The Forgotten Seamstress

By: Liz Trenow

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A shy girl with no family, Maria knows she's lucky to have landed in the sewing room of the royal household. Before World War I casts its shadow, she catches the eye of the Prince of Wales, a glamorous and intense gentleman. But her life takes a far darker turn, and soon all she has left is a fantastical story about her time at Buckingham Palace.

Decades later, Caroline Meadows discovers a beautiful quilt in her mother's attic. When she can't figure out the meaning of the message embroidered into its lining, she embarks on a quest to reveal its mystery, a puzzle that only seems to grow more important to her own heart. As Caroline pieces together the secret history of the quilt, she comes closer and closer to the truth about Maria.

Pause-resistant and heartbreaking, The Forgotten Seamstress weaves together past and present in an unforgettable journey.

©2014 Liz Trenow (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The two narratives are seamlessly woven together, forming a heartrending tapestry of tragedy and resilience." ( Booklist)

Quilter paradise book plus British flare!

I literally had to listen to this book every waking minute of my day! The last two chapters left me spell bound.

Past and present

Two stories, connected by a beautiful antique quilt. The way these separate narratives ultimately come together does depend on an incredible amount of coincidence, but the characters are so sympathetic ( especially Maria, the "forgotten seamstress" of the title) that the story is enjoyable. Good narration.

Compelling story overall

I enjoyed the book. Didn’t love it but really liked it. Narrator was okay. It sounded almost like all the character voices were too similar though. Not sure. I wasn’t thrilled with the exact ending but the main part of story was wrapped up. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the characters.

Nice listen, but predictable

There’s some topics and content I wasn’t expecting in the book, so that may have impacted my reading. It’s a nice little story. You can get into it quickly, though, as pleasant as the narrators voice is, there isn’t a ton of range, and early on. There were a couple characters where I could not discern, who was who based on the voice. The storyline is a little predictable. But it was still a pleasant listen. I would recommend it, but with some caution, perhaps, for a slightly more mature audience.

The Forgotten Seamstress

From the moment I began to listen, this book drew me in. As a quilter, the plot of a long lostt secret disguised in plain sight (mostly) in the fabric, patterns and stitching of a humble bedcovering resonated strongly with me.

Meh

This book was just okay. I finished it because I paid for it, but I found myself just waiting for it to be over. I don't think I like the format of the past/present dual storyline. As an avid lover of historical fiction, I really don't care much about the characters in the present day. I definitely wasn't a fan of this narrator, and likely won't listen to books from her in the future.

The description of the quilt, textile history.

The old woman voice was irritating. The history regarding mental illness and treatment was sad.

A wonderful, touching, riveting story.

What did you love best about The Forgotten Seamstress?

This book has everything - romance, mystery, action and was very nicely delivered by the narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

The story takes you along without a hitch - going effortlessly from one character to the other. If you like sewing, fabrics, quilting, etc. this is the book for you. The fabric descriptions are graphic and pleasant - historically interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

I especially like the scene where she recovers the quilt from the vagrant.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have listened in one sitting if it had been possible - but taking it in several segments worked fine.

Any additional comments?

This is a lovely story which is greatly enhanced by the wonderful reader - I enjoyed it more than I can describe.

very good

this story and narrator we're very good. I will definitely get other books by them.

Incredible story line

This book keeps you enthralled from the very beginning . As it progresses it doesn't disappoint. I had trouble putting it down.