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Suveremena engleska književica Sophie Nicholls u svojem prvom romanu Haljina pripovijeda šarmantnu ali i dirljivu priču o majci i kćeri koje veže neraskidiva ljubav nad koju se natkriva mračna tajna koja bi mnogo toga mogla promijeniti. Ovaj sjajni roman savršeno je štivo za sve obožavateljice vintage mode i ljubiteljice neočekivanih ljubavnih priča.

Jednog siječanjskog dana u York će doći dvije neobične žene. Fabia Moreno i njezina kći Ella. U tom su gradu odlučile otvoriti dućan čarobne vintage odjeće. No zašto su došle?

Fabia ne želi samo prodavati divne haljine ženama koje će u njima uživati nego i pobjeći od prošlosti koja ju proganja. I Ella se želi uklopiti u novi život, no neki i nisu presretni zbog njihova dolaska. Hoće li Fabia uspjeti zanemariti predrasude koje se pred njom pojavljuju? Koju to mračnu tajnu ona krije? A imaju li svilene podstave i nevidljivi šavovi na haljinama koje prodaje neke tajne moći ili se to samo tako čini? Ali osim Fabije i Elle svoje priče ispričat će i cipele s leopardovim uzorkom, večernje haljine i skupocjeni šalovi.

276 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2011

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About the author

Sophie Nicholls

11 books77 followers
Sophie Nicholls is a best-selling author and an award-winning poet based in York in the North of England.

She teaches Creative Writing at Teesside University and is Programme Leader of the MA Creative Writing by Online/Distance Learning.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
Profile Image for Morana Mazor.
474 reviews94 followers
February 25, 2019
Vrlo, vrlo slična Čokoladi... Samo što se ova majka ne bavi slasticama nego garderobom... Lagano, čitko, prekrasni opisi odjeće, obuće i modnih dodataka..
Profile Image for Kaya Dimitrova.
333 reviews74 followers
September 26, 2016
Написана красиво, докосващо, с поглъщащи описания, историята на “Роклята” ме потопи в свят, където всяка дреха носи своята магия! Роман за човешките предразсъдъци, за майчината любов, за болезнените спомени, но и носталгията по отминалите времена и не на последно място – роман за старите дрехи и изкуството да ги превръщаш в изключителни!
Profile Image for Деница Райкова.
Author 103 books240 followers
Read
December 8, 2016
Чисто удоволствие.
Това са двете думи, с които мога най-точно да опиша тази книга. Вземайки я в ръце, мислех, че ще я "глътна" за два дни, но вместо това я прочетох за пет. И то не за друго, а защото нарочно я четях по-бавно, за да се насладя както трябва на всяка страница.
По атмосфера и замисъл книгата прилича на "Шоколад"от Джоан Харис, но в някои отношения ми хареса много повече. Хареса ми самият вид на повествованието, хареса ми и това, че всеки от героите има свой отличителен "глас", който се "чува" дори когато историята не се разказва от името на въпросния персонаж, а някой говори с него или за него. Има нещо .. сетивно в тази книга. Четеш описанието на рокля или шал, или друга дреха, и сякаш усещаш допира й до пръстите си. Това е донякъде една от приликите с "Шоколад" - описаните там шоколадови творения "гъделичкат" вкуса, но това е много по-лесно постижимо въздействие. Описанията в "Роклята" въздействат на няколко нива - зрително възприятие, допир, вътрешно усещане.
Много ми хареса идеята за вшиването на думи в плата - сякаш наистина даряваш човека с благосклонно заклинание, и даваш собствена сила на дрехата.
Допадна ми стилът на авторката и "вплетените" в историята приказки. Успях да си създам истинска представа за персонажите, на моменти ми се струваше, че ги виждам наистина. Хареса ми как "магията", която Фабия създава с това, което прави, е съчетана с ежедневните неща, как наред с красивите описания се засягат и не толкова весели теми - за неприемането на различните, за стереотипните представи, които понякога са толкова дълбоко вкоренени дори в умовете на хората, които смятат себе си за свободомислещи, че е трудно или дори невъзможно да бъдат превъзмогнати.
В тази история има всичко - вълшебство, приятелство, болка, любов, минала скръб, която трябва да бъде излекувана с настояща обич. Има го и внушението, че да си различен не винаги е лошо. А също и напомнянето, че не можеш постоянно да бягаш, защото в един момент бягството от истинските или въображаеми опасности се превръща в бягство от себе си. И затова в един момент трябва просто да спреш да бягаш. И да посрещнеш онова, което те очаква.
Книгата е разтапящо хубава - понякога тъжна, понякога забавна, сурова и романтична едновременно. Отделете време да се докоснете до "Роклята" - в нея наистина има "всекидневна магия", от каквато всички имаме нужда понякога.
Profile Image for Lina.
Author 2 books5 followers
April 8, 2021
The Dress is a short candy that makes you enjoy and taste it like a sweet. It reminds a little bit to Chocolat, with the same magic and the same nice characters. The most important thing in this romance is not what happens but how Sophie Nicholls tells the story.

