The Dressmaker's Dowry

A Novel

By: Meredith Jaeger

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Barrie Kreinik

For listeners of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Jio, or Susan Meissner, this gripping historical debut novel tells the story of two women: one an immigrant seamstress who disappears from San Francisco's gritty streets in 1876 and the other a young woman in the present day who must delve into the secrets of her husband's wealthy family only to discover that she and the missing dressmaker might be connected in unexpected ways.

An exquisite ring, passed down through generations, connects two women who learn that love is a choice, and forgiveness is the key to freedom.

San Francisco: 1876

Immigrant dressmakers Hannelore Schaeffer and Margaret O'Brien struggle to provide food for their siblings while mending delicate clothing for the city's most affluent ladies. When wealthy Lucas Havensworth enters the shop, Hanna's future is altered forever. With Margaret's encouragement and the power of a borrowed green dress, Hanna dares to see herself as worthy of him. Then Margaret disappears, and Hanna turns to Lucas. Braving the gritty streets of the Barbary Coast and daring to enter the mansions of Nob Hill, Hanna stumbles upon Margaret's fate, forcing her to make a devastating decision - one that will echo through the generations.

San Francisco: Present Day

In her elegant Marina apartment overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, Sarah Havensworth struggles to complete the novel she quit her job for. Afraid to tell her husband of her writer's block, Sarah is also hiding a darker secret - one that has haunted her for 14 years. Then a news headline from 1876 sparks inspiration: "Missing Dressmakers Believed to be Murdered". Compelled to discover what happened to Hannelore and Margaret, Sarah returns to her roots as a journalist. Will her beautiful heirloom engagement ring uncover a connection to Hanna Schaeffer?

©2017 Meredith Jaeger (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

A must listen book! Could make a great movie!

This book was great! It literally kept you guessing the whole time! Historical fiction is my favorite genre!

All the elements of a fabulous novel!

I loved this novel! How exiting to hear of the love, loss, hope and remorse of a 19 th century woman told with the fabulous backdrop of San Francisco. If you enjoy historical fiction, mystery and romance, you'll love this book!

Blending the distant past with current times

I especially enjoyed dropping from previous years to current times, and the interweaving of items as well as events from the past into current times.

A little Mystery

What a lovely novel. Had a bit of intrigue and mystery. Enjoy this very much.

Charming Historical Fiction

I just finished listening to The Dressmaker's Dowry and really enjoyed it! In fact, the ending brought tears to my eyes. The two timelines were perfectly intertwined and the story was both fresh and fascinating. This is the debut of a new author and I look forward to reading anything else she writes. The selected narrator clearly distinguishes between characters with her voice and dialects. All in all I found it a delightful book and definitely worth a Credit!

A genealogy of a family.

The entire book was written for me! I am a Certified Professional Volunteer Genealogist and I can relate to the story. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you!

Goosebumps

This is a special story. one that kept me captivated and wanting to listen non-stop. As it finished, I had goosebumps. Highly recommended!

Initially the story was good

Events surrounding the search for Margret were repetitive and boring . Book should have ended two to three chapters shorter.

Even two good narrators can't redeem this

Awful ! Trite story, stereotyped characters, totally predictable plot. It was a waste of the two excellent narrators. A complete waste of listening hours.

Cheesy

Lots of corn and cheese. Reads like a very bad gothic novel. The characters speak like a 21st century person thinks a 19th century person spoke, not like they actually did. There are 100s of 19th century novels. The author could have read them. They also do things 19th century people would never do, The book is worth a few laughs because it’s so poorly written. The plot does move along though. I finished it, even though I knew everything well before it happened, I gave an extra star because I did finish it. Extra credit for plot and pace.