(Subdue) The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy – 4 Stars (Rounded up)

[Hannah]

I had seen a few mixed reviews of this book since adding it to my TBR, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Similar to many recent WW2 novels, this book has a dual timeline, with the granddaughter of one of the women in the 1940s timeline travelling to Paris to learn more about her past having found an old photo. I much preferred the 1940s timeline, and think it would have been an even stronger book if it had only focussed on the women and their lives in occupied Paris. After reading the first chapter, I was already rolling my eyes and how convenient and completely unrealistic it was, that Harriet got a job working in the same building that her grandmother Claire had lived and worked in, and even more unrealistic, was that her flatmate was going to be the granddaughter of one of the other women in that photo, and that she knew the whole story about Harriet’s grandmother from her own grandmother. Luckily the book improved significantly from there, and I was really drawn into the story of the resistance movement that unfolded. Unfortunately, I was back to rolling my eyes at the end of the book, with the ending being completely ridiculous and not really fitting in with the rest of the book, though I won’t spoil it be saying more. I was even tempted to drop my rating down to 3 stars based on what I read in the final few pages! When I read more books by this author, I will know that I might need to push past the beginning to get to the interesting bit.

[Amy]

This one is both on my TBR and my subdue shelf. Should stay there?

[Hannah]

Amy, I would keep it there for the WW2 storyline which is the main one, and then quickly read through the other bits.