Julia Kelly is a talented author of historical fiction. She brings the the women about whom she writes vividly to the page.
The Dressmakers of London is a story that takes place during WWII. It centers on two sisters who have had divergent lives with Sylvia “marrying well” and distancing herself from her family, and Izzy who stayed at home and worked with her mother at Mrs. Shelton’s Fashions.
When Mrs. Shelton dies, Izzy and Sylvia come back into contact. Izzy is harsh and unforgiving while Sylvia is constantly apologizing. This is the dynamic that has been set up when Izzy is called up for National Service and needs Sylvia’s help to keep the shop running. Sylvia agrees to assist.
Readers enter the worlds of the sisters. Sylvia is struggling in her marriage and elegant life. Izzy becomes a balloon girl after her WAAF training and begins to experience friendships and growth.
Both characters grow over the course of the book. That said, I was a bit tired of the dynamic as it played out for many pages before resolving.
Readers get to learn a lot about fashion in general and, in particular, clothing that was worn during the war with the changes that rationing brought. I enjoyed this aspect of the book. Another thing that I enjoyed was reading the many letters that went back and forth between Izzy and Sylvia. Of course, I also liked seeing how each character grew over time and spending more time with the people they knew.
Readers of women’s and/or historical fiction will want to give this title a look. I am glad that I did.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 18 February 2025
Post first published on 7 April 2026
Description:
from the publisher
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.
From the Publisher:
Note that there are reviews of other books by this author on my site.
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