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The Wedding Dress Maker
In the shadow of a love lost and being disgraced by her actions, Netta Nichol must watch from the sidelines as her child is brought up by her father and stepmother. This is not the first time her stepmother has taken what is rightfully hers. First it was her dead mother's rainbow necklace—Netta's only legacy—now her son. Netta is unable to protest such treatment, for it is 1945 and, in the eyes of her God-fearing community, she is doubly cursed: an unmarried mother who struggled with mental health problems after giving birth to her son. After being banished from her beloved Galloway, to a Yorkshire mill-town, Netta is determined to show she is capable of building a life for herself, so she can return to Galloway and claim back her child.
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2000
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267 people want to read
About the author
Leah Fleming
33 books202 followersLeah Fleming was born in Lancashire and is married with three sons and a daughter. She writes from an old farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales and an olive grove in Crete.
See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com.a...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 13, 2025
Three and a half stars
Netta Nichol falls in love with Rae and they plan to marry. When the war intervenes they decide to get married at Gretna Green before he goes off to war. But it doesn’t work out as planned.
Then Netta finds out she is pregnant and tells her stepmother Peg and her father Angus, she is married. The truth comes out after his birth when Netta is hospitalised. Her baby boy is left with Peg and Angus to raise on the farm in Galloway. Netta, after her recovery, moves to Yorkshire. She always plans to return and claim her son Ray who Peg and Angus have renamed, Gus. But first she has to establish work, a home and a life for them together. But plans don’t always work out.
I had read several other books by this author and loved them. So, I was excited to read this one. I didn’t love it as much as for the reasons given below. Scenes to do with mental health and being in a mental asylum do not make this book an easy read. Though essential to the plot there were times I had to put the book aside for a while. But it kept calling me back. I so wanted Netta Nichol to succeed. Also the tile is somewhat misleading as Netta doesn’t end of making a lot of wedding dresses as it implies. There is a wedding dress or two, but a lot of other sewing work takes more precedence. But she does establish a business. But when disaster strikes the family must all worries together with the help of Drew, a doctor. It is his bride to be
for whom Netta is making a wedding dress. In the past Drew has had his own issues as Netta knows when she first met him at the asylum.
The book deals with the issue of alcoholism, attempted suicide, loss, grief, guilt, loss, secrets and some serious health issues that created tension and suspense. There is romance or two as well
Overall, it was a good read, just not quite the book I was expecting. But it did leave me smiling at the end. Leah Fleming is the author.
Netta Nichol falls in love with Rae and they plan to marry. When the war intervenes they decide to get married at Gretna Green before he goes off to war. But it doesn’t work out as planned.
Then Netta finds out she is pregnant and tells her stepmother Peg and her father Angus, she is married. The truth comes out after his birth when Netta is hospitalised. Her baby boy is left with Peg and Angus to raise on the farm in Galloway. Netta, after her recovery, moves to Yorkshire. She always plans to return and claim her son Ray who Peg and Angus have renamed, Gus. But first she has to establish work, a home and a life for them together. But plans don’t always work out.
I had read several other books by this author and loved them. So, I was excited to read this one. I didn’t love it as much as for the reasons given below. Scenes to do with mental health and being in a mental asylum do not make this book an easy read. Though essential to the plot there were times I had to put the book aside for a while. But it kept calling me back. I so wanted Netta Nichol to succeed. Also the tile is somewhat misleading as Netta doesn’t end of making a lot of wedding dresses as it implies. There is a wedding dress or two, but a lot of other sewing work takes more precedence. But she does establish a business. But when disaster strikes the family must all worries together with the help of Drew, a doctor. It is his bride to be
for whom Netta is making a wedding dress. In the past Drew has had his own issues as Netta knows when she first met him at the asylum.
The book deals with the issue of alcoholism, attempted suicide, loss, grief, guilt, loss, secrets and some serious health issues that created tension and suspense. There is romance or two as well
Overall, it was a good read, just not quite the book I was expecting. But it did leave me smiling at the end. Leah Fleming is the author.
January 8, 2020
THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is the first book by Leah Fleming that I have encountered and while I didn't hate it, I definitely don't think it was the best written in this genre.
A story of love and loss during wartime alongside family and day to day struggles of the time, THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is about the determination of a young woman fighting for what is right and the child that was taken from her shortly after birth. It also deals with post natal psychosis which is not something that was readily understood at the time, and it is handled expertly and sensitively.
