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lexicon1982's review
5.0
Truly did not know what to expect going into this book, but I quickly fell in love with the unique strengths and stories of these 3 women. I was so fully engrossed in their story I would leave the book and only to want to run back to keep reading as quickly as I could!
Author Kitty Zeldis has written some of the most flushed out intricate deep female historical fiction characters I have read in a very long time!
Bea, Alice and Catherine pulled me in with their unique perspectives and interwoven lives. Bea with her calm composed exterior despite the horrors she faced, Alice with her inner strength and innocence, Catherine with her resolve to grieve in her own way, absolutely brilliant and will stay with me for many years!
Easily one of my favorite books I have read this year!
If you love historical fiction and need a break from all the WWII hype, please do yourselves a favor and check out this book!!!!
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author Kitty Zeldis has written some of the most flushed out intricate deep female historical fiction characters I have read in a very long time!
Bea, Alice and Catherine pulled me in with their unique perspectives and interwoven lives. Bea with her calm composed exterior despite the horrors she faced, Alice with her inner strength and innocence, Catherine with her resolve to grieve in her own way, absolutely brilliant and will stay with me for many years!
Easily one of my favorite books I have read this year!
If you love historical fiction and need a break from all the WWII hype, please do yourselves a favor and check out this book!!!!
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
courtz531's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
So well-written and interesting, this book engaged me from beginning to end.
bailey_story's review
3.0
This felt less historical fiction and more women’s fiction than I was expecting. All the drama centered around the women’s and their experience with having babies (trigger warnings galore here). It felt like it could’ve been written in any time period; the setting and time period wasn’t as much of a characters as I expected. I was also peeved that violence against women was perpetually a tool used to move the plot forward. It felt gratuitous.
judithdcollins's review
5.0
Master storyteller Kitty Zeldis returns following [b:Not Our Kind|35955187|Not Our Kind|Kitty Zeldis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519266059l/35955187._SY75_.jpg|57510692] with THE DRESSMAKERS OF PROSPECT HEIGHTS —a haunting and moving story of the bonds between three women in 1920s New York City and the secrets they hold.
Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, an emotional story of reinvention, rising above tragedy, and finding family.
Moving from nineteenth-century Russia to the brothels of New Orleans in 1910 and landing in New York City in the 1920s,
Brooklyn, 1924. We meet three different women whose lives are about to connect unexpectedly.
Recently arrived from New Orleans, Beatrice is working to establish a chic new dress shop with help from Alice, the orphaned teenage ward she brought with her.
Down the block, newlywed Catherine is restless in her elegant brownstone, longing for a baby she cannot conceive.
When Bea befriends Catherine and the two start to become close, Alice feels abandoned and envious and runs away to Manhattan. Her departure sets into motion a series of events that will force each woman to confront the painful secrets of her past to move forward.
Three women whose lives are bound by a secret history are forced to make irreversible choices to survive.
The author crafts a beautiful historical fictional account of maternal love, friendship, and loyalty. From the strong bonds of women, friendship, loss, despair, and forgiveness.
Zeldis eloquently captures the essence of the time and place with vivid settings and richly developed characters.
If you enjoyed Not Our Kind, you will love THE DRESSMAKERS OF PROSPECT HEIGHTS with its stunning historical settings, fashion, and customs!
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NOVEL: Check out the letter from the Author on Goodreads.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 ⭐ Stars
Pub Date: Dec 6, 2022
Dec 2022 Must-Read Books
Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, an emotional story of reinvention, rising above tragedy, and finding family.
Moving from nineteenth-century Russia to the brothels of New Orleans in 1910 and landing in New York City in the 1920s,
Brooklyn, 1924. We meet three different women whose lives are about to connect unexpectedly.
Recently arrived from New Orleans, Beatrice is working to establish a chic new dress shop with help from Alice, the orphaned teenage ward she brought with her.
Down the block, newlywed Catherine is restless in her elegant brownstone, longing for a baby she cannot conceive.
