Coming May 31st 2022
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle
"What is a wedding
without a dress?"
With clothing rationed in World War Two Britain, wedding dresses are scarce, but when a village sewing circle brings together three very different women, their new fellowship brings more than they ever dreamed.
"Life without bravery is life without freedom."
A village sewing circle brings three women's lives together as they find friendship, resilience, and their true potential in the midst of war. A top couturier bombed out of her Chelsea mansion, a debutante conscripted into the women's army, and a shy vicar's daughter on the brink of marriage come together in this heartwarming tale based on a true story.
After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the London Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. Praying that her niece and nephew will be more hospitable than her brother had been, she arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business from a quaint country village.
Her niece, Violet Westcott, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay—the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. But just as Cressida arrives, so does Violet’s conscription letter. It couldn’t have come at a worse time; how will she ever find a suitably aristocratic husband if she has to spend her days wearing a frumpy uniform and doing war work?
Meanwhile, the local vicar’s daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother’s gown, her only chance of a white wedding. When Cressida Westcott appears at the local Sewing Circle meeting, Grace asks for her help—but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills.
Before long, Cressida’s spirit and ambition galvanizes the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides, but for brides across the country, bringing joy in the darkest days of the war. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves…
Reviews
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The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle comes out May 31st 2022. We hope to have some lovely reviews in the runup to the launch to share here.
Quotes from the book
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"Life without bravery is life without freedom."
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