Netta Nichol grew up a farmer's daughter in Galloway in the west of Scotland. An only child, her father Angus longed for a son to take over the family farm, but after her mother died young he then married Peg who was unable to bear him a child, much less a son. Netta found her stepmother harsh in comparison to her beautiful loving mother who spoke of dreams and rainbows whereas Peg dealt in black and white practicalities. The transition wasn't an easy one as Peg thought Netta's head was in the clouds far too much having been mollycoddled by her mother and Netta fighting Peg along the way.
One night at a dance, Netta met the dashing Corporal Raeburn Hunter and their tender courtship blossomed into loving proposal. Accepting without hesitation, Netta was filled with dreams of their future. Eloping to Gretna Green, they married in the former tradition over the anvil but it would not be legal until they did so via the registry - which they could not do so for fourteen days. But Rae's leave was only for 10, so they made plans to meet at the registry office and then honeymooned for the remainder of their precious time together before Rae had to return to barracks. But their future as man and wife hung in the balance when Rae missed their rendezvous at the registry office to legitimise their marriage. Furious with him, Netta returned home to discover a telegram notifying her of his unit's deployment thwarting their surreptitious plans. Netta could do nothing but carry on in the hope that the war would soon be over and Rae would come home.
But war takes far more than it gives, and it wasn't long before Netta received the unemotionally indifferent telegram informing her of her beloved Rae's death. She was devastated. And what was more, she was pregnant...and their marriage, despite being real to them, was never formally legalised. When Netta bore Rae's son - named Raeburn Angus Hunter - it was an incredibly difficult birth, leaving her unable to care for her child. She was transferred to Park Royal to recover and receive specialist treatment while her father and stepmother took over the care of her baby throughout her lengthy absence. Netta lived for the day she would see baby Ray again and when eight months later she was discharged, she soon discovered that her father and Peg were the only ones her child knew and looked upon as his parents. They even took to calling him Gus, rather than the name she had given him, and it was the name he now responded to. Try as she might, Netta had been replaced as her son's mother as Peg informed her that she was now his mother.
Netta was exiled to make a life for herself with a job and a home so that she could return and claim her son and ensure that he would be well cared for. She moved to Yorkshire where she took work in a fashion house pinning hems for seamstresses with the dream of becoming a designer herself. She visited the farm miles away in Scotland twice a year to see Gus, becoming known as his adored Auntie Netta, whilst she worked hard to achieve her ambition. As she soon set herself up securely and comfortably, she knew the time had come to Gus to come and live with her. But every time the subject was broached another reason why he couldn't wasn't thrown her way. And Netta left empty-handed without her son once again. By this time Gus was now 4 years old and she had already lost so much precious time with him as her son. He saw only Peg as his mammy. Netta was his beloved aunt. Would she ever have her son back? He was the only part of Rae she had left...and Peg has taken that from her.
Amidst the upsets, setbacks and turmoil, Netta was resourceful and driven as she achieved her dream of becoming a dressmaker/designer and was well-known locally for her beautiful work. But was it enough?
THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is a powerful story of love, loss and determination. Though the title is deceiving as the focus is not really on making wedding dresses - in fact, there isn't a deluge of these at all -but rather on Netta's story and her personal journey. It's a heartbreaking tale but not an easy one to take in at times. A lot of monologuing and description - of which I am not a fan - but then the story is predominantly made up of Netta's memories.
However, I found it took me a while to get into the story at first as the format of the dual timelines was somewhat different in approach - being in the form of Netta's memories as she encounters items in the attic during her latest visit to the family farm. Rather unusual at first but it does work quite well once you get used to it. I did find the Scottish brogue and dialect a little hard to follow, as speech patterns were written as they sounded rather than what they actually were, making it hard for someone not as familiar with Scottish dialect to follow in part. Like the format, you do get used to it but it does remain am awkward concept.
Not a bad read, THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is a good fit for fans of historical fiction, particularly in dual timelines.
I would like to thank #LeahFleming, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheWeddingDressMaker in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
A story of love and loss during wartime alongside family and day to day struggles of the time, THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is about the determination of a young woman fighting for what is right and the child that was taken from her shortly after birth. It also deals with post natal psychosis which is not something that was readily understood at the time, and it is handled expertly and sensitively.