Beautiful.
43 reviews
November 18, 2016
Nothing much really happened in this book, apart from towards the end. The Signals were never really explained (although this may happen in the second book), and it just left me with a sense of dissatisfaction.
Profile Image for Artemiz.
933 reviews33 followers
October 3, 2016
The Dress by Sophie Nicholls is for me mix of book The Dressmaker and a movie Chocolat (I have not read book Chocolat so I can not say, it was like the book). And somehow, this book had The Casual Vacancy feel too. So little bit from here and little bit from there, a bit interesting, a bit romantic, but not really very engaging.

The story is about mother and daughter, Fabia and Ella, who have just moved to York, Fabia opens vintage dress shop and Ella goes to new school. Fabia is a bright spot in grey York, she match up right dress with right owner, and if needed she makes a whole new dress or makes alterations to the vintage one, to fit the new owner. She ads a bit magic to every garment she works with. Ella is trying to fit in the new school, to be as invisible as possible, she does not want to stand out. Of course there are those who welcome them, like Billy from school who likes Ella very much, but there are also those who want to send these newcomers away and are ready to do what ever it takes. So the story is about Fabia's and Ella's struggles to fit in and about their secrets.
Profile Image for Lucy.
146 reviews12 followers
July 25, 2016
So, I read this book days after I'd bought a 1970s long, brown pinafore with a orange flower print and a rather dramatic frill. Off the hanger it looks rather limp and disgusting, but on me it looks rather avante-garde and pretty amazing. So yeah, you could say I'm into vintage fashion.

However, I didn't read this book and become amazed that it was better than I expected, like the pinafore, but rather the opposite. This book is not a terrible book, it's just a bit, well, forgettable, and it's somewhat lost in the never ending well of women's fiction, (gosh I hate that phrase). Despite this, it was easy enough to read and enjoyable enough to tear me out of a complete reading block I've been having for ages (read, years.) This book does not offer anything new. Read or watched Chocolat? Switch the chocolates for vintage clothing and you have The Dress. The end is annoyingly predictable, and the whimsical and interesting scenes within the book, Fabia/Fabbia going to Lady Eustancia's estate, clients coming into the boutique and finding something that makes them feel fabulous had no impact on the plot whatsoever. They were nice moments, but in the end we were wasting time on Katarina and her mother (a plot line which I did not care for at all), instead of revisiting characters whom chapters had been wasted on expanding them.

The magic element was fine, but again, it just reminded me of Chocolat (with the whole, the wind blew the character's around, and by magic they could work out the perfect chocolate for their clientele!), and it brought nothing different or dynamic to the novel. By and large, I felt like this book was just a book I had read before.
Profile Image for Liza.
447 reviews8 followers
February 9, 2016
I was expecting something bigger. I don't know why; this is the second book by Sophie Nicholls I've read. The ending did not connect with the rest of the book. Perhaps it was meant to be understated, but? It was disappointing. The book itself had rich details and I enjoyed it, but then, somewhere towards the end, nothing connected, and... I feel like I'm waiting for the real ending.

Thought about it a few more minutes, and decided that there were too many loose ends. Why was Eustacia's letter introduced at all? Seems superfluous to the situation (especially given that there were no parallels). There were many side characters that you learned their story and then never saw them again (or only for a fleeting moment to drop off some cupcakes and I don't know if that was supposed to show that the charms were working or that it was Fabbia herself causing people to go after their own dreams)... I don't know. It just wasn't pulled together very well.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
1,616 reviews35 followers
March 23, 2018
This book is nothing like I was expecting. The description is quite misleading as the story really is not centered around a particular dress. The mentioned dress could be one that comes near the end but it still wasn't featured much. I thought the writing was good, but didn't feel like there was much of a story to the book at all. There is a secret hidden but no real urgency to it. I kept forgetting about it until reminded now and then. When it comes you wonder why it was such a secret in the first place.
Profile Image for Kel (Faerie-bookworm).
773 reviews62 followers
February 10, 2016
It was different, at times I forgot that it wasn't based in history. The characters really drew me in and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I would love to read more about Ella and her mother Fabbia. Made me want to check all my clothes to see if there were any words stitched into the seams.
Profile Image for Jody.
341 reviews116 followers
September 4, 2016
Review first posted on my blog 'A Spoonful of Happy Endings': http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...

