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Title details for The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail - Wait list

The Seamstress of New Orleans

A Fascinating Novel of Southern Historical Fiction

by Diane C. McPhail
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Set against the backdrop of the first all-female Mardi Gras krewe at the turn-of-the-century, the acclaimed author's mesmerizing historical novel tells of two strangers separated by background but bound by an unexpected secret—and of the strength and courage women draw from and inspire in each other.

"An undercurrent of New Orleans's dark side propels the story, heightening the tension and supplying McPhail with a wealth of evocative details." – Publishers Weekly
The year 1900 ushers in a new century and the promise of social change, and women rise together toward equality. Yet rules and restrictions remain, especially for women like Alice Butterworth, whose husband has abruptly disappeared. Desperate to make a living for herself and the child she carries, Alice leaves the bitter cold of Chicago far behind, offering sewing lessons at a New Orleans orphanage.

Constance Halstead, a young widow reeling with shock under the threat of her late husband's gambling debts, has thrown herself into charitable work. Meeting Alice at the orphanage, she offers lodging in exchange for Alice's help creating a gown for the Leap Year ball of Les Mysterieuses, the first all‑female krewe of Mardi Gras. During Leap Years, women have the rare opportunity to take control in their interactions with men, and upend social convention. Piece by piece, the breathtaking gown takes shape, becoming a symbol of strength for both women, reflecting their progress toward greater independence.

But Constance carries a burden that makes it impossible to feel truly free. Her husband, Benton, whose death remains a dangerous mystery, was deep in debt to the Black Hand, the vicious gangsters who controled New Orleans' notorious Storyville district. Benton's death has not satisfied them. And as the Mardi Gras festivities reach their fruition, a secret emerges that will cement the bond between Alice and Constance even as it threatens the lives they're building . . .

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 31, 2022

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781496738172

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781496738172
      • File size: 2327 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 4, 2022
      McPhail (The Abolitionist’s Daughter) entices with the story of two women from different backgrounds who discover common ground in turn of the 20th-century New Orleans. It begins in Chicago, where Alice Butterworth’s cotton broker husband, Howard, doesn’t return after a routine trip to Memphis. She searches for work as a seamstress to try to provide for herself, and, seeking both relief from the brutal winter and information about Howard, she takes the train to Memphis. She comes up short, and continues on to New Orleans, where she finds work as a seamstress at an orphanage. Alice meets Constance Halstead, a widow, and offers to sew her a gown for the upcoming Mardi Gras’s inaugural all-women krewe. The women’s friendship deepens as they learn they both had a son die in infancy, but Constance carries a secret about her husband Benton’s death and the continued threat from the sinister members of the Black Hand who are still seeking to recover gambling debts Benton owed to them. An undercurrent of New Orleans’s dark side propels the story, heightening the tension and supplying McPhail with a wealth of evocative details. Historical fiction fans will be drawn to this. Agent: Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Group.

    • Library Journal

      April 9, 2022

      In McPhail's sophomore historical novel (after The Abolitionist's Daughter) two women from different backgrounds find strength in friendship with each other and the group of women they meet in early 20th-century New Orleans. One of the women, Constance Halstead, has suspicions about her husband's behavior so she follows him when he leaves the house, only to have her life upended by a terrible incident. The other, Alice Butterworth, is also facing upheaval in Chicago. Her husband left for work one day and never returned. Desperate and alone, she must figure out a way to survive without him. She ends up in New Orleans, where she meets Constance. They begin to work together and form a growing bond of friendship. That friendship will be tested by the secrets they both are carrying. VERDICT Though seasoned readers may see the twists in this novel coming before the characters do, the author's research into the first all-female krewe of Mardi Gras enriches the backdrop of this historical title and provides a glimpse into the suffrage movement from a different angle. For fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Fiona Davis.--Jane Jorgenson

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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