Netta Nichol grew up a farmer's daughter in Galloway in the west of Scotland. An only child, her father Angus longed for a son to take over the family farm, but after her mother died young he then married Peg who was unable to bear him a child, much less a son. Netta found her stepmother harsh in comparison to her beautiful loving mother who spoke of dreams and rainbows whereas Peg dealt in black and white practicalities. The transition wasn't an easy one as Peg thought Netta's head was in the clouds far too much having been mollycoddled by her mother and Netta fighting Peg along the way.
One night at a dance, Netta met the dashing Corporal Raeburn Hunter and their tender courtship blossomed into loving proposal. Accepting without hesitation, Netta was filled with dreams of their future. Eloping to Gretna Green, they married in the former tradition over the anvil but it would not be legal until they did so via the registry - which they could not do so for fourteen days. But Rae's leave was only for 10, so they made plans to meet at the registry office and then honeymooned for the remainder of their precious time together before Rae had to return to barracks. But their future as man and wife hung in the balance when Rae missed their rendezvous at the registry office to legitimise their marriage. Furious with him, Netta returned home to discover a telegram notifying her of his unit's deployment thwarting their surreptitious plans. Netta could do nothing but carry on in the hope that the war would soon be over and Rae would come home.
But war takes far more than it gives, and it wasn't long before Netta received the unemotionally indifferent telegram informing her of her beloved Rae's death. She was devastated. And what was more, she was pregnant...and their marriage, despite being real to them, was never formally legalised. When Netta bore Rae's son - named Raeburn Angus Hunter - it was an incredibly difficult birth, leaving her unable to care for her child. She was transferred to Park Royal to recover and receive specialist treatment while her father and stepmother took over the care of her baby throughout her lengthy absence. Netta lived for the day she would see baby Ray again and when eight months later she was discharged, she soon discovered that her father and Peg were the only ones her child knew and looked upon as his parents. They even took to calling him Gus, rather than the name she had given him, and it was the name he now responded to. Try as she might, Netta had been replaced as her son's mother as Peg informed her that she was now his mother.
Netta was exiled to make a life for herself with a job and a home so that she could return and claim her son and ensure that he would be well cared for. She moved to Yorkshire where she took work in a fashion house pinning hems for seamstresses with the dream of becoming a designer herself. She visited the farm miles away in Scotland twice a year to see Gus, becoming known as his adored Auntie Netta, whilst she worked hard to achieve her ambition. As she soon set herself up securely and comfortably, she knew the time had come to Gus to come and live with her. But every time the subject was broached another reason why he couldn't wasn't thrown her way. And Netta left empty-handed without her son once again. By this time Gus was now 4 years old and she had already lost so much precious time with him as her son. He saw only Peg as his mammy. Netta was his beloved aunt. Would she ever have her son back? He was the only part of Rae she had left...and Peg has taken that from her.
Amidst the upsets, setbacks and turmoil, Netta was resourceful and driven as she achieved her dream of becoming a dressmaker/designer and was well-known locally for her beautiful work. But was it enough?
THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is a powerful story of love, loss and determination. Though the title is deceiving as the focus is not really on making wedding dresses - in fact, there isn't a deluge of these at all -but rather on Netta's story and her personal journey. It's a heartbreaking tale but not an easy one to take in at times. A lot of monologuing and description - of which I am not a fan - but then the story is predominantly made up of Netta's memories.
However, I found it took me a while to get into the story at first as the format of the dual timelines was somewhat different in approach - being in the form of Netta's memories as she encounters items in the attic during her latest visit to the family farm. Rather unusual at first but it does work quite well once you get used to it. I did find the Scottish brogue and dialect a little hard to follow, as speech patterns were written as they sounded rather than what they actually were, making it hard for someone not as familiar with Scottish dialect to follow in part. Like the format, you do get used to it but it does remain am awkward concept.
Not a bad read, THE WEDDING DRESS MAKER is a good fit for fans of historical fiction, particularly in dual timelines.
I would like to thank #LeahFleming, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheWeddingDressMaker in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
June 27, 2020
This is actually by Leah Flemming and is another great story.
June 18, 2020
An odd little book which was lent to me as a break from the re-reading. Interesting take on changing values and practices Thank God. But the title and the cover lead the reader compleatly up the garden path as to its content. Not what I expected and I was surprised, maybe even shocked, by it.
Toast
Toast
September 4, 2019
I seem to be in the minority here - I didn't hate it, but it definitely wasn't the best book I've read in this genre.
