The Dressmaker

A Novel

By: Kate Alcott

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.

Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.

Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others - including the gallant Midwestern tycoon - are not so lucky.

On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

From the Hardcover edition

©2012 Kate Alcott (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“We all know how the Titanic went down, we all saw the movie. But what happened after? This brilliant book shows the aftermath of the tragedy, seen through the eyes of a brave, young girl who was on board, on her way to America, to start a new life as a dressmaker. From the minute Tess sets foot on the doomed ship, this is the kind of novel you simply cannot put down and cannot forget.” (Tatiana de Rosnay, author of Sarah's Key and A Secret Kept)

"This is a fascinating premise for a novel as well as a powerful, page-turning read. It's also a very valuable contribution to our understanding of the events surrounding the sinking of The Titanic, and its aftermath." (Isabel Wolff, author of A Vintage Affair)

"It's Titanic revisited, in a romance focused on the survivors and the scandal, seen from the perspective of an aspiring seamstress whose fortunes intertwine with real characters from the epic tragedy....interesting historical facts...an appealing, soulful freshness to this shrewdly commercial offering" ( Kirkus)

Outstanding

I was hooked right away. Highly recommend it. Very interesting angle that I never realized happened.

New twist

Would you listen to The Dressmaker again? Why?

The Dressmaker was a new and interesting variation on the Titanic story. Well told- it COULD have happened - and maybe it actually did. This would make an interesting movie!

Which scene was your favorite?

When she told off Madame right before the 'big show'.

If you could rename The Dressmaker, what would you call it?

I would not re-name it

I Loved it!

The Dressmaker is a fascinating and engaging novel. Expertly written and beautifully told, this historical comes alive as you listen, so that you feel as if you have stepped back in time and are actually there in the life boat watching the Titanic go down. Alcott weaves the story of the fictional and non-fictional characters in the aftermath of the famous disaster into a seamless whole that makes you believe that everything in the book is what actually happened. Highly recommended!

Story Ruined by Narrator

Would you try another book from Kate Alcott and/or Susan Duerden?

I might purchase another of Kate Alcott's books but will never purchase another one narrated by Susan Duerden.

If you’ve listened to books by Kate Alcott before, how does this one compare?

This was my first Kate Alcott book.

What didn’t you like about Susan Duerden’s performance?

Her narration style was more like a drone or an unpleasant up and down cadence. There was simply no life to her performance and after just a few minutes I was ready to turn it off because it became very hard to listen to. I would seriously discourage anyone from purchasing this book narrated by Ms. Duerden because it was very bad.

Was The Dressmaker worth the listening time?

No.

Any additional comments?

Read the hard copy of this one.

Historical novel, divine.

Where does The Dressmaker rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The book goes to the top of the ratings.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dressmaker?

Tess making her decision not to work for Lady Lucile.

Which character – as performed by Susan Duerden – was your favorite?

Tess.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many.

Simpering heroine

I didn't get past the first part and abandoned the book after the Titanic sank. I got tired of the simpering personality of the heroine. I wanted her to just stand up for herself just once and quit apologizing. I also thought when she talked to the reporter how stupid she was. I could see that coming like a freight train. I just dislike authors who write helpless, stupid women heroines.

Many of my loves: Titanic, fashion, history, NYC

What did you love best about The Dressmaker?

Part of me says this only deserved 4 stars because it wasn't something profoundly deep, but my love for the story of the Titanic and fashion and NYC and history combined?? A total treat for me! I'm a Titanic nerd but hadn't heard a lot of the stories and facts in this book, which were fun to read about after I was done. It had some fascinating info about the ship and all that surrounds it, fresh perspectives about what it was like, and I loved the social hierarchy info about the time and life in NYC.

Exciting & well preformed

Not sure why others are complaining about the performance. It’s well done. The story is exciting even knowing what we do about the events.

NEEDS A DIFFERENT NARRATOR

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only if they were reading it. I liked the story, but the narration will put you to sleep!

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator attacks every sentence as an individual entity giving each one the same intonation. She even uses this same cantor when giving Chapter numbers and reading the authors note at the end. Her narration does not flow with the story making it very boring.

Any additional comments?

Fortunately, the story was good enough to get me past the narration. I would not read any more books read by this same narrator.

wonderful!

Would you listen to The Dressmaker again? Why?

this was a very compelling, engaging, historical drama. it kept my interest all the way through, and I was sad when the story was over.

What does Susan Duerden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

a beautiful narration. perfect for the book.