Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN-10: 1402282486
It is 1910 and Maria, a talented young girl from the East end of London, is employed to work as a seamstress for the royal family. As an attractive girl, she soon catches the eye of the Prince of Wales and she in turn is captivated by his glamour and intensity.
But careless talk causes trouble and soon Maria’s life takes a far darker turn. Disbelieved and dismissed she is thrown into a mental asylum, shut away from the real world with only her needlework for company.
Can a beautiful quilt, discovered many years later, reveal the truth behind what happened to Maria?
My Thoughts:
You'll certainly want to keep a box of tissues close at hand while reading Liz Trenow's latest novel, The Forgotten Seamstress! Told from the perspective of two very different narrators from two completely different time periods, The Forgotten Seamstress, is a story of love, loss, and self-discovery that immediately captures the reader's heart and marks the beginning of an unforgettable emotional journey. Trenow has certainly proven herself to be a very talented writer of historical fiction and one who has done her research extremely well. Throughout, the novel slips back and forth between the past and present, and is done so with such smoothness and natural grace that it all blends together very well and not once did it feel "choppy" or disconnected from the novel as whole in any way...brilliantly written! The characters are extremely well-developed and I felt as though each were a life-long acquaintance. But ultimately, it's Maria's story that tugged on my heart and left me with tears in my eyes on more than one occasion. As she tells her story from the confines of a mental institution, I questioned her reliability as a narrator. Is she telling the truth or are these just the delusional fantasies of a very unstable woman? Caroline's determination not only unravels the mysteries of Maria's quilt but also of Maria's life; a life that left me heart-broken and reaching for a tissue. The Forgotten Seamstress, would make an amazing book group selection and is accompanied by several questions for discussion as well. An amazing story and one that will not be soon forgotten....FIVE STARS!
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