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The Dressmaker Audiobook
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(3.00) - 8,518 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
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"Five stars - Based on a survivor of The Titanic who lived in New York City after the shipwreck. Tess aspired to be a designer and seamstress after the shock of surviving - a wonderful historical fiction!"
— Cindy (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Selected for the March 2012 Indie Next List
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A New York Times bestseller
The Dressmaker Listener Reviews
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" I enjoyed it as I do most books about or set on the Titanic. It was interesting to read about the backlash of the Tragedy. There are many things we will never know! though it was a work of fiction it has sparked a desire to look deeper into the aftermath of the sinking. "
— Auntynisey, 2/13/2014 -
" A titanic story.... Not much to say about it "
— Heidi, 2/8/2014 -
" This was disappointing. I thought it would be interesting since it was a story about the titanic. Very shallow characters. "
— Beth, 2/5/2014 -
" Simplistic plot and hackneyed ideas. The idea was a good one but unfortunately the book was not worth reading. "
— Eleon397, 2/4/2014 -
" This was such a refreshing break from some of my more serious readings. I was so relieved to find out this wasn't a book about the disastrous events of the Titanic complete with death and loss, but more a survivor's tale of progressing through such loss. I didn't love the protagonist as much as I would have liked to, but I absolutely loved the historical retelling of the Senate hearing following the Titanic disaster. It was such a unique part of history and I loved learning about it. I especially admired how the author switched perspectives, bouncing back and forth from seven different characters so the reader never grew bored with the same storyline. It was an enjoyable, fun read. "
— Camilla, 2/4/2014 -
" seemed a bit like the devil wears prada set on the titanic. the scenes where they were evacuating the ship were brief and didn't convey much emotion. since the remainder of the book is based on what happened on the ship I think it would have been more effective if the ship scenes were more detailed. "
— Elaine, 1/31/2014 -
" A different take on the aftermath of the Titanic. "
— Jen, 1/17/2014 -
" Easy read, interesting, based on true facts. First 1/4 of the book tells about the sinking of the Titanic. The rest is the story of a few survivors and the investigation that takes place in NY following the event. Describes issues related to social class, different treatment of the gentry vs steerage passengers during the sinking, emotional trauma felt by the survivors. Not a "must read", but definetely interesting enough that it kept me up at night reading. "
— Geeta, 1/10/2014 -
" What a wonderful book - so well written. I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone - should not be missed! "
— Jane, 1/9/2014 -
" This one intrigue me, but let me down. Not sure what I was expecting. Wanted more from it. I did listen to this one. "
— Michelle, 1/7/2014 -
" This book kept my interest. Easy reading. Not sure if I liked the ending. "
— Mary, 12/18/2013 -
" Interesting story of life after the Titanic sinking and the what life is like for some of the survivors. Weaves history in with this fictional story. "
— Meghan, 11/9/2013 -
" Loved the story-a different view of the sinking to the Titanic! "
— Barbara, 11/5/2013 -
" I haven't decided yet. I like the historical aspect of the book. "
— Jane, 10/31/2013 -
" Expected more. It was ok. "
— Debbie, 10/3/2013 -
" Great historical fiction story! Easy, easy read! "
— Wendy, 7/16/2013 -
" Just getting started and really liking this book even though I know tragedy is coming, yes, the Titanic sinks. Think this will be a good read! "
— Deb, 4/30/2013 -
" Did the author do any historical research? It was pretty off-putting to wade through several glaring errors. The characters were bland and the two main female protagonists were nearly interchangeable to boot. Not recommended. "
— Katy, 3/19/2013 -
" Really 3 and 1/2 stars! "
— Jo, 2/23/2013 -
" I had to push to finish. This should have been a great story, but it was so superficial, the plot was boring (can you imagine characters who survived the sinking of the Titanic as boring?). The pacing was terrible, there was a promise of drama at every turn and no pay off. Great cover, but resist. "
— Penny, 1/30/2013 -
" I wasn't impressed...it was mildly entertaining, in my opinion. "
— Diane, 10/16/2012 -
" I loved that this fiction novel incorporated facts from the sinking of the Titanic. "
— Marisa, 7/4/2012 -
" 8/10, got caught up in the story but didn't love the writer's style (and confusing POVs). "
— Fuschia, 5/23/2012 -
" Easy read. OK, loosely based on fact. Predictable story and ending "
— Maureen, 1/29/2012
About Kate Alcott
Kate Alcott is the pseudonym for journalist Patricia O’Brien, who has written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. As Kate Alcott, she is the author of The Dressmaker, a New York Times bestseller. She lives with her husband in Washington, DC.
About Susan Duerden
Susan Duerden is an actress and an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. Her reading of The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht earned her an AudioFile Best Voice Award and a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award. She has won ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. Here career spans film, television, theater, voice-overs, and animation. She has played critically acclaimed and award-winning theatrical roles on London’s West End and Off Broadway; acted in the features Lovewrecked and Flushed Away; and held a recurring role on ABC’s Lost.