTION Robson
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 in spite of their nation's recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers in the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their bond, along with 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, 2011: 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, so similar to the exquisite motifs that embellished the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding more than sixty years before? And what was her Nan's connection to the celebrated textile artist Miriam Dassin? The Gown 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. Its heroines, whose points of view alternate and intersect throughout its pages, are connected by threads of loss and love, suffering and survival, regret and redemption.

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Friendship and Resilience: How do the characters of Ann and Miriam demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges? Discuss the importance of their friendship in helping them navigate difficult circumstances.
The Role of Women: In what ways does the novel highlight the roles and expectations of women in the post-World War II era, both in England and Canada? How do Ann and Miriam challenge traditional gender roles through their work and personal relationships?
Historical Accuracy: Jennifer Robson meticulously researched the details of the embroidery for Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gown. How does the novel blend historical facts with fictional storytelling? Discuss the author's portrayal of historical events and figures.
Artistic Expression: Explore the significance of embroidery as a form of artistic expression and craftsmanship. How does the act of creating intricate designs contribute to the characters' sense of identity and purpose?
The Impact of War: How do the experiences of Ann and Miriam during World War II shape their lives and relationships in the post-war era? Discuss the lingering effects of wartime trauma on the characters and their communities.
Identity and Belonging: Ann and Miriam come from different backgrounds but find common ground through their shared experiences. How do themes of identity and belonging play out in their individual journeys?
Family Dynamics: Both Ann and Miriam grapple with family expectations and secrets. How do their family dynamics influence their choices and relationships? Discuss the themes of reconciliation and forgiveness within the context of family.
Class and Social Change: The novel explores issues of class and social change in post-war England and Canada. How do characters from different social backgrounds navigate their respective worlds? How does the Queen's wedding symbolize broader societal shifts?
Love and Loss: Love and loss are central themes in the novel. How do the characters cope with grief and heartbreak? Discuss the different forms of love depicted in the story, including romantic love, friendship, and familial love.
Legacy and Remembrance: The novel reflects on the importance of preserving memories and honoring the past. How do Ann and Miriam's experiences contribute to the legacy of the embroidery and its significance to future generations?
The Power of Creativity: Explore the transformative power of creativity and artistic expression in "The Gown." How does the act of creating beauty in the midst of adversity provide solace and meaning for the characters?
Contemporary Relevance: Despite being set in the past, how do the themes and issues raised in the novel resonate with contemporary audiences? Discuss parallels between the characters' struggles and challenges faced by women today.

Early Life and Education: Jennifer Robson was born and raised in a small town in Ontario, Canada. She developed a love for reading and writing at a young age, which eventually led her to pursue a career in writing.

She earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from King's College, London, and a Master's degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford. Her academic background in history has greatly influenced her writing, particularly her interest in the World War I and World War II eras.

Literary Career: Jennifer Robson made her literary debut with the publication of "Somewhere in France" in 2013, the first book in her Great War series. The novel follows the story of a young British aristocrat who becomes an ambulance driver in France during World War I.

She continued to publish historical fiction novels, including "After the War is Over" (2015) and "Moonlight Over Paris" (2016), which further explored the aftermath of World War I and its impact on individuals and society.

Robson gained wider recognition with the publication of "The Gown" in 2019. The novel, inspired by the true story of the women who embroidered Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gown, received critical acclaim and became a bestseller. It has been translated into multiple languages and garnered a loyal readership worldwide.

In addition to her novels, Jennifer Robson has written articles and essays on historical topics for various publications. She is known for her meticulous research and attention to detail in recreating historical settings and characters.

Personal Life: Jennifer Robson currently resides in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and children. She continues to write historical fiction novels and is actively involved in promoting literacy and historical awareness.