It took me a while to get into it at first, as the way in which the dual narrative approach is done is quite unusual - rather than alternate chapters or anything like that, it's instead done as a memory from items found in an attic by Netta. Bit unusual, but it does work very well once you get used to it.
I just didn't find myself that gripped by it if I'm honest. It was quite predictable, and very overdramatic at times. I ended up skipping most of the more melodramatic moments and heading straight for the ending, which yes was a happy ending, but was also one that was able to be seen from a mile away.
It took me a while to get into it at first, as the way in which the dual narrative approach is done is quite unusual - rather than alternate chapters or anything like that, it's instead done as a memory from items found in an attic by Netta. Bit unusual, but it does work very well once you get used to it.
I just didn't find myself that gripped by it if I'm honest. It was quite predictable, and very overdramatic at times. I ended up skipping most of the more melodramatic moments and heading straight for the ending, which yes was a happy ending, but was also one that was able to be seen from a mile away.
August 13, 2019
I have loved reading about Netta and her fall from grace and how she tries to gain her self-respect enough to claim her child from her family.She is clever at sewing and makes beautiful wedding gowns working her fingers to the bone and she is determined to succeed and learn to live again.Excellent book.5*
February 8, 2024
This title is so misleading. I was initially drawn to this book as it was set in the 40's but I wish I hadn't bothered.
The dressmaking is only a tiny part of what is a quite depressing story.
It also keeps jumping backwards and forwards in time which was a bit annoying.
Sometimes the characters talk in their Scottish accent (which I don't mind,I used to read The Broons ) but at least do it in paragraphs not one sentence in English then the next sentence with an accent ,it's quite annoying. Only one star awarded & that was for the time period. I would give it a miss if I were you.
The dressmaking is only a tiny part of what is a quite depressing story.
It also keeps jumping backwards and forwards in time which was a bit annoying.
Sometimes the characters talk in their Scottish accent (which I don't mind,I used to read The Broons ) but at least do it in paragraphs not one sentence in English then the next sentence with an accent ,it's quite annoying. Only one star awarded & that was for the time period. I would give it a miss if I were you.
June 28, 2020
2.5 stars
Just not my cup of tea, I’m afraid.
The background to Nettie’s story took to long to set up and didn’t feel like it should have done.
Then the story started to gain some momentum and everything happened too quickly. The ending was predictable and didn’t really finish everything off.
Just not my cup of tea, I’m afraid.
The background to Nettie’s story took to long to set up and didn’t feel like it should have done.
Then the story started to gain some momentum and everything happened too quickly. The ending was predictable and didn’t really finish everything off.
November 26, 2019
Nice read, well written
August 12, 2019
NetGalley
Member Review
The Wedding Dress Maker
by Leah Fleming
Pub Date: 05 Sep 2019
Review by
jeanie m, Reviewer
Last updated on 12 Aug 2019
My Recommendation
Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Having read a lot of books by this FANTASTIC author came as no surprise as to how FANTASTIC her new book is stepping back in time to the west coast of scotland down to Galloway was like going home nets was one of the strongest women life had not treated her great but through sheer determination and working her fingers to the bone with her dressmaking she got there I utterly just loved everything about this book it had a touch of oldfashonieness about it which I love in a book I read well in to the early hrs as I couldn't wait to find out I can not praise this OUTSTANDING Author and her book enough
Member Review
The Wedding Dress Maker
by Leah Fleming
Pub Date: 05 Sep 2019
Review by
jeanie m, Reviewer
Last updated on 12 Aug 2019
My Recommendation
Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Having read a lot of books by this FANTASTIC author came as no surprise as to how FANTASTIC her new book is stepping back in time to the west coast of scotland down to Galloway was like going home nets was one of the strongest women life had not treated her great but through sheer determination and working her fingers to the bone with her dressmaking she got there I utterly just loved everything about this book it had a touch of oldfashonieness about it which I love in a book I read well in to the early hrs as I couldn't wait to find out I can not praise this OUTSTANDING Author and her book enough
December 24, 2021
An enjoyable read overall, but so many typos that set my teeth on edge 😬
Also to my mind the child was not well portrayed. In the beginning chapter, I thought he was about about 8, but then looking at the dates, he was only 4 (born in 1945). His words and actions are those of an older child. At one point the narrative says something about him roaming in the fields or countryside; even back then, I’m sure a toddler would not be out roaming.
Still, the references to colour and materials was well done and interesting.
