A new novel about confronting old wounds, new loves, and the weight of family legacy
The author of the “enthralling” (Woman’s World) The Lost English Girl returns with a heartfelt new novel about estranged sisters who inherit their late mother’s dress shop in World War II London.
Isabelle Shelton has always found comfort in the predictable world of her mother’s dressmaking shop, Mrs. Shelton’s Fashions, while her sister Sylvia turned her back on the family years ago to marry a wealthy doctor whom Izzie detests. When their mother dies unexpectedly, the sisters are stunned to find they’ve jointly inherited the family business. Izzie is determined to buy Sylvia out, but when she’s conscripted into the WAAF, she’s forced to seek Sylvia’s help to keep the shop open. Realizing this could be her one chance at reconciliation with her sister, Sylvia is determined to save Mrs. Shelton’s Fashions from closure—and financial ruin.
Through letters, the sisters begin to confront old wounds, new loves, and the weight of family legacy in order to forge new beginnings in this lyrically moving novel perfect for fans of Genevieve Graham and Lucinda Riley.
A limited number of copies with signed bookplates are available independent bookstores!
Praise for The dressmakers of london
“I was in tears reading this novel!” —The Gloss
“An uplifting WWII story about familial struggles, societal standards, and forgiveness . . . Kelly portrays friendships built, sisterhoods solidified, and new, deserving love stories formed. Women's strength in the face of adversity is the focus of this fine historical novel.” —Booklist
"A captivating, uplifting story of family, fashion, and friendship during World War Two. Izzie and Sylvia are strong, resourceful sisters who have become estranged and I was rooting for them to heal the rift. The descriptions of fabrics, dressmaking techniques, and the ingenuity of fashion designers operating under wartime austerity measures are fascinating. Joyful!" —Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author of Scandalous Women
“I absolutely adored this book and its rich cast of characters. The sisters are wonderful and their stories utterly absorbing, but what really wove a spell was the meticulous research. It’s obvious Kelly did a deep dive into the world of Make do and Mend and Fashion on the Ration and she has applied a historian’s eye for detail with a novelist flair for storytelling. The result is a novel that is so authentic and powerful I felt like I could open the door to Mrs.Shelton’s Fashions and step back in time. This is historical fiction at its finest!” Kate Thompson, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Little Wartime Library
"I was gripped by this captivating novel about two estranged sisters in WW2. The characters leapt into life, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened to them. I also learned so much about clothing rationing, conscription, dressmaking and barrage balloon teams. It was both fascinating and entrancing. A real page-turner." —Maggie Brookes, author of The Prisoner's Wife and Acts of Love and War