January 2012, Bello, 268 pages, Paperback & Ebook, Review copy
Themes: making clothes, life for the rich,
heartache, cheating, friendships, helping others, betrayal, love, making the
most of what you have,
Content: adultery, adult relations (both not explicit
at all), some humour, tissues needed
Summary from Pan Macmillan
Eva Ibbotson’s magical novel set in that most poignant of all times and places - Vienna before the First World War.
Susanna’s dress shop stands in the delightful Madensky Square and is
the very hub and heart of life.
Susanna sympathizes with her neighbours,
watches over Signi, the wretched, orphaned child prodigy, and with her
infallible eye for dress, turns an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.
Of all the colourful characters in Madensky Square, only her dear
friend Alice has the slightest inkling that Susanna hides more than one
secret. This hidden life, full of passion and anguish, gradually unfolds
in a city of romance, music and gossip.
Nayuleska's thoughts
I was invited to review this since the
publisher, Bello, is reprinting books that are considered to be classics. I
usually run screaming from classics as I don't enjoy them, however any girl/lady
who has her own shop peaks my interest so I had to read it. It was a lovely
story which nearly made me late for work as I was nearly finished with this
surprising gem of a read.
All the aspects of being a dressmaker such
as making the dresses, showing them to potential clients, having deadlines,
having a crisis, having difficult clients etc were portrayed in Susanna's life
over a year. I confess to not being bothered by the historical setting, I was
far more interested in Susanna's easy, captivating voice which made even the
mundane - when it happened - interesting. She is a good woman, despite being a
tad immoral and being someone's mistress. She knows other mistresses, and they
bond together, not necessarily saying out loud what they are doing. Susanna
understands them and helps them through the tough times as she does for so many
of her clients. Each and every one has their lives changed simply by knowing
her.
She is a bit of a detective as she likes to
know what's going on. She found out the truth of the young musician and made me
cry through her compassion towards him. I couldn't stop smiling when Susanna
acts determined and makes a father realise how stupid his attitudes towards his
daughters were. Susanna's own life is surprising, and she shows an inner
strength to be proud of with her patience with her anarchist employee who gets
sent to prison, patience with clients who think they know best, patience in
getting to the truth in the pious fiancee with scary dolls of saints. Despite
her life choices I quite liked Susanna's attitude and loved every month of the
year in her life.
Eva died 85 years old in 2010. Her writing most definitely lives on my bookshelf/e-reader.
Suggested read
Another fun dressmaking read is The Seamstress by Maria Duenas (Historical, Fiction, 9/10E)
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