I’ve enjoyed other books by Leah Fleming much more (the Captains daughter for example is my favourite)
Also to my mind the child was not well portrayed. In the beginning chapter, I thought he was about about 8, but then looking at the dates, he was only 4 (born in 1945). His words and actions are those of an older child. At one point the narrative says something about him roaming in the fields or countryside; even back then, I’m sure a toddler would not be out roaming.
Still, the references to colour and materials was well done and interesting.
I’ve enjoyed other books by Leah Fleming much more (the Captains daughter for example is my favourite)
April 6, 2020
I decided to read this as a change to the normal genre I read. I thought I would really enjoy it after reading the blurb, but I struggled to gel with the lead character. I also really disliked the way that the book flitted from one time to another and how sometimes the characters were given Scottish accents in their speech and other times weren't. Halfway through the book I nearly put it down, but kept with it. It was quite depressing and lacked that page turning spark. I felt a little deflated by the end and won't rush to read another.
March 2, 2023
Yet another story of a woman who has a baby out of wedlock and has to deal with the consequences. Ho hum. The story takes place in post WWII England. I was attracted to this book by the time. The MC is (or wants to be) a wedding dress designer. Precious little of the story was actually about her career, but I enjoyed the part that was. Most of it was about her misfortune related to having a baby without being married at a time when that was completely unacceptable. Most of this book was depressing.
Those who like that type of women's fiction may like the story more than I did.
Those who like that type of women's fiction may like the story more than I did.
August 22, 2019
A story of wartime love, loss, family struggles, mental & physical health issues but most of all the determination of a young woman to fight for what she knows to be right, and the child that was taken from her shortly after birth.
A fairly well researched book, though lacking in depth occasionally - many loose ends left at the end presumably for a sequel??
Disclosure: I received an advance read a copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions on my own.
A fairly well researched book, though lacking in depth occasionally - many loose ends left at the end presumably for a sequel??
Disclosure: I received an advance read a copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions on my own.
September 3, 2022
Very moving.
An incredibly moving story spanning approximately ten years from pre-World War II to the late 1940s.
Netta is forced to leave her family home in Scotland after having a baby while not officially married. Settling in Yorkshire and beginning a career in dressmaking, she is still torn about leaving her son and establishing a business for herself.
An outstanding story with an emotional impact, and one which I found impossible to put down.
An incredibly moving story spanning approximately ten years from pre-World War II to the late 1940s.
Netta is forced to leave her family home in Scotland after having a baby while not officially married. Settling in Yorkshire and beginning a career in dressmaking, she is still torn about leaving her son and establishing a business for herself.
An outstanding story with an emotional impact, and one which I found impossible to put down.
January 13, 2020
Good read
Good insight into some of the issues living during WWll years. I enjoyed the book but only gave it 4 stars as I really don’t like jumping around the years. If you don’t mind that then it could be a 5 star book for you.
Good insight into some of the issues living during WWll years. I enjoyed the book but only gave it 4 stars as I really don’t like jumping around the years. If you don’t mind that then it could be a 5 star book for you.
April 21, 2020
I found this book hard to put down. I felt the author must have had some personal knowledge of having a difficult birth and how she felt afterwards as it was so accurate. The whole book felt very real.
August 21, 2023
While the book had a promising start I found I lost interest half way through and struggled to finish it. The premise was good and I’m not sure why but the characters didn’t seem strong enough to hold my interest into what happened to them!
May 31, 2020
Excellent book
I have enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t put it down wanting to know what happened next, very well written
I have enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t put it down wanting to know what happened next, very well written
September 17, 2020
I found this a bit slow at the beginning.
February 7, 2021
I enjoyed this book.
March 18, 2021
I wasn't keen when I started reading this book however after a few chapters it really gripped me and became intriguing. I love sewing so that part was great and I really liked the ending
June 13, 2021
Touching, soul stirring and ambitious tale of a girl who had been played a bad hand at life but won’t give up
October 30, 2021
I couldn't put this book down, I loved reading every word of it.
June 3, 2022
A slow start but picked up.
June 25, 2022
Loved listening to this via audio book form.
October 24, 2022
Wow this book made me so grateful for the times I live in! I could not imagine the stigma attached to so many of the trials Netta goes through!! An emotional but very well written read!
October 29, 2022
Didnt reallly enjoy this book tbh, it upped at the end but felt a bit of a slog. Injustice and a quick fix, way too much at start and the really interesting bits skipped through
December 27, 2022
I love this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews