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wdixon's review against another edition
3.0
This is a classic “past and present” flip flopping story. The present storyline talks a lot about the effects of trauma on mental health, as well as the real life terrorist attacks occurring in France in the present day. The past follows the narrator’s grandmother as she navigates the Holocaust with two roommates, all working for the resistance. It was interesting reading about how French couture fashion survived the war years all the way through, although it did bring to light how many people carried on with their lives without regard for what was going on around them, and continued buying fancy clothes for fancy parties while such devastation was occurring not that far away.
pdpatel0503's review against another edition
5.0
This is a heavy book. I am so glad I found it and pushed my way through the first few chapters. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. I had to know what happened to the three friends and figure out how we ended up with Harriet in Paris. Great story!
ellyrarg's review against another edition
3.0
Well, blah. I enjoyed the history chapters, between the three girls. I wonder if part of that was because their strength came from real life stories.
The present day chapters were awful. Harriet as a character was flimsy and awkward. Too much of her present was lost in reflection on her grandmothers past and it was trite and generally awful to read. She didn’t have any of her own depth, her character was a shallow mirror. Blah, so so blah.
Also, I feel like the author doesn’t appreciate the intelligence of the reader, as if everything needed to be spelt out (an example: the constant repetition and clarification of whose who in the last chapter, blah. Yes, we clearly understand from context that one Harriet is the great aunt, and one is a modern age drip).
There was also the problem of tying up all the loose ends in a manner that made everything smell of roses. It was awful. It was all done in the last two chapters, so it didn’t feel like a natural progression where everything settled, but an unrealistic force that’s determined that nothing be left askew. So blah.
It did have some shinning moments. The blue dress (in the intro and when she made it, not that awful last chapter) was lovely. V and the yellow triangles pulled my heartstrings (though could she not have sewed them into/under the patches? So they couldn’t even seen but with no evidence?).
Overall, Not a huge fan. The story has its merits, but I feel like it was poorly written. Hey ho.
The present day chapters were awful. Harriet as a character was flimsy and awkward. Too much of her present was lost in reflection on her grandmothers past and it was trite and generally awful to read. She didn’t have any of her own depth, her character was a shallow mirror. Blah, so so blah.
Also, I feel like the author doesn’t appreciate the intelligence of the reader, as if everything needed to be spelt out (an example: the constant repetition and clarification of whose who in the last chapter, blah. Yes, we clearly understand from context that one Harriet is the great aunt, and one is a modern age drip).
There was also the problem of tying up all the loose ends in a manner that made everything smell of roses. It was awful. It was all done in the last two chapters, so it didn’t feel like a natural progression where everything settled, but an unrealistic force that’s determined that nothing be left askew. So blah.
It did have some shinning moments. The blue dress (in the intro and when she made it, not that awful last chapter) was lovely. V and the yellow triangles pulled my heartstrings (though could she not have sewed them into/under the patches? So they couldn’t even seen but with no evidence?).
Overall, Not a huge fan. The story has its merits, but I feel like it was poorly written. Hey ho.
brosepal's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my last book of January! This was a dual perspective from the present with Harriet interning at a PR firm in France and from WW2 with Claire working for a fashion house in France. Both stayed in the same apartment above their place of work and it takes you through Harriet learning of her grandmother, Claire’s experience being involved in the resistance during the war.
There were aspects of this book that were really fun to learn about and I really loved Claire’s story as well as those of her friends Vivienne and Mierelle. To be honest, could’ve done without Harriet’s story. It felt like she was just summarizing everything we had read about Claire. There were also parts of the story that just felt too coincidental that it was distracting.
Overall though it was a quick read and I enjoyed it for the most part. I enjoyed discussing this with my college book club - we giggled a lot and had a great discussion.
There were aspects of this book that were really fun to learn about and I really loved Claire’s story as well as those of her friends Vivienne and Mierelle. To be honest, could’ve done without Harriet’s story. It felt like she was just summarizing everything we had read about Claire. There were also parts of the story that just felt too coincidental that it was distracting.
Overall though it was a quick read and I enjoyed it for the most part. I enjoyed discussing this with my college book club - we giggled a lot and had a great discussion.
namullis_'s review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Harrowing to read in places (as it should be when giving an account for Nazi-occupied Paris!) Much preferred the story of the seamstresses to the story of the granddaughter and her mother. Felt like it was a LOT of heavy topics to bundle into one book - broken families, suicide, holocaust, trauma. Maybe too much to really do all topics justice.
lottieockenden's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
adb219's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book
This was such a well written story. I love how you learn about Claire and Harriet at the same time, seeing the similarities and differences between them all at once. To read the things the girls overcame in the war was inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This was such a well written story. I love how you learn about Claire and Harriet at the same time, seeing the similarities and differences between them all at once. To read the things the girls overcame in the war was inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.