The richest silk hides the deepest secrets . . .
1768, London.
As a foundling who rose from poverty and now runs her own successful dressmaking business in the heart of society London, Miss Charlotte is a remarkable woman, admired by many. She has no need, nor desire, to marry. The people she values most are her friend Anna, her recently-found sister Louisa and nephew Peter.
She feels herself fortunate, and should be content with what she has. But something is missing.
A small piece of rare silk discovered in a bundle of scraps at auction triggers a curious sense of familiarity, and prompts her to unpick a past filled with extraordinary secrets and revelations . .
Thanks to Pan MacMillan via NetGalley for my copy of The Dressmaker of Draper's Lane to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
In The Dressmaker of Draper's Lane, Liz Trenow returns to the setting of one of her previous novels The Silk Weaver, a few familiar faces make a reappearance but the main focus is on Charlotte who had a more minimal role in the previous book. This story can easily be read by itself without having read the previous book as there is plenty of background information supplied. For those who already know what has occurred so far it is nice to catch up with and see how characters that may have stolen a place in your heart are now getting on from where we last left them. This story is very much a slow burner and when it does get going things are over and resolved rather too quickly. I felt there was an awful lot of repetition with not much happening and it really is a book that you have to persist with in order to see what is going to unfold. It's not action packed by any means instead it is filled with lots of detail which shows the in-depth research undertaken by the author.
That said it does provide a fascinating insight into life in London in the mid 18th century in particular the silk trade and dressmaking. It showcases a very different way of life from the way in which we live today if perhaps some elements were a little too modern. Several times I found myself stopping and thinking did they have such a thing at that time and would they have used this etc. The little snippets supplied as a heading at the beginning of each chapter were interesting as they provided information on different types of clothing and the material used to make them. The inclusion of a small picture of said item or method would have been excellent as we could see what was being described.
Charlotte Butterfield has her own dressmaking business in Draper's Lane in London. The business is quite successful and she employs several women who work at her shop crafting wonderful creations to order for her numerous customers. Charlotte is unusual for the time in that she is still a single woman and has her own business. From the outset it is clear she goes against the norm but I sensed fairly early on this was more to do with past circumstances rather than any wilful desire to remain unmarried. Charlotte appeared to be a very closed book, keeping things hidden to herself for very good reason. I thought it was too obvious fairly on what the secret was and that it was revealed too early but it became apparent there was something even bigger going on and I was glad this was kept secret until the last few chapters.
Charlotte's history created and inspired the life she leads today. She is proud of the position she occupies in society as a business woman and she loves her job of designing and making wonderful dresses for ladies but still being left by her mother in a foundling hospital when she was just a baby has had a profound affect on her. Only for her sister Louisa and her husband Ambrose came to find her and take her away when she was of age, Charlotte would have had no family in the world. When close friend Anna, the main character in The Silk Weaver, brings Charlotte to an auction of materials being sold from a merchant who is no longer in business, that is when her life changes for ever. The women purchase bolts of fabric and amongst them is an unusual silk which when Charlotte touches it makes her feel very unusual. Snatches of memories or feelings run through her mind. Has Charlotte been in contact with this fabric before and what significance does this have in relation to her past life? If any at all. So many questions race through Charlotte's mind and her interest is more than piqued as she sets on a journey searching for answers in order to seek peace and resolution in the present.
I wanted even more of unravelling clues, linking pieces together and making connections. When this happened this aspect was the best and strongest part of the book, instead I felt the story went off on tangents not strictly necessary to the main over arching plot running through the story. When we did reach the end I understood it was necessary and perhaps the author was leading us in a different direction to throw us off track. But in the midst of reading it felt like the quest so to speak was forgotten about as attention turned to Charlotte visiting her sister and nephew in the country. I was constantly awaiting that sense of mystery to increase for that element of excitement, trepidation and discovery to materialise but it manifested itself briefly and then vanished.
Charlotte is more than anxious about her heritage and the fate of her mother and for an enthusiastic and intelligent woman I thought she would have taken matters into her own hands and really stood up for what she was trying to achieve. Not to be fobbed off by brusque answers and to also confront Ambrose. He was the most awful character, full of hatred and malice who presented a lovely, happy and respectful front to his parishioners but behind closed doors he was a demon and ruled over those he lived with.
The Dressmaker of Draper's Lane was was a good read but not one that will be the most memorable for me when I reflect on the books I will have read during the year. It's not the best work by this author whose earlier books I loved without question but I am glad I read it simply to discover the extension and continuation of a story begun in The Silk Weaver. There were really strong aspects to the book but Charlotte needed to be that little bit more ruthless in never giving up to seek the answers she so desperately desired. I guessed the very ending before it occurred but if I hadn't I would have been totally surprised. The strands of the story did come together very well but as there were lots of scenes that were over long and didn't move the story on enough and at times my attention did wander. Still, I will read more from Liz Trenow in the future because I know when she hits the right note her books are excellent.
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