The Dressmaker

Summary (from the publisher): Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
 
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes. 
 
Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky. 
 
On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

Review: This was one of the best Titanic stories I've read. And perfectly timed publishing to coincide with the 100th anniversary this year! It was one of my favorite because it focuses not on the night of the tragedy (because we all already know what happens there) but on the aftermath and what impact the event had on the survivors. The Dressmaker centers on Tess, an aspiring dressmaker who gets fed up with her job as a servant and quits to try her luck at boarding the Titanic.  Tess survives the ordeal as does her employer, the (bitchy) Lady Duff Gordon and Tess' two admirers. 

I've read non-fiction accounts of the trials and hearings following the Titanic's sinking (How to Survive the Titanic) so I was excited to find this included in a novel. Historical figures are mentioned throughout the novel - Bruce Ismay, the director of the White Star Line that owned the Titanic, Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's, and Jean and Jordan Darling, to name a few. Alcott does a great job of imagining these famous figures and depicting the turmoil of life following the tragedy. The reality is that many of the survivors were made to feel guilt in the public eye for the simple fact that they survived when others didn't. Alcott reveals the true character of individuals that emerges when a crisis occurs.

Alcott did a great job of showing a young woman on the brink of many choices. Tess faces numerous moral dilemmas from choosing to jump in a lifeboat to continuing to work for the morally debauched Lady Duff Gordon to choosing between the divorced millionaire and the poor but hardworking Jim. Tess braves them all with aplomb and grace and manages to stay true to herself.  

My main complaint with this novel is the cover and title. They both make this book look like a lighthearted chick lit book when in reality this deals with heavy moral issues. And its a bit reductionist to label Tess simply a dressmaker. She proves she is so much more.

Stars: 4