When Bea befriends Catherine and the two start to become close, Alice feels abandoned and envious and runs away to Manhattan. Her departure sets into motion a series of events that will force each woman to confront the painful secrets of her past to move forward.
Three women whose lives are bound by a secret history are forced to make irreversible choices to survive.
The author crafts a beautiful historical fictional account of maternal love, friendship, and loyalty. From the strong bonds of women, friendship, loss, despair, and forgiveness.
Zeldis eloquently captures the essence of the time and place with vivid settings and richly developed characters.
If you enjoyed Not Our Kind, you will love THE DRESSMAKERS OF PROSPECT HEIGHTS with its stunning historical settings, fashion, and customs!
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NOVEL: Check out the letter from the Author on Goodreads.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 ⭐ Stars
Pub Date: Dec 6, 2022
Dec 2022 Must-Read Books
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
Just an okay read for me. I liked parts and connected with these three women trying to find love and careers in early 20th century New York while also dealing with infertility and unwanted pregnancies. Good on audio and recommended for fans of City of girls by Elizabeth Gilbert.
lizaroo71's review
3.0
This is historical fiction set after WWI in Brooklyn. The three main characters - Bea, Alice and Catherine - cross paths at the outset of the story. Bea and Alice own a dresshop that Catherine wanders into one day. We find out Bea has been waiting for Catherine to visit for a long time.
The exact decisions and turn of events that has led to this moment is what we get in alternating chapters offering background into each of the women's lives.
I had to suspend my disbelief to buy the events would turn out the way they did. There is a lot going on. I liked the history I learned, but I needed more time with the characters to understand their motivation.
The exact decisions and turn of events that has led to this moment is what we get in alternating chapters offering background into each of the women's lives.
I had to suspend my disbelief to buy the events would turn out the way they did. There is a lot going on. I liked the history I learned, but I needed more time with the characters to understand their motivation.
sarah_reading_party's review
4.0
From beginning to end, I was captivated by The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights. I loved this fantastic novel about three different women and their challenges, triumphs, and connections in 1920s New York City. The author captured women living vastly different lives during this time period well, and also shared so much about their back stories in New Orleans and Russia that I felt like I was there and could see how these experiences shaped their everyday lives. I was encouraged to see how women's lives have changed (and stayed the same) between then and now. I kept trying to decide which character - Alice, Bea, or Catherine was my favorite...and I simply couldn't choose.
Though I did truly enjoy this novel, please be aware that there are some trigger warnings for many women - sexual abuse/assault, a stillbirth, violence, murder, rape, death of parents, etc. This was a heavy book at times, but the hopeful ending made it worthwhile (for me).
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.
Though I did truly enjoy this novel, please be aware that there are some trigger warnings for many women - sexual abuse/assault, a stillbirth, violence, murder, rape, death of parents, etc. This was a heavy book at times, but the hopeful ending made it worthwhile (for me).
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.
notinjersey's review
5.0
This is a Jewish historical fiction that is not a World War II story. It takes place in the 1920s in New York City with flashbacks to Russia and New Orleans. This book is about Bea, who moves from New Orleans to NYC with Alice, a younger woman Bea has taken in. They open a dress shop together and soon meet Catherine, who it turns out is someone that Bea recognizes. I was surprised by their connection and loved the way the three women’s lives intertwined throughout the book. These women all went through various traumas and the book includes scenes of infertility, stillbirth, sexual assault, rape, antisemitism, and murder. I would love to read more about these women as the timeline moves forward, especially connected to the Judaism aspect of their lives. However, I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction!
guylou's review
4.0
THE DRESSMAKERS OF PROSPECT HEIGHTS by Kitty Zeldis has been on my TBR shelf for a little while. I was afraid to pick it up because I just knew that story would break my heart. It did, indeed, break my heart but it also filled it with appreciation for a mother’s love. The setting of this beautiful book is vividly described, and the sense of time and place is palpable throughout. The story is ultimately a celebration of motherhood, sacrifice, and forgiveness. It is also a story of creativity, and resilience. This well-written historical novel is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
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jana114's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75