Fifteen-year-old Ella and her mother Fabbia Moreno have left their life in Eastbourne behind to start over in York, where Fabbia has plans to start her own vintage clothing store. Fabbia has always had a love for glamour and beautiful clothes and loves nothing more than to share her passion with others and help them pick out the right outfit. Ella can’t help but struggle with her mother’s personality every now and again, because all she wants is to fit in and be accepted. Luckily, Ella finds a friend in Billy and Katrina, who is the daughter of rich housewife Jean Cusworth. While Ella tries her best to lead a normal life, Fabbia is focused on moving on from her past; a past that always manages to catch up with her eventually, no matter what or where she goes…

I was really curious to check out Sophie Nicholl’s ‘The Dress’ and I’m happy to say that after just a few chapters I was already hooked by the story and that stayed that way until the very last chapter. I personally love novels that have a touch of magic to them and that’s definitely the case with this book. I was intrigued by both Ella and Fabbia, who each had their own story to share, and just really enjoyed reading about them. I could understand Ella on the one hand, because I still remember what it is like to be a teenage girl, looking for a way to fit in and wanting others to understand you, but I also felt for Fabbia and really admired her passion for clothing and wanting to give her daughter a good life. It really felt like these characters have a lot of stories to tell, which is also why I was really happy when I discovered this is the start of a series and I’m already looking forward to reading more.

The novel reminded me a bit of Menna van Praag’s ‘The Dress Shop of Dreams’, which I read last year and can highly recommend. There are some similarities between the two novels, but Sophie Nicholls definitely managed to give this story her own twist. I really enjoyed her writing style which includes some great descriptions of all the amazing clothes and was just really comfortable to read. I also loved how each chapter starts with a reference to a specific piece of clothing or accessory, and how the novel was occasionally interrupted by a story that played an important role in Fabbia and Ella’s lives. Overall, I think ‘The Dress’ is an enchanting, well-written and captivating read which I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish; author Sophie Nicholls has that touch of magic and I already can’t wait to see what she will come up with next!
Profile Image for Angela Holtz.
491 reviews7 followers
January 4, 2012
From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

This cover caught my eye, it's so classy. And you know how much I love chic-lit. It's not without it romantic moments, but that's not the driver of this tale. This story is centered around Ella and her mother Fabbia. Fabbia is originally from Iran and Ella is the daughter of Fabbia and her Italian husband, Enzo.

Enzo died many years ago, so he isn't in the story. Fabbia and Ella begin this tale in York where they arrive to open a vintage shop. It's Fabbia's dream, but she has a hard time staying in the same place. It reminded me of the movie Chocolat.

The characters are all very intriguing, each with their own story and their own motivations. When Fabbia and Ella arrive, they meet Billy who befriends Ella right off. Katrina, who seems to grudgingly accept Ella as a part-time friend. We also meet up with Katrina's mother, Jean Cushworth who is a mess of a rich woman. Can we say "bored housewife?" Jean is in a drugged up stupor most of the time, rather than deal with her lonliness and boredom. Well she can't even admit that's what her problem is, she feels like she is very important and feels threatened by Fabbia and Ella.

I love the little bit of magic in the story as well. Again this plays in as a side-item. The story isn't driven by it, but it's there nonetheless. Ella and her mother have a bit of psychic ability. They call it the Signals. They get visions, warnings whenever there is trouble. The Signals were going crazy whenever Jean was around, and all through her house.

My heart breaks for Ella, when only 6 months into their stay Fabbia decides it's time to go. Ella has found her home, and is done with running away. She doesn't want to leave Billy, to change schools, and mostly to not go to the middle of no-where in Scotland.

