The Dressmaker

A Novel

By: Kate Alcott

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

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)

Very Interesting and Very Long

Would you consider the audio edition of The Dressmaker to be better than the print version?

I keep wondering about Tess, she is outspoken one minute and very timid the next, not speaking up when she should, and speaking up when she should have kept her mouth shut. It is a good story, just a bit slow at times and at other times, I carry my iPad around the house with me so I don't have to stop the story. Overall, I liked it and would recommend it to anyone taking a road trip. The characters are well developed.

Titanic again!

Pretty boring, especially since I'd already seen Titanic the movie. It's like hearing your friends wife retell a story your friend has told you several times already.

Kept Me Going

Every day is a new beginning What will happen today? Choices to be made can change your life and history's documentation forever. A young lady changes the meaning of her life with courage of the unknown.
This book is also filled with a true story of the last few hours of the Titantic and thousands of lives. Suspense is focused on our main characters.
Each chapter makes you hungry for each word. Enjoy the life, death, boy meets girl story in The Dressmaker.

Ok story with annoying narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I will never try another book where Susan Duerden is narrating, it was so awful at times I had to fast forward or turn it off all together because I couldn't take it anymore. Voice for the main character drove me crazy with her sounding breathless for simple statemenets - ridiculous!!

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Predictable

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Susan Duerden?

Anyone

Loved it! A new view of the historic tale.

What made the experience of listening to The Dressmaker the most enjoyable?

What a great way to look at a story we have all heard so much about over the years. I loved this book and found the characters to be very engaging.

Fantastic

Loved the history and the fictional story that tied it together. Alcott's work is fantastic, and Duerden does a nice job of capturing the characters.

Too annoying to finish

Would you listen to The Dressmaker again? Why?

The story of this book is interesting but the narration is so annoying I will not be able to finish it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She has only one inflection for any text other than dialog. I find myself hoping for her to change instead of listening to the story.

A Guilty Pleasure

Funny, I didn't find the narrator nearly as bad as so many have said. I thought Tess was kind of a flighlty character and the narrator fit her well. It didn't bother me at all.

I titled this "A Guilty Pleasure" because I can see that it's not really a great book, but I enjoyed it all the same. It's kind of like a romance novel with the "steamy" parts cut out, which is fine with me. Girl runs away to America, gets on the Titanic, survives, must choose between two men, and deal with a talented but demanding dress designer and her empire. That about sums up the whole story.

I have to say, though, when I was reading the part where the Titanic was sinking I was absolutely riveted. I was so involved in what was going on I have no real memory of driving home. That part was definitely worth the credit. The author did a nice job of weaving fictional characters into a story with real events and real characters. The designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon was a real person who survived the Titanic sinking and was credited with starting one the first off the rack clothing lines and Tess' story revolves around her. Some of the trial is included in the story and intrigued me enough to look online for the transcript of the trial, which you can read in its entirety.

If you want a kind of Summer at the Beach listen this might be a good story. If you want something more substantial, I'd say pass.

Great Historical Fiction!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you like the Titanic history at all you will really enjoy this book. It was very interesting all the way through.

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

Tess of course was my favorite. But I also like Eleanor.

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

Eleanor could always saw her sister's side and vulnerabilities and tried to make Tess see them even when she did not agree with how Lucille treated others.

Any additional comments?

This would make a great movie.

An interesting outlook on the Titanic disaster

The title would never give away the fact that this novel surrounds the Titanic disaster, and the effect it has on numerous people, including the protagonist. There is a bit of romance thrown in, and the heroine has to choose between two suitors... one with money and one without, and she makes the right choice in the end. A good story but not great. It was not memorable particularly, but was an enjoyable read. Can't say I'd be running to recommend it though.