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The Dressmaker's Secret
- Narrated by: Jess Nesling
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Gracie Hart, The Dressmaker’s Secret is a moving and heartfelt family saga from the talented author of The Shop Girl’s Soldier.
Dorset, 1876. When young Beatrice Cullen shows up in the local church with her illegitimate child in her arms, Reverend Michael Redfern takes it upon himself to help her.
He finds her daughter, Lily, a home with a kindly couple. But when, at the age of 9, Lily loses her adopted parents, she is forced to live with her awful Aunt Doris and cousin Jez, who treat her no better than a slave. Lily can only seek solace in her dream of one day escaping her aunt and becoming a seamstress.
Five years later, now aged 14, Lily makes a startling discovery: that her birth father is none other than local aristocrat Sir Frederick Copperfield. Lily is stunned. And when she gets the chance to work for the Copperfields, she can't pass up the opportunity to get to know her half-sister Eleanor.
But will Eleanor ever really get to know her, or will Lily’s true identity forever remain a secret?
Critic reviews
"A compelling saga that will hold you fast from the first page to the last. Loved it." (Val Wood, author of The Lonely Wife)
"This roller coaster of a novel draws you in from the first page. Expertly researched and a fabulous storyline with real heart at the centre.... I devoured this in one sitting and look forward to more from this author. In short a gem of a read." (Fiona Ford, author of Wartime at Liberty's)
"A delight to read...Lily Hayter is a wonderful heroine whose resilience and integrity shine through as she struggles to claim a life of her choosing and find a family. At the heart of the story is a warmth and humanity that makes it a truly uplifting read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry when I reached the end because I wanted to linger in Dickson’s world. I eagerly await more from Karen Dickson." (Vicki Beeby, author of The Ops Room Girls)
"The characters in this novel are so believable that I cared deeply about them from the first chapter. A heartfelt, hopeful account of one young woman’s fight to keep her child safe when all the odds are against her. Atmospheric and beautifully written." (Jan Casey, author of The Women of Waterloo Bridge)
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What listeners say about The Dressmaker's Secret
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- Patricia Nicklin
- 31-03-22
New to me. Author and narrator. Both brilliant!@
Kept me interested all the way. Another story about a woman’s place in the past. I shed a few tears but there’s no humour. Not depressing though. All was well described. The narrator was truly Brilliant! Would highly recommend. Will look for another by both of them.
2 people found this helpful
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- Mary Bell
- 08-06-22
Dissapointing
Sadly this book was very disappointing and a waste of money and too full of clichés.
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- lassie
- 26-05-22
Good story
Story is pretty good. Spoilt a bit by narrator being a bit 'wooden' sometimes.
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- Vespatini
- 23-05-22
An interesting read
Well written, well narrated. The life of the main character was an uphill struggle but the epilogue was at last gratifyingly up-tempo.
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- Anonymous User
- 21-05-22
Great performance
Jess has the perfect voice for this story.
1st time I read anything written by Karen Dickson and I can't fault it.
Think I will try another of her books.
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- Chris
- 27-04-22
More feel good needed
More feel good and less doom and gloom for this story. Narration very good. There are better books for this era.
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- barbara
- 28-02-22
Brilliant
What a wonderful story. I really enjoyed listening and Jess Nesling read it beautifully. It was the first book I had listened to written by Karen Dickson and I am going to look for another immediately. I loved it, even though it was very sad I at times, the ending was happy.
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- Elaine Draper
- 21-08-21
An amazing author
Loved the story. Please write another book.
Narrator was excellent.
Did not want it to end.
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- Amazon Customer
- 16-07-21
Blinking fabulous
I loved listening to this book.
I hope the author writes more.
I really didn't want it to end
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- MR C P SCHOFIELD
- 16-05-21
The dressmaker secret
This story was wonderful could not put the book down very well put together little sad but happy I look forward to reading more of their books