It's a very great story. Reading this felt a little like floating on water. Your body is rocked with small waves, but mostly it just feels comforting.
Profile Image for Laura.
45 reviews19 followers
January 6, 2012
This was a bit of a disappointing one! I was really getting into the characters and was being drawn into whatever secret it was Fabbia was harbouring. Then came the end and I still haven’t really got a clue what the secret was!?! Yes we find out what happened to Enzo but that was only part of the story the reader never really finds out much about ‘the signals’. That was the most interesting part of the book to me and thought there would be some revelation about whatever it was that every woman in the family has. I felt like the book was rushed with lots of smaller storylines and characters introduced that never actually went anywhere such as Mandy and her bakery aspirations. I feel this book could have been so much better than it was if more time and pages had been spent on it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for A.B. Shepherd.
Author 2 books46 followers
October 15, 2011
Three and 3/4 stars for this one.

Sophie Nicholls was kind enough to send me this book to read and review. Thank you Sophie!

The Dress starts out as a sweet, gentle story of a vibrant, exotic mum who opens a vintage dress shop, and her self-conscious teen-aged daughter - the new kid in town who is having trouble figuring out where she fits in. The first half of the story continues in this vein as we get to know Fabbia and Ella. Enjoyable reading.

About half way through things take a slightly darker turn and in the end we learn more of what has shaped the lives of Fabbia and Ella.

It reads as if it is a period piece yet it is set in modern day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
Profile Image for Iva .
44 reviews
Read
July 24, 2019
Ако сте чели „Шоколад” веднага ще откриете приликите с книгата на Софи Никълс. Отново сме в малко градче, майка и дъщеря, които се опитват да избягат на безопасно място по-скоро от себе си, отколкото от някой друг.

Отново се запознаваме с героинята, която притежава освен талант – и малко магия, с която върши това, което умее най-добре. Този път името й е Фабия и тя е повелителката на платовете и тъканите, която ще ушие любимата ви рокля или костюм, разбира се, със щипка магия – магията на думите, чиито нишки ще вплете във финия плат.
Продължението - в блога SelfishBookworm
Profile Image for Angelnet.
572 reviews18 followers
January 12, 2012
I really want a shop like this to browse around and more than anything I want inspirational words secretly sewn into the seams of my clothes.

Amazon lumps this book in the Romance category which is a huge injustice as it is much more than that.I'd love to read more about Fabbia's earlier life in both Iran and Paris.
Profile Image for Donna.
112 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. I have a soft spot for dressmaker stories, and the details and imagery in this book are lovely. But the story doesn't GO anywhere, and my interest finally waned and withered before I finished.
Profile Image for Učitaj se! | Martina Štivičić.
789 reviews134 followers
November 25, 2019
"Priča koju ću vam ispripovijedati nije osobito jednostavna. Obuhvaća zamršene šavove i skrivena kopčanja. Ima duboke džepove i flizelin koji baš ne sjeda dobro. Prilagodit ću je vama, kako me mama poučila, povlačeći neposlušne konce što laganije mogu."

Priča počinje dolaskom Fabie Moreno i njene kćeri Elle u kišni i pomalo sumorni engleski gradić York. Majka i kći ovdje su naumile pronaći novi početak. Dok je Ella povučena, tiha i uvijek u crnom, njena je majka pravo blještavilo boja i uzoraka, koje plijeni pažnju gdje god se nađe. Dvije žene ubrzo zainteresiraju stanovnike Yorka, i dok se većina s njima sprijatelji i poželi im dobrodošlicu, neki ih promatraju s neskrivenim prezirom.

Fabia uskoro otvori prodavaonicu vintage odjeće, koju sama dorađuje. Ta je odjeća poput same Fabie, skladna i puna boja, svaki komad poseban i drugačiji. Svaki komad vrlo brzo pronađe pravu osobu kojoj naprosto savršeno stoji, a žene u Yorku ubrzo polude za Fabijinim malim dućanom. U čemu je tajna Fabijine odjeće? Možda u riječima koje potajno ušiva u rubove i na skrivena mjesta, riječi koje će osobi koja će nositi tu odjeću pomoći da se osjeća samopouzdano i dobro u svojoj koži.

No, malo magije ušivene koncem nije jedino što Fabia čuva skrivenim od pogleda. Neke tajne nosi duboko u sebi, i nada se da ih nikada neće morati otkriti, pogotovo Elli.

Mnogi će ovu neodoljivu priču odmah usporediti s 'Čokoladom' Joanne Harris - i neće biti u krivu. Ulogu čokoladnih slastica ovdje imaju vintage haljine i modni dodaci, koji, umjesto nepca, više podražuju oči, ali je unatoč tome svaki zalogaj ove priče jednako ukusan.

