Compelling and informative ... Robson is skilled at creating drama; the braided narrative shifts among three protagonists ... An Oxford-trained historian, Robson has a fine eye for detail ... At its best, the novel is a gripping portrait of the aftermath of a war too often romanticized in American fiction and film; the privations of global conflict and its lingering weight — in bombed-out streets, in coupons for necessities — make vivid both the hardship and unequal distribution of suffering. The comfortable remain comfortable even in uncomfortable times ... Occasionally plot twists come out of nowhere (serendipitous meetings, sudden villainy) ... stumbles in its glancing treatment of the Holocaust, which risks becoming narrative window-dressing ... For all that, Robson succeeds in creating a riveting drama of female friendship, of lives fully lived despite unbearable loss, and of the steadfast effort required to bring forth beauty after surviving war.
Robson deftly weaves issues of class, trauma, romance, and female friendship with satisfying details of Ann and Miriam’s craft. This unique take on the royal wedding will be an easy sell to fans of Netflix’s The Crown and a sure bet for readers of women-centered historical fiction by Kate Morton, Kate Quinn, or Susanna Kearsley.
The book's strongest element is its negotiation of the past slipping away from the present ... a fittingly delicate piece of work, capturing with quiet assurance the London of a long-gone era and finding a fascinating story in the fold of one single dress. Surely comparatively few of Robson's readers will remember this particular royal wedding, but The Gown makes a tiny part of it come to life again.
Robson, bestselling author of Somewhere in France, makes the reader eager to find out Ann’s secret. Ultimately, it’s one of those things you see coming, and yet you hope you’re mistaken ... an inspiring story about strength, resilience and creativity.
A clever come-on likely to sell books, if a bit of a misleading tease ... Toggling between past and present has become a predictable and often annoying historical-fiction device ... Robson has the chops of a very good mystery writer, and The Gown is at its best in its darkest (and most moving) moments ... The novelist tries, though, to be all things to all readers, and of course we must have a happy, semi-improbable (if predictable) romance bud overnight when Heather arrives in London to unlock her grandmother's past.
A satisfying multigenerational epic ... Robson’s meticulous attention to historical details—notably the intricacies of the embroidery work—is a wonderful complement to the memorable stories of Ann and Miriam, making for a winning, heartwarming tale.
Shifts deftly between Heather’s world, as she travels from Toronto to London in 2016, and Nan’s world, giving meticulous attention to the historical detail of post–World War II London ... A fascinating glimpse into the world of design, the healing power of art, and the importance of women’s friendships.
