---
product_id: 150716936
title: "The Dressmaker's Gift"
price: "€ 29.90"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/150716936-the-dressmakers-gift
store_origin: IT
region: Italy
---

# The Dressmaker's Gift

**Price:** € 29.90
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Dressmaker's Gift
- **How much does it cost?** € 29.90 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/150716936-the-dressmakers-gift)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

desertcart.com: The Dressmaker's Gift: 9781542005135: Valpy, Fiona: Books

Review: Very WonderfullyWritten - I totally enjoyed this book and the story line of a young woman looking to find her own identity and feeling connected and discovers all through the life of her grandmother.
Review: Love the authentic setting of the story! - Book Review: The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy 2017. In first person narrative, Harriet from England, a newly accepted fashion intern or "stagiaire" in Paris, searches obsessively for the history of her grandmother after she finds an old photo of her as a young woman with two companions. 1940-1945. In third person omniscient, Harriet gives a detailed account of the exploits of three French seamstresses in a couturier's atelier in Paris - Mireille from the Pyrenees, Vivienne from Lille, and Claire from Brittany, and their harrowing experiences during the Nazi occupation as Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents of the French Resistance. In every chapter after the first, Harriet repeatedly reminisces about the grandma she never knew, which felt largely like maudlin interlude fillers barely contributing to the flow. Furthermore, it is hard for the reader to understand how Harriet in 2017 could have known the thoughts, deeds and feelings of her granny and the women. Although dramatic and entirely engaging, the incredulity renders the account concocted and contrived right through the final chapters, when Harriet finally meets Mireille. But still, Mireille couldn't have been cognizant of details, for example, during Claire's and Vivi's internment. As a Francophile who lived in Paris, I love the authentic setting of the story. The address 12 Rue Cardinale in the 9th Arrondissement of Paris is indeed about a fifteen minute leisurely walk to Ile de la Cite as mentioned in the book. That Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is in the exact spot is a bonus. It's not a fashionable area but a couturier's atelier or workshop could be anywhere in the district. The story's timeline is spotted a dash of creative license. This was famously a time of turmoil for Parisiens, with the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in January 2015, the Bataclan Theater massacre (138 dead) in November 2015, and the terrorist truck attack (86 dead) in Nice on Bastille Day on July 14, 2016. All three are mentioned in the book. A subsequent attack directly involves Harriet and her friend, Simone, which proves key to the plot. The mental state of a person living in Paris during this time, apart from day to day living, would concede little time for concern and research much less be melancholy about an unknown grandmother. Moreover, all three attacks predate the prologue, so we'll have to assume Harriet first arrived in Paris earlier in 2015. Finally, I cannot imagine anyone with Breton blood not be knowledgeable of their ancestry from the day of birth. The Bretons are fiercely proud of their Celtic heritage. In fact, most consider themselves Breton before French, regardless where they live. Claire, Harriet's grandma was a full-blooded Breton. A tale far from compelling, but writing par excellence and good light reading. Review based on an desertcart First Reads edition, and an Advance Reading Copy from desertcart Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #142,499 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #179 in 20th Century Historical Romance (Books) #1,329 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction #3,082 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (101,729) |
| Dimensions  | 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches |
| ISBN-10  | 1542005132 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1542005135 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 287 pages |
| Publication date  | October 1, 2019 |
| Publisher  | Lake Union Publishing |

## Images

![The Dressmaker's Gift - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/910qVj6I47L.jpg)
![The Dressmaker's Gift - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510IQ9v8CxL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very WonderfullyWritten
*by K***W on January 19, 2026*

I totally enjoyed this book and the story line of a young woman looking to find her own identity and feeling connected and discovers all through the life of her grandmother.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the authentic setting of the story!
*by J***A on October 18, 2019*

Book Review: The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy 2017. In first person narrative, Harriet from England, a newly accepted fashion intern or "stagiaire" in Paris, searches obsessively for the history of her grandmother after she finds an old photo of her as a young woman with two companions. 1940-1945. In third person omniscient, Harriet gives a detailed account of the exploits of three French seamstresses in a couturier's atelier in Paris - Mireille from the Pyrenees, Vivienne from Lille, and Claire from Brittany, and their harrowing experiences during the Nazi occupation as Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents of the French Resistance. In every chapter after the first, Harriet repeatedly reminisces about the grandma she never knew, which felt largely like maudlin interlude fillers barely contributing to the flow. Furthermore, it is hard for the reader to understand how Harriet in 2017 could have known the thoughts, deeds and feelings of her granny and the women. Although dramatic and entirely engaging, the incredulity renders the account concocted and contrived right through the final chapters, when Harriet finally meets Mireille. But still, Mireille couldn't have been cognizant of details, for example, during Claire's and Vivi's internment. As a Francophile who lived in Paris, I love the authentic setting of the story. The address 12 Rue Cardinale in the 9th Arrondissement of Paris is indeed about a fifteen minute leisurely walk to Ile de la Cite as mentioned in the book. That Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is in the exact spot is a bonus. It's not a fashionable area but a couturier's atelier or workshop could be anywhere in the district. The story's timeline is spotted a dash of creative license. This was famously a time of turmoil for Parisiens, with the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in January 2015, the Bataclan Theater massacre (138 dead) in November 2015, and the terrorist truck attack (86 dead) in Nice on Bastille Day on July 14, 2016. All three are mentioned in the book. A subsequent attack directly involves Harriet and her friend, Simone, which proves key to the plot. The mental state of a person living in Paris during this time, apart from day to day living, would concede little time for concern and research much less be melancholy about an unknown grandmother. Moreover, all three attacks predate the prologue, so we'll have to assume Harriet first arrived in Paris earlier in 2015. Finally, I cannot imagine anyone with Breton blood not be knowledgeable of their ancestry from the day of birth. The Bretons are fiercely proud of their Celtic heritage. In fact, most consider themselves Breton before French, regardless where they live. Claire, Harriet's grandma was a full-blooded Breton. A tale far from compelling, but writing par excellence and good light reading. Review based on an Amazon First Reads edition, and an Advance Reading Copy from Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Accurate Page Turner: Well done research
*by Z***H on October 4, 2019*

This is a very well-written historical novel. Though it is not "great literature", it is very well done modern take on Paris during the Nazi occupation. The story like so many now, is told by a modern woman who is looking for her French roots and the story of what really happened to cause her mother to commit suicide. Her discussions of generational trauma were interesting as I am the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. I like her conclusion that even if inherited trauma is real, we can rise above it with courage and knowledge. But basically the book was good because it held my interest, I loved the three main characters, and also very interesting to find out more about what it was like to live in Paris under the Nazis. I have been to Paris and remember thinking, here I am with my Jewish daughter and you Nazis are all defeated and dead. That was before the horrendous attacks on France by terrorists and the story is told against this background of modern day terrorism. I gave this book five stars, not because it is great literature, but because it is very good fiction. I highly recommend this book especially if you like stories about amazing courage. This is not for the faint hearted. The descriptions of the Dachau are all too accurate as well as the torture meted out to resisters. The end notes by the author are also interesting. Researching this book was not an easy job. I have done Holocaust research and she has done her job well. The book is really a page turner and a really fine book about a time we should never forget.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/150716936-the-dressmakers-gift](https://www.desertcart.it/products/150716936-the-dressmakers-gift)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Italy*
*Store origin: IT*
*Last updated: 2026-03-04*