For my second post of the day I’m delighted to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for yet another incredible debut, The Dressmaker of Paris by Georgia Kaufmann. Thank you to Jenny Platt and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.
About the book:
A stunning historical women’s debut fiction novel that spans both time and the globe as we follow one woman’s journey from simple country girl to global fashion icon.
I need to tell you a story, ma chère. My story.
Rosa Kusstatscher has built a global fashion empire upon her ability to find the perfect outfit for any occasion. But tonight, as she prepares for the most important meeting of her life, her usual certainty eludes her.
What brought her to this moment? As she struggles to select her dress and choose the right shade of lipstick, Rosa begins to tell her incredible story. The story of a poor country girl from a village high in the mountains of Italy. Of Nazi occupation and fleeing in the night. Of hope and heartbreak in Switzerland; glamour and love in Paris. Of ambition and devastation in Rio de Janeiro; success and self-discovery in New York.
A life spent running, she sees now. But she will run no longer.
About the author:
Georgia Kaufmann studied Social Anthropology and Demography at Cambridge, LSE and Oxford. She currently lives within cycling distance of central London with her husband, two daughters and a cat.
The Dressmaker of Paris is her debut novel.
My Review:
The Dressmaker of Paris is the stunning debut historical novel by Georgia Kaufmann. It tells the story of Rosa Kusstatscher who has built a successful fashion empire that has taken her around the world. But as she prepares for the most important meeting of her life, her usual confidence in her own ability deserts her. As she struggles to select her outfit, Rosa begins to tell her incredible story to an unknown party who she addresses as ‘ma chère’.
And oh my goodness, what an incredible story it is!
The Dressmaker of Paris is a sweeping historical saga that takes the reader on a journey around the world. Growing up in South Tyrol, Italy, Rosa’s father was a drunk and her mother a woman who barely had a second glance for her. After the outbreak of WW2 Rosa’s village was taken over by the Nazis, leading to a devastating incident that saw her flee her home to seek refuge with a kind Jewish professor. But then, determined to make a better life for herself, she runs away again, sacrificing everything in her desire to leave her past behind.
We follow Rosa as she makes a name for herself, carving out a career that would take her around the world, bringing her everything she had always dreamed of. But success doesn’t come without a price and as the novel continues, we begin to see exactly what Rosa has been running away from for all these years. Rosa is a fascinating but flawed character who isn’t always easy to like or understand, but that really does add to the intrigue and suspense of the story.
Beautifully written by Georgia Kaufmann, The Dressmaker of Paris is a stunning debut that swept me away on a tsunami of emotion as this gorgeous tale of love, loss, fear and heartache gently unfolded before me. It is a richly detailed historical saga that I couldn’t help but fall in love with and would highly recommend.
I can’t wait to read more by this talented author in the future.
The Dressmaker of Paris is available to purchase now: Amazon UK
Check out what these other lovely bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 