Robson's work is characterized by its immersive storytelling, well-researched historical settings, and strong female protagonists. She has established herself as a prominent voice in the genre of historical fiction, captivating readers with her vivid portrayals of the past and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen
Call Number: FICTION Bowen
As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a "land girl," tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It's here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of devastating news, they are her saving grace. Emily's lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified--and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow. As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny.
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
Call Number: FICTION Gaynor
1917... It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be true--didn't it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photographs' authenticity, the girls become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war. Frances and Elsie will hide their secret for many decades. But Frances longs for the truth to be told. One hundred years later... When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript in her late grandfather's bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story it tells of two young girls who mystified the world. But it is the discovery of an old photograph that leads her to realize how the fairy girls' lives intertwine with hers, connecting past to present, and blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, can Olivia find a way to believe in herself?
Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell
Call Number: FICTION Jewell
After her grandmother Arlette's death, Betty is finally ready to begin her life. She had forfeited university, parties, boyfriends, summer jobs--all the usual preoccupations of a woman her age--in order to care for Arlette in their dilapidated, albeit charming home on the English island of Guernsey. Her will included a beneficiary unknown to Betty and her family, a woman named Clara Pickle who presumably could be found at a London address. Now, having landed on a rather shabby street corner in '90s Soho, Betty is determined to find the mysterious Clara. She's ready for whatever life has to throw her way. Or so she thinks... In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette De La Mare is starting her new life in a time of postwar change. Beautiful and charismatic, she is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But two years after her arrival in London, tragedy strikes and she flees back to her childhood home and remains there for the rest of her life. As Betty navigates the ups and downs of city life and begins working as a nanny for a rock star tabloid magnet, her search for Clara leads her to a man--a stranger to Betty, but someone who meant the world to her grandmother. Will the secrets of Arlette's past help Betty find her own way to happiness in the present? A rich detective story and a captivating look at London then and now, Before I Met You is an unforgettable novel about two very different women, separated by seventy years, but united by big hearts and even bigger dreams.
The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble
Call Number: FICTION Noble
It's 1899, and Manhattan is abuzz. Louis Comfort Tiffany, famous for his stained-glass windows, is planning a unique installation at the Paris World's Fair, the largest in history. At their fifth-floor studio on Fourth Avenue, the artists of the Women's Division of the Tiffany Glass Company are already working longer shifts to finish the pieces that Tiffany hopes will prove that he is the world's finest artist in glass. Known as the "Tiffany Girls," these women are responsible for much of the design and construction of Tiffany's extraordinary glassworks, but none receive credit. Emilie Pascal, daughter of an art forger, has been shunned in Paris art circles after the unmasking of her abusive father. Wanting nothing more than a chance to start a new life, she forges a letter of recommendation in hopes of fulfilling her destiny as an artist in the one place where she will finally be free to live her own life. Grace Griffith is the best copyist in the studio, spending her days cutting glass into floral borders for Tiffany's religious stained-glass windows. But none of her coworkers know her secret: she is living a double life as a political cartoonist under the pseudonym of G.L. Griffith--hiding her identity as a woman. As manager of the women's division, Clara Driscoll is responsible for keeping everything on schedule and within budget. But in the lead-up to the most important exhibition of her career, not only are her girls becoming increasingly difficult to wrangle, she finds herself obsessed with a new design: a dragonfly lamp that she has no idea will one day become Tiffany's signature piece. Brought together by chance, driven by their desire to be artists in one of the only ways acceptable for women in their time, these "Tiffany Girls" will break the glass ceiling of their era and for working women to come.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Call Number: FICTION Quinn
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Osla puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Mab works the legendary codebreaking machines and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Beth's shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and she becomes one of the Park's few female cryptanalysts. 1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, the three women are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter-- the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum.

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The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
Call Number: FICTION Ryan
After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the London Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. Praying that her niece and nephew will be more hospitable than her brother had been, she arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business while staying in a quaint country village. Her niece, Violet Westcott, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay--the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. But just as Cressida arrives, so does Violet's conscription letter. It couldn't have come at a worse time; how will she ever find a suitably aristocratic husband if she has to spend her days wearing a frumpy uniform and doing war work? Meanwhile, the local vicar's daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother's gown, her only chance of a white wedding. When Cressida Westcott appears at the local Sewing Circle meeting, Grace asks for her help--but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills. Before long, Cressida's spirit and ambition galvanizes the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides, but for brides across the country. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves.

Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles: "The Gown" by Jennifer Robson

"The Gown" by Jennifer Robson

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