Sophie Nicholls ovim je romanom započela serijal jednostavno nazvan 'svakodnevna magija', a taj naziv ovu priču upravo savršeno opisuje. Možda je baš magija ono što Fabijinoj odjeći daje tu neku posebnu notu, a opet, možda je magično jednostavno to što je Fabia izrađuje s ljubavlju, elegancijom i strašću za onim što radi. Kako god bilo, rezultat je savršen. Ono što je također magično je atmosfera u ovom romanu, dašak melankolije, natruha tajnovitosti, onaj osjećaj da zrak oko tebe pucketa dok čitaš. I nije toliko stvar u tome što se događa, već načinu na koji su ta događanja opisana.

A ispod svih tih slojeva priče o lijepim haljinama, maštovitim pričama koje uključuju krzno selkieja i riječne žene, skriva se i priča o životu imigranata u stranoj zemlji - životu u neprestanom strahu od neprihvaćanja i neprijateljstva od strane ljudi koji te gledaju kao stranca i misle da o tebi sve znaju znajući samo komadić priče o tvom narodu i njegovoj prošlosti. I uvijek je to neki ružni komadić. Ova aktualna i ozbiljna tema ušivena je u ovu priču baš kao skriveni porub na nekoj od Fabijinih haljina, ili dodatni sloj podsuknje.

Ovo je magična priča učahurena u šuškave lepršave materijale vintage mode. Kao i komadi odjeće koji kroz nju prolaze, i sama je priča nekako vintage: jedinstvena, bezvremenska, poput onog najdražeg pulovera kojeg izvlačimo iz ormara samo u posebnim prilikama, kada se želimo osjećati ugodno, ili posebno, ili nostalgično. I svaki put nam savršeno pristaje. Takva je ova priča. Isprobajte ju.
Profile Image for Alexandra.
203 reviews11 followers
October 21, 2017
https://commeparenchantements.wordpre...

Un de mes gros coups de coeur de cette rentrée littéraire 2017. C’est vrai aussi que c’est assez rare que je sois déçue par un livre de cette maison d’édition. Et celui-ci ne fait pas exception à la règle. Il est parfait pour les vacances (je l’ai lu au mois d’août pendant mes vacances d’été). C’est une belle histoire, pleine de poésie. On y parle de famille, d’amitié, d’amour, de femmes, et de robes. ♥ De plus, la couverture va parfaitement avec l’histoire, et je l’a trouve absolument magnifique.

Dans ce roman, on rencontre une jeune fille, Ella, ainsi que sa maman, Fabia (j’adore les prénoms au fait). J’aime énormément le personnage de Fabia : maman toujours là pour sa fille, femme extravagante qui vit dans son petit monde, empli de vintage et de rêves. Cette fameuse Fabia a un don : elle trouve toujours LA robe idéale pour n’importe quelle femme. Et à côté de cela, Ella va découvrir au fur et à mesure de l’histoire, un secret sur le passé de sa maman, un secret qui l’a touche elle aussi. C’est une belle histoire, où se mêlent aussi donc secrets, famille, passé et intégration.

Si vous aimez les secrets de famille, les robes, et les jolies histoires, ne tardez plus ! Lancez-vous sans plus attendre dans Une Robe Couleur de Vent ! ♥
Profile Image for Isa (Pages Full of Stars).
1,281 reviews111 followers
July 29, 2018
I had a bit of a rocky start with this book, picking it up and putting it down only after a few pages, because it seemes so much like Chocolat by Jacqueline Wilson, I couldn't believe it. But thankfully I gave it a second chance and it developed into an amazing, compelling story.

This book tells a story of a mother and daughter moving to a new place and trying to settle down, in a society that doesn't always accept strangers easily. After my initial frustration with how some elements seemed taken out of Chocolat (and what's even worse is that it wasn't necessary - some of them didn't bring much to the story at all), the book tuly drew me in. It's partly a coming out of age story (on Ella's part) and partly a story about finding your place on earth (on Fabbia's part).

The book isn't one that you would breeze through, but rather one that could be read and savoured slowly. I liked that, because I grew to like the characters and was curious to see what's going to happen to them. I also enjoyed some elements from the Middle Eastern culture and myths that were included, as well as bits of magical realism.

