∎ Download The Gown A Novel of the Royal Wedding Jennifer Robson 9780062884275 Books

The Gown A Novel of the Royal Wedding Jennifer Robson 9780062884275 Books

Download As PDF : The Gown A Novel of the Royal Wedding Jennifer Robson 9780062884275 Books

The Gown A Novel of the Royal Wedding Jennifer Robson 9780062884275 Books

"The Gown", by British author Jennifer Robson, is historical fiction written in a favorite style for authors these days. Namely, there are multiple points of view - in this case, three - and operating in different time periods, two in Robson's book. The story's focal point is Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress and the interest and attendant commotion it caused in the post WW2 Britain. The government and the Royal Family threw caution to the wind after years of war-time and post-war economy and rationing and gave Elizabeth and her (dishy) groom, Philip Mountbatten, a real celebration.

Part of most wedding hooplas, of course, is the wedding dress. Elizabeth's was handmade at the fashion firm of Norman Hartnell. Hartnell had been dressing the Royal family, as well as other aristocrats and general rich people since the 1920's. He and his firm were the obvious choice to design THE dress for the November, 1947 wedding. Jennifer Robson focuses on two of Hartnell's embroiderers in her story.

Robson writes in her Afterword that she wanted to write about the Royal Wedding, but not from the usual viewpoint of the bride or members of the wedding party. She chose to write using the two women - both at odds and ends in post-war Britain. Ann, a young woman from Barking, has worked at Hartnell for 10 years or so and has worked her way up in the Hartnell studio. Miriam is a refugee from France, who arrives in London both with a recommendation from Christian Dior and a lot of secrets she's not willing or able to disclose. She gets a job at Hartnell and she and Ann share a house. The third character of the story is Ann's granddaughter, Heather, who lives in current-day Toronto. Her beloved "Gran" has died and she - like her old friend, Miriam, has gone to her grave with lots of untold secrets.

Jennifer Robson brings both the plot and the characters together, and makes the time span of 70 or so years between 1947 and 2015 disappear. She's a good writer and the book, while somewhat predicable. I assume it would be a good book club selection. Is it great literature? No, but it's a good read.


Tags : The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding [Jennifer Robson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong>One of the most anticipated reads from InStyle, HelloGiggles, Hypable, Bookbub, and Bookriot!</strong> <strong>One of Real Simple's Best Historical Fiction novels of the year!</strong> <strong></strong>  <strong>“<em>The Gown</em> is marvelous and moving,Jennifer Robson,The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding,William Morrow,0062884271,Elizabeth,Embroidery;Fiction.,Historical fiction,London (England) - Social life and customs - 20th century,Wedding costume,Wedding costume;Fiction.,Women dressmakers,Women dressmakers;Fiction.,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Romance Historical 20th Century,FICTION Sagas,Fiction,Fiction-Historical,FictionRomance - Historical - 20th Century,FictionSagas,GENERAL,General Adult,Great BritainBritish Isles,United States,Women's Studies

The Gown A Novel of the Royal Wedding Jennifer Robson 9780062884275 Books Reviews

I was attracted to The Gown by the plot summary, so I bought the edition. While the plot is indeed good, the character development drives the novel and contributes to its realism. Robson created a genuine, honest group of believable people in this story and showed solid attention to multiple details. There were a couple of nice twists in character relationships that added depth and interest. While the story dealt with hard issues of life in and after WWII, the story is never gloomy because the characters maintain hope despite struggle and hardship. The appendices offer insight into Robson’s process, the genesis of the story, and, they open a window into the life of the living seamstresses who the novelist had the chance to interview for the book. This was my first novel by Robson and it was a very pleasant read.
When I was very young, one of my aunts was super interested in then Princess Elizabeth. If they had had TV back in the day, she would have been up at 5 in the morning watching the Royal Wedding. My aunt was also a good seamstress, and perfection was her goal, so these points of interest combined with the fact she was my favorite aunt, piqued my interest from the very beginning. I never knew much about the living conditions in Great Britain after WWII, so this book was a good history book for me. The story line was good once I got the hang of switching back and forth among the characters and the generations, and I found the characters to be interesting and believable. I highly recommend this book!
A thoughtful handling of the difficulties faced after WW ll by the those impacted directly by the horrors of death and destruction and the resultant lack of resources in England and France. Opposing this is a story of hope and beauty with the design and exceptional sewing of the intricate beading of the wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth - a skillful art only a few possess or attain. As I am also an needle arts enthusiast, I especially appreciated this treatment of a little understood art form.
What a splendid book. The cover is gorgeous, the story fascinating. The story of the women and the designer who created Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress is a gripping tale. There are some unexpected twists in the story as Heather travels to London to seek answers about her grandmother's mysterious past, only to discover much more than she bargained for. The best part was the little snippets the author shared about meeting and interviewing one of the very women who worked on the dress. I waited months to get my hands on this book and it was worth every impatient minute I experienced.
Jennifer Robson’s novel THE GOWN captures a time and place with such exquisite detail. Historical fiction fans, royal watchers, and fashion lovers behold this book! Robson has woven a story about post-war time England when times were terribly dismal – think rationing, jobs were grueling and often served only to make ends meet, if that, and life was just hard. But, Princess Elizabeth’s upcoming royal wedding was soon to take place and all of London was a buzz. Everyone awaited to see what she was going to wear and even in grim 1947, pre-social media, people were clamoring a glimpse of the design of yes, a dress. Perhaps, a sparkle of hope.

A young woman who lost her entire family, but not hope, had the talent and the good fortune to work as an embroider for the designer of the soon to be Queen’s wedding gown. Her impending friendship with a new colleague transforms both of their lives and a generation to come.

A magnificent story unfolds of friendship, romance, family, and the ties that bind.
"The Gown", by British author Jennifer Robson, is historical fiction written in a favorite style for authors these days. Namely, there are multiple points of view - in this case, three - and operating in different time periods, two in Robson's book. The story's focal point is Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress and the interest and attendant commotion it caused in the post WW2 Britain. The government and the Royal Family threw caution to the wind after years of war-time and post-war economy and rationing and gave Elizabeth and her (dishy) groom, Philip Mountbatten, a real celebration.

Part of most wedding hooplas, of course, is the wedding dress. Elizabeth's was handmade at the fashion firm of Norman Hartnell. Hartnell had been dressing the Royal family, as well as other aristocrats and general rich people since the 1920's. He and his firm were the obvious choice to design THE dress for the November, 1947 wedding. Jennifer Robson focuses on two of Hartnell's embroiderers in her story.

Robson writes in her Afterword that she wanted to write about the Royal Wedding, but not from the usual viewpoint of the bride or members of the wedding party. She chose to write using the two women - both at odds and ends in post-war Britain. Ann, a young woman from Barking, has worked at Hartnell for 10 years or so and has worked her way up in the Hartnell studio. Miriam is a refugee from France, who arrives in London both with a recommendation from Christian Dior and a lot of secrets she's not willing or able to disclose. She gets a job at Hartnell and she and Ann share a house. The third character of the story is Ann's granddaughter, Heather, who lives in current-day Toronto. Her beloved "Gran" has died and she - like her old friend, Miriam, has gone to her grave with lots of untold secrets.

Jennifer Robson brings both the plot and the characters together, and makes the time span of 70 or so years between 1947 and 2015 disappear. She's a good writer and the book, while somewhat predicable. I assume it would be a good book club selection. Is it great literature? No, but it's a good read.