QUICK FACTS
Title: A Dress of Violet Taffeta: A Novel
Author: Tessa Arlen
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Berkley (July 5, 2022)
Length: (352) pages
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
ISBN: 978-0593436851
Tour Dates: June 27-July 11, 2022
BOOK DESCRIPTION
A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique designs. Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, and texture in ways few people can begin to imagine. But is the male dominated world of haute couture, who would use her art for their own gain, ready for her? When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is left penniless with an aging mother and her five-year-old daughter to support. Desperate to survive, Lucy turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her creative designs and her remarkable eye for color to take her place in the fashion world—failure is not an option. Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her fashion label Lucile, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucy will live on as a trailblazing and innovative fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn.
ADVANCE PRAISE
“Fans of the 1991 BBC series The House of Eliott will find familiar comfort in Arlen’s descriptions of fabrics, colorworks, and evolving fashions.” —Library Journal
“Tessa Arlen’s novel is as elegant as a Lucille gown, full of movement, color and beauty…For anyone interested in fashion, in the Gilded Age, in stories about strong, visionary woman, Tessa Arlen’s novel is a must read!” —Jeanne Mackin, author of The Last Collection
“A sumptuous treat of elegant prose, evocative descriptions, and compelling emotions. Arlen’s writing absolutely shines.” —Anna Lee Huber, USA TODAY Bestselling author of A Perilous Perspective
“Tessa Arlen delivers a fascinating tale based on the real-life fashion icon, Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, who went up against a male dominated industry and revolutionized it…A must read for fashion fans everywhere.” —Renee Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces
“…written in a sumptuous, engaging style that appeals to all the senses and brings Lucy, her creations, and her world vividly alive.” —Alyssa Maxwell, author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries
MY REVIEW
I found myself enthralled with this book and this woman who took a chance and became successful. The descriptions of her dresses were gorgeous. It was definitely a change in the times. She was in a position where she had to make a choice and that choice, with the support of her sister, led her to be the biggest designer in the world at that time. This was a story that showed the resilience of a woman who was faced with unsurmountable odds that looked it in the face and did what she had to do. Another perspective in this book was Cecelia who had a similar upward projection.
The story is very raw and vulnerable. It is the very essence of what it means to be human. Lucille became what she had only previously dreamed. She did it for herself, for her mother, and for her daughter. She carved out success in a time that could have frowned on her and shunned her. Instead she interacted with the upper crust and gave them high fashion and beauty and then they wanted more.
I liked the way the story was from the perspective of these two women, each from different classes, but somehow they were able to work together to create an empire. This is a story of women lifting each other up and it is beautiful.
For content - there were allusions to intimacy and reference to the nude form that are not usually in books that I read and for those that might not wish to read this content.
I received an early copy through the publisher and netgalley and this is my honest review.
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB
AUTHOR BIO
Tessa Arlen writes historical fiction when she is not toiling away in her garden. She is the author of the Edwardian mystery series: Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson; the Woman of World War II mystery series. Poppy Redfern. And two standalone historical novels: In Royal Service to the Queen, and A Dress of Violet Taffeta.
· Read an in-depth interview with author Tessa Arlen revealing insights into her new historical fiction novel, A Dress of Violet Taffeta.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Emily. Lucy was a trailblazer for fashion and women and so inspiring. Arlen did a great job creating a story of her life and career. I am looking forward to her next novel.