I'm happy that I gave this book a chance, and I will definitely pick up the continuation, as soon as I will be able to get it!
40 reviews
September 2, 2024
A lovely book to immerse yourself in 🥰
Profile Image for G.J. Minett.
Author 4 books98 followers
September 21, 2016
A warning first of all. This novel possibly won't appeal greatly to thrill-a-minute seekers who take their pleasure from bite-sized chapters, frantic action and cliffhanger endings every five pages. I read a lot of novels of that particular genre and had a few reservations about taking on 'The Dress' because vintage fashion and hints of magic realism press very few buttons for me as a rule. It came with a strong recommendation however and I was ready for a temporary break from world-weary detectives with a drink problem and a troubled home life and an encyclopaedic knowledge of jazz/opera/hard rock (delete where applicable) so I decided on a change of pace.
I'm so pleased I did, because that word, pace, is the key here. It's commonly taken as a synonym for a frantic headlong rush towards the finishing line and, as Sophie Nicholls reminds us in this charming tale of love, identity and loyalty, it can be the exact opposite. Sometimes slow and steady is exactly what we need to see the bits of magic in the world around us that otherwise fly past unnoticed and it was a genuine pleasure to dip into this book for 15 minutes at a time and then go away and reflect on what I'd just read.
The story itself is straightforward. Fabia arrives in York with her teenage daughter Ella and a shedload of memories, received wisdom and stories she's inherited from her somewhat hazy background which is gradually brought into sharper focus as the novel progresses. She opens a shop which is devoted to vintage fashion and her skills as a seamstress allied to her impeccable taste and artistic temperament earn almost immediate approval from the local population. But will she and her daughter be as readily accepted on a personal level or will the little England mentality and instinctive distrust of the exotic and unfamiliar be too much for them to overcome?
What really shines through in this novel is the absolute quality of the writing. Some short passages are well worth lingering over because it's clear they have been put together with a great deal of care and attention to detail. The characters are alive and buzzing, practically leaping off the page. I cared about Fabia, about Ella. I so wanted things to work out for Billy. Yes, there are a couple of scenes which maybe didn't convince me quite as much as I'd have hoped but by the time I got to that stage I was ready to forgive the author just about anything. I finished it last night and the characters are still there. I imagine they'll stay with me for a while longer yet which is as much as any author can ask for.
As I said at the outset, this might not be for everyone but it certainly was for me. I know this won't mean anything to those who haven't read the book but at some stage today I'm going to set aside some time, just 15 minutes or so, to sit in the conservatory and listen for the whispers. Fabia is right . . . it's out there if you know where to look.
Profile Image for PrettyFlamingo.
746 reviews8 followers
June 10, 2017
WHY is everyone spelling the lead character's name incorrectly, including Goodreads? It is FABIA. Like the Skoda car! Anyway, back to the book.

I read this almost straight after The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag and although it had similarities (a present day setting which felt further back in time, a little practical magic stitched into the dresses, romance) there were enough differences (main character with secrets) to remind me I was reading a different book.

Fabia (with one "b") Moreno has moved to York with her teenage daughter Ella from the south coast to run a vintage clothing shop. We don't know why she moved so quickly, but there must have been some incident to cause her to flee. Almost each chapter of the book is related to an item of clothing worn by one of the characters, or that Fabia has in her shop. The clothes either say something about the characters, change their lives or have some kind of effect on them. There are a few chapters included with folk tales that Fabia told Ella as a child, which are also interwoven through the book. This is the "magic", but I was disappointed in the failure to embellish the "magical" elements which were only alluded to. Ella was able to sense things about people, but that was merely intuition I felt, not real magic.

Fabia has secrets. Secrets about her true background - though this is known to Ella - and her husband's death, though why that is a shameful secret I will never know. The characters are mainly what you would expect, some stock characters, with the message of the story being about fitting in whilst remaining different and how that can be achieved. This book has been likened to Chocolat, which I read so long ago I can't make the comparison, but it has made me want to go and find it and re-read it.

Meanwhile, Ella is also trying to fit in at school and with friends and has to navigate the waters of acceptance, mean girls, romance, boys and predatory men. There are two truly reprehensible characters that were perhaps too mean to be real. I also felt that Fabia was using Italian terms of endearment (“tesora” was way overdone so as to be annoying) in order to cement her desired identity.

