The Pattern Artist

 

GIVEAWAY

MOSER, NANCY
THE PATTERN ARTIST

Can a lowly housemaid realize her own American dream?

Born into a life of hard work, English housemaid Annie Wood arrives in New York City in 1911 with his wealthy mistress. Wide-eyed with the possibilities America has to offer, Annie wonders if there's more for her than a life of service.

Annie chooses to risk everything, taps into courage she never knew she had, and goes off on her own, finding employment in the sewing department at Macy's department store. While at Macy's Annie catches the eye of a salesman at the Butterick Pattern Company. Through determination, hard work, and God's leading, Annie discovers a hidden gift: she is a talented fashion designer -- a pattern artist of the highest degree.

As she runs from ghosts of the past and focuses on the future, Annie enters a creative world that takes her to the fashion houses of Paris and into a life of adventure, purpose, and love.

My Review:

Published 2016 (yes, we've reached that point in the new year where the previous year's books are officially considered retro reads. Where did the time go?!)

Moser has captured the American pioneering spirit in this enthralling account of a young immigrant woman rising from the ashes of unforeseen misfortune. I was spellbound from the very first page.  Loved the historical details! I've sewn a Butterick pattern or two in my time so it was really interesting to see the inner workings of the company. As wells as an insider's view of Macy's Department Store. If only sales service was as exceptional today as it was back then!

Annie is a young woman with a lot of potential who pushes ahead with courage and faith in order to follow her dream. There is a certain naivety in the way she views the world at the beginning of the story but struggling through obstacles and hardships take their toll. But Annie is a survivor and she has the love and support of new friendships to help her carry on. Though she drags her heels when it comes to a certain potential suitor!

There are plenty of stunning plot twists -- some so unexpected that I had to stop reading and get my bearings. The Pattern Artist is the kind of story that entertains and inspires...and leaves you wanting more.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Pattern Artist, leave a comment below ore send me an email at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you leave your email address in a comment, please remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so that it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 18 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

An Unlikely Suitor

Giveaway!

MOSER, NANCY
AN UNLIKELY SUITOR

Spend a season in glamorous 1895 Newport in this compelling tale of friendship, devotion, and sacrificial love.

New York dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's designing her summer wardrobe. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating fashions that hide her physical injury, Rowena invited Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, encouraging the unusual friendship.

One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what Newport man would want to marry an Italian dressmaker working to support her family?

Rowena faces an arranged marriage to a wealthy heir she doesn't love, but dare a crippled girl hope for anything better?

And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, falls for a man well above her social class -- but is he willing to give up everything to marry a woman below his station?

As the lives of three young women -- and their unlikely suitors -- become entangled in a web of secrets and sacrifice, will the season end with any of them finding true happiness?

My Review:

My first Nancy Moser book -- but by no means my last!

This is the kind of historical novel you just want to settle into and savor. Moser has done her research and has crafted a stunning tale that takes place during the Gilded Age. Her vivid descriptions (especially the lush fashion details) create a genuine feel for the era.

The author takes on class boundaries which I found fascinating even though at times it appalled and enraged me. I think what struck me the most is that the wealthy who are so determined to keep the lower classes in their place are, in actual fact, no more than a generation away from being poor immigrants looking for a new start in America. You would think that they would remember their parents' struggles and would have learned from them. Instead they seemed to want to create a distance from their past and they did that by class distinction. This made An Unlikely Suitor an emotional read for me. It's a spellbinding story that follows the lives of three young women as they struggle to find their place in a changing world -- and someone to love them for who they are not what they represent. This is a definite book for your keeper shelf.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

If you would like a chance to win your own copy of An Unlikely Suitor leave a comment below. The draw will take place on Sunday May 22. Good luck everyone!