The Paris Dressmaker

Trigger warnings: war, violence, antisemitism, murder

Two professional women in Paris during WWII end up having to serve the Nazis in different ways.

In 1939 Paris, World War II is beginning and the legendary house of Chanel is closed. Lila de Laurent finds herself without a job. She starts making dresses for Nazi's wives at the Hôtel Ritz and collects Nazi secrets for the Resistance while sewing.

In 1943 Paris, the Nazis are deporting Jews and taking their property. Sandrine Paquet is tasked with cataloging the works of art being sent to Germany to Hitler's museum. Her husband went to war, and she hasn't heard from him in a long time.

When Sandrine is offered a job working for the Nazis, she has no choice but to accept. Without a working man in the household, they have resorted to selling their valuables to survive. Her neighbors notice the attention she is given by a Nazi officer and label her a collaboratrice.

Lila and Sandrine's stories merge when Sandrine receives a Chanel dress with a hidden message sewn into the hem. Her usual acquisitions are works of art so the gown is a surprising delivery. The message is signed LDL, which are Lila's initials.

Each woman's timeline isn't linear, which makes the story harder to follow in audio format. Thomas Nelson, a Christian fiction publisher, publishes the novel but the book isn't overtly religious.

Barrie Kreinik narrates the story in a British accent and adds French and German accents to dialogue. I would have preferred two narrators with one reading Lila and one reading Sandrine.

Only recommended for devotees of World War II fiction. There is a sea of WWII titles out there; readers would have a better experience with titles like The Nightingale, The Alice Network, or The Book of Lost Names.

Kristy Cambron has a degree in art history and research writing. She lives in Indiana.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Narrator: Barrie Kreinik

Running Time: 12 hours, 27 minutes

Length: 400 pages

Release Date: February 16, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy and digital audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.