But what was "THE" Dress? The title of the book is The Dress, but I'd have expected that to be about one single dress that changes someone's life. This was about a variety of garments. It doesn't take away from the story, but I felt the title wasn't really what the book was all about. However, I re-read the first chapter and from the ending, it became clear that the story was being told in 5-year retrospect by Ella and she is referring to a dress brought into the shop which marked a catalyst in her story – but not the beginning of it.

Definitely worth a read, and a super cover.
Profile Image for Eustacia Tan.
Author 15 books291 followers
December 5, 2011
When I got this ebook from Ms Sophie (Librarything Giveaway), I was told that "there's a little surprise waiting for you in the pages of The Dress." Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. In Chapter 10, a character Lady Eustacia Beddowes is introduced! How psyched was I? Very! My name is rare enough that it's hard to find it mentioned in a book. Plus, I become a "Lady".


But I'm sure no one is going to rush out and get it just because my name is there, so here's my hones opinion: even if my name didn't appear (sorry, very excited about this), I'd still love the book and recommend it to everyone.

The Dress has been compared to Chocolat, and there are similarities. But The Dress focuses on vintage clothing and has a slight feeling of magical realism to it, especially with the names like "Old Country" and sewing words into the clothes and of course, The Signals. It reminds me of a fairytale.



But if this is like a fairytale, it's more like their original versions rather than the cleaned-up, Disney ones: it's dark at times. The book isn't all sweetness and light, with not only Fabbia's secret but also with Jean Cushworth and her maliciousness. She reminds me of the evil queen, although I'm happy to see that Katrina, her daughter, has a happy ending.


The dual plots in this book: Ella and her bildunsroman journey with Fabbia (Ella's mom) and her secret (plus her blossoming romance with the Doctor) joins together very well. After all, they are one family unit. And at the right moments, short stories, such as that of the soulskin and La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) add to the sense of atmosphere in the book.

Although I'm really not into clothes, the descriptions of vintage clothing are really marvellous (though I know better than to try them on).


Bottom line: Read this book. And I'm not saying this because I got a free copy and found my name in it.


Disclaimer: If you managed to miss the first two times I mentioned I got a free copy of the book, there's a good chance you didn't read my review at all. But just so you know, I wasn't asked to write a positive review, it just turned out this way.

(First Published at http://allsortsofbooks.blogspot.com/2...)
Profile Image for Sarah.
107 reviews20 followers
January 14, 2012
Well, this book was simply beautiful, I loved everything about it. Nicholls' writing style was wonderfully clear and easy to read, the story was compelling and the future for the characters of Fabbia and Ella looks bright - there seems to be so much more to explore with them.


The story is set in York, and the character of Fabbia is a dress maker. The way that Nicholls writes about and describes the dresses and garments is beautiful. This really hit a chord with me, as in the past year I've begun to learn about dress making and the such, and the descriptions were, for me, really vivid and clear and I felt completely drawn into Fabbia and Ella's world.


The book gently deals with the issue of racism and growing up (through Ella) and introduces some really quite unlikable characters. I was also really intrigued about 'the signals' and I'm sure there is more to explore with this in future works.


I'm really excited to read that there will be more books about these two characters, and I can't wait to read them; they'll be added to the ever increasing 'to read' list.
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,728 reviews30 followers
August 26, 2017
This story is mainly told through Ella's eyes. She's a teenager and has just moved with her mom Fabia. They open a special little vintage shop and Fabia also does some alterations and designing of her own. They both have a bit of their family's magic, Fabia's magic is something she uses in her designs.

But Fabia keeps her past very secret. She fears for her safety and Ella's.

I read this book fairly quickly but I struggled to get very involved in the story.
It's a magical dress shop, why didn't I love this?

Well, it's sadder than I expected. Bad things happened in Fabia's life and begin to happen in Ella's too. At the risk of this sounding to spoilerish, why does there need to be a creepy guy leering at Ella?

Maybe it's just me, but I like a magical realism book that's light.
October 8, 2014
I bought this book because it was sold in Amazon's Science-Fiction & Fantasy category but it is neither. It definitely belong to the women's fiction or chic lit category, which I rarely read and very seldom enjoy. I did give this book a try but just found the story boring and the characters uninteresting.
Profile Image for Ivana.
959 reviews8 followers
March 26, 2019
An okay book, that's all I can write about this book and story.

It has some really good and interesting elements, I liked Ella and Billy and was interested to see where there story would go. But it also has some parts that, for me personally, weren't very interesting, like Fabia's memories.

So, I'm not very unhappy that I've read this book, but I'm pretty sure there won't be a second read.
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