Julia Kelly (A Traitor in Whitehall; The Last Garden in England; Betrayal at Blackthorn Park) crafts an intricate narrative about sisterhood, wartime, and the complications of family secrets in her historical novel The Dressmakers of London. Kelly's novel follows estranged sisters Sylvia and Isabelle "Izzie" Shelton, who reluctantly band together to steer their family's dress shop through the challenges of World War II after their mother's death.
Izzie, a talented seamstress and designer, has always loved the dress shop, while Sylvia--whose talents lie more in accounting--never felt at home there. After Sylvia married a wealthy doctor, the sisters' once-strong relationship was shattered. But when their mother leaves them the shop as a joint inheritance and Izzie gets called up to the Women's Royal Navy Service, Sylvia steps in to run the business and finds herself relishing the sense of purpose and accomplishment it brings. As Izzie's military service opens her eyes to life beyond London, the sisters begin exchanging letters, tentatively opening up to each other about their hopes, fears, and old wounds from the years they spent apart.
Kelly stitches numerous period details into her narrative, including meticulous information about pleats, buttons, and other aspects of fabric rationing. Sylvia's idea for a fashion show featuring London designers and the new "utility clothing" brings the sisters closer, even as they share difficult memories that threaten their fragile new bond. While the dresses will be a treat for fashion lovers, the heart of the novel is its sensitive exploration of the tangled relationship between the sisters and the fresh beginnings that lie ahead for them both. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams