Last month my friend recommended "The Dressmaker" by Rosalie Ham for my never-ending reading wish list. I looked it up online and happily placed it in my Amazon Wish List a.k.a online memory bank for the next time I was at the thrift store. Before I knew it I had found it at a Goodwill in another city. I was SO stoked and could hardly wait to finish my current book. I felt like it was a total victory because I'd only known about it for a couple of weeks. What luck! And then the realization came......nope, I had actually purchased the other "The Dressmaker" by Kate Alcott. For a split second I was disappointed, but then I looked at the dreamy cover and thought, it can't be that bad with a cover image like that. And so began my journey to discover the consequence.....more like consequences of luck.
Even before I started reading this book, I knew I was going to read about characters who were presented with some hard luck. For you see, this book is based around characters who sailed on the Titanic. Cue the scary, we're-about-to-die music. After doing some research I also learned that the main characters of the book, Lucille and Cosmo Duff Gordon, were real people, and they had a secretary who caught her lucky break and joined them on the voyage at the very last minute. There are other details from the story that are true such as the number of people who made it in to life boats vs. those who didn't as well as the outcome of numerous trial hearings against the ship company. It was fascinating and sad to read the historical details about this bleak day in history. So many people lost their lives and much of it was due to the lack of nautical knowledge for a ship that size and certain life-saving protocols not put in place prior to sailing.
This book brought up a lot of topics that I enjoy thinking about. There was a definite vibe of social class and how it brings luck or loss. However, we see throughout the book that the consequence of luck isn't all it's cracked up to be. In the beginning when Lucille & Cosmo are scrambling to save their own lives after the ship has started to sink, they make decisions that they think are acceptable because they have money and status. Parallel to their choices, we read about Tess, the lucky low-class, aspiring dressmaker, who managed to survive and gain a ticket to America to start a new life. Yet, as she was starting this new, seemingly sparkly life in America, she found herself wrestling with her own values of integrity. Even though she was the luckiest lady in her family to be working for the top fashion designer in New York, she also had to make decisions that cost her relationships with her family as well as a couple of prospective suitors.
In addition to Tess, we meet a newspaper reporter named Pinky who has spent her life braving a male-dominated industry to share her experiences on daring journalism missions. She carries an air of confidence and independence, but really she's an insecure daughter of a man who was once the most successful journalist in New York. Pinky's father is very ill and un-filtered and he attempts to encourage, but it often comes across as hurtful, and upsets Pinky deeply.
Another topic that is brought up is the question of whether or not to do something because it's simpler and/or provides more security vs. ultra risky, but the route with the greatest possible outcome. How often are we faced with this in our own lives? Taking risks is scary because it's full of the unknown. In contrast, taking the route that provides safety and security may limit us because it is secure. Tess is put in some really vulnerable situations in which she has to decide who she values the most and what she's willing to sacrifice for them. This is especially prevalent in her personal relationships with two male characters. I, myself, would have chosen the "safe character" in this particular story, but that is totally because I love a dashing older male character. I was swoony over that man. Lots of swoony. I won't give anything else away, especially who she chose because it's deliciously woven in the plot.
The last topic that I really enjoyed thinking about was the ability to chart a new course. That may sound like a bad pun, but it's not. This book really showcased the literal and figurative adventure that comes with charting a new course in life. I feel a sense of kinship to that idea and really liked the way that this wrapped up the conflicts and choices that had to be made by each of the main characters. Some of them chose the easy route, some of them did not. But, overall, I think they each learned a lot about themselves and the true impact their choices have on others.
The ideal audience for this book would be age 12 and above. It's a clean, historically-accurate read, but given the historical event it's based around, there are some aspects of the tragedy that may be worrisome and a bit heavy for a younger reader.
The Moral of the Story: Luck isn't always as lucky as it may seem. Hold your head high and do what's right, in spite of your social status.
Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R
Other Books by Kate Alcott
What an excellent review, Thrifting Ginger!! This book sounds like a great read. Thanks for the recommendation and insights.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great! I love a book with history woven into it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I would enjoy! Will you review the other "The Dressmaker" book next??
ReplyDeleteYes, that's the plan!!
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