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kmc00's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rachb2000's review against another edition
slow-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
owatt13's review against another edition
5.0
I always start historical fictions like “man this sucks” but then i get like 60 pages in and i can’t put it down. Estella and fabienne were taking up space in my brain for the entirety of this novel whether i was physically reading or not. This was beautifully written. I could feel the emotions between Estella and Alex as well as between Fabienne and Will. I wish that the relationship with Estella and her husband had more detail but I also understand that it would diminish Alex’s character. Loved this book!
kleedc73's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
blairfrank's review against another edition
5.0
I was immediately sucked into this book, after I made my sorry attempt at the pronunciation of French words the story line grasped my attention from the start. Weaving between viewpoints during WWII and current day, the author managed to connect a most horrific family tree full of deceit, murder, revenge, and twisted familial relations.
pam2375's review
3.0
I liked this book just fine. There is sooooooooo much going on in this story and sooooooo many coincidences that I found it a huge distraction.
allcavesin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Screaming crying throwing up this book is the DEFINITION of heart-wrenching, just so so so so so good. Lester writes the most enchanting characters, and the most hatable villains. She broke my heart into a dozen pieces and then sewed it back up again, not the same but functional. Ugh someone call my mom I need to cry
megsreads's review
5.0
A young, Parisian seamstress. A big New York dream. Family secrets that devastate.
While falling under the larger umbrella of historical fiction, this book reads more like a family drama and romance with a fairly distant backdrop of WWII ravaged France. Estella Bissette is a young seamstress in Paris working alongside her mother in an atelier. As World War II begins and the Germans gain a foothold in France, Estella’s mother, Jeanne, her Maman, sends her to America on the SS Washington, the last ship to leave France. Estella arrives in New York with a suitcase, her mother’s sewing machine, and the dream of setting up her own atelier in New York City’s fashion district.
Fabienne Bissette, Estella’s granddaughter, absolutely adores her aging grandmother. Fabienne respects Estella’s legacy, but until she learns of the tragedy and heartbreak her grandmother endured both before escaping France and upon arriving in America, she doesn’t truly understand the life that Estella built from nothing. As the two timelines and narratives weave together, Fabienne discovers the family secrets that her grandmother has long kept buried and it makes for a truly captivating read. I can’t remember the last time I actually cried while reading, but a particular scene toward the end just had me absolutely choked up. This book is quite the rollercoaster of emotions and will thrill and devastate you alike!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Be brave. Love well and fiercely. Be the woman I always knew you would be.
While falling under the larger umbrella of historical fiction, this book reads more like a family drama and romance with a fairly distant backdrop of WWII ravaged France. Estella Bissette is a young seamstress in Paris working alongside her mother in an atelier. As World War II begins and the Germans gain a foothold in France, Estella’s mother, Jeanne, her Maman, sends her to America on the SS Washington, the last ship to leave France. Estella arrives in New York with a suitcase, her mother’s sewing machine, and the dream of setting up her own atelier in New York City’s fashion district.
Fabienne Bissette, Estella’s granddaughter, absolutely adores her aging grandmother. Fabienne respects Estella’s legacy, but until she learns of the tragedy and heartbreak her grandmother endured both before escaping France and upon arriving in America, she doesn’t truly understand the life that Estella built from nothing. As the two timelines and narratives weave together, Fabienne discovers the family secrets that her grandmother has long kept buried and it makes for a truly captivating read. I can’t remember the last time I actually cried while reading, but a particular scene toward the end just had me absolutely choked up. This book is quite the rollercoaster of emotions and will thrill and devastate you alike!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
milanatsi's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book a lot, it was captivating and interesting. However I do wish we had gotten more from Fab, her storyline was drab and not interesting, her romance with Alex seemed like it was rushed and her being with Sam would’ve made more sense but idk if it’s just me
laelbasore's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Beginning is a bit slow but once you’re in it, you won’t be able to put it down!