This is the third of Jennifer Ryan's novels that I've read and I enjoyed it just as much as I did her previous works. One of the things I appreciated about this book is that, despite the similar background and setting (the home front in the British countryside during WWII) to both The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Kitchen Front, Ryan still managed to make this a very different story. With most of the men off fighting in the war, the women at the home front do what they can to support the war effort. But with all the rationing taking place and the severe limitations on necessities from food to clothing, challenges abound for those trying to keep things going at home. It is against this backdrop that we meet 3 spirited women from different walks of life who are brought together through a joint effort of wanting to help other women celebrate love by mending wedding dresses for brides across the country.
Cressida Wescott grew up in Aldhurst village, but left when she was in her twenties due to a falling out with her brother. After fleeing to London, she makes a name for herself as one of the country's top fashion designers — not an easy feat, especially for a single woman given the sentiments of the time and the traditions that confined most women to a life of marriage and motherhood. All goes well until both Cressida's London home and her design house are bombed to ashes in the London Blitz and instantly, she loses everything that she worked so hard to establish. With no other recourse, Cressida has no choice but to return to Aldhurst and stay with her niece and nephew while she rebuilds her business, all the while hoping that the two of them are kinder and more hospitable than their late father was. While her niece Violet is thrilled that the famous aunt she never knew will be staying with them, she has her own "trouble" to worry about in the form of the conscription letter for war work that she receives, which effectively dashes her lifelong dream of marrying an aristocratic husband. Meanwhile, Grace Carlisle, the local vicar's daughter, is engaged to be married and wants desperately to be able to wear her mother's wedding gown for the ceremony. For Grace, it's a special way to remember her beloved mother, who died 10 years ago, and also her only hope for a traditional white wedding given the mandatory wartime clothes rationing, which has made wedding gowns a scarce commodity. Unfortunately, her mother's wedding gown is too damaged to wear without repairing, so Grace brings it to her sewing club in the hopes that, together with the other ladies in the club, they are able to salvage it. It is there that she meets Cressida, who decides to accompany Violet to one of the meetings, and as they come up with a plan to repair the wedding gown, the women also form an unexpected, close friendship. Soon, the "project" of repairing Grace's wedding dress expands into the broader idea of a wedding dress exchange program where the ladies from the sewing circle mend donated wedding dresses and lend them out to other brides so they can get the chance to have a white wedding of their own.
I loved the concept of this story and felt that Jennifer Ryan did a great job writing about the time period in a way that made me feel like I was there sharing the characters' experiences. Speaking of the characters — I also loved how, once again, Ryan's main female protagonists were all strong, admirable women who had no problem standing up against the conventions of the time. The narrative alternates between Cressida's, Violet's and Grace's perspectives, and together, we get the entirety of their shared story and experiences. While there was a little more romance in this one than I expected, especially when compared to the previous two books of hers that I had read, it didn't overshadow the rest of the story, so I was fine with it.
Overall, this was in the same vein of Ryan's previous two "home front" themed novels in that the tone was lighthearted and uplifting, though it also dealt with serious issues in a respectful, non- heavy handed way. Having said that, I did feel that the story as a whole was a tad longer than it needed to be, especially around the midway mark, where some of the scenes felt repetitive and I felt like I was losing interest, but I kept with it and am glad I did, as the story turned out well in the end.
I enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it, especially for fans of Jennifer Ryan's previous works about women's wartime effort on the home front. Also if you're looking for a WWII-themed read that's resonant and poignant but not too heavy, this one fits the bill quite nicely.
Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.
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