The Dressmaker

Praise

“From the minute Tess sets foot on the Titanic, this is the kind of novel you simply cannot put down and cannot forget.” —Tatiana de Rosnay, author of Sarah’s Key 
 
“Seamlessly stitching fact and fiction together, Alcott creates a hypnotic tale.” —USA Today
 
 “Offers a heroine you can really root for.” —NPR, “All Things Considered”
 
“A powerful, page-turning read.  It’s also a very valuable contribution to our understanding of the events surrounding the sinking of the Titanic, and its aftermath.” —Isabel Wolff, author of A Vintage Affair

“Kate Alcott’s The Dressmaker is a beautifully told story that examines loss, love, couture and the choices we make when everything is on the line–all sewn together into one compelling read. I can’t stop thinking about this book and its characters.” —Sarah Jio, author of The Violets of March and The Bungalow 
 
“[Alcott’s] research into the Titanic, its sinking, and the hearings subsequently prompted is impeccable. . . . Fascinating. . . . Historical figures become intricate characters in Alcott’s hands.” —Seattle Post Intelligencer
 
“We’re all riveted by a tragedy, but what happens to the survivors?  The Dressmaker is that rare novel that asks not only what comes next but what we would do in a morally unspeakable situation—and how we live with those choices.  A brave, truly gripping novel.” —Jenna Blum, author of Those Who Save Us

“Filled with the atmosphere, clothes, and historical figures of the times, including the Astors, the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, and J. Bruce Ismay, the White Star’s Managing Director, who cowardly boarded a lifeboat before others.” —The Huffington Post
 
“We learn a good deal about what it was like when the ship went down. But we also follow Tess as she learns about the high-fashion business in New York.” —The Washington Post
 
“A fascinating and thought-provoking book that begs us all to look at the sinking of the Titanic, how we view differences in the classes, and how we each would act in a similar situation. . . . An amazing journey.” —Bookreporter
 
 “Brims with engrossing storytelling. . . . For fans of Sarah Jio, Susanna Kearsley, and immigrant tales.” —Booklist
 
“The Dressmaker achieves the remarkable—it makes the sinking of the Titanic feel like a story never told before.  By focusing on the search for justice in the aftermath of the tragedy, this compelling first novel examines humanity at its best and worst, as seen through the eyes of one of the ship’s survivors, a courageous young woman who is determined to make her own way in America.” —Lauren Belfer, author of A Fierce Radiance