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Il grand tour di Nancy Moon
Taffetà, crêpe de chine, vestiti a trapezio e tubini neri: per Florence Connelly la passione per la moda vintage è di famiglia.
Dalla nonna Peggy ha ereditato l’amore per i tagli sartoriali e una vecchia macchina da cucire, ma di recente la gioia che provava a ricamare si è esaurita, sotto il dolore causato da una crisi coniugale e dalla morte di Peggy.
Tutto cambia quando, sul fondo di un armadio della nonna, trova una vecchia scatola di legno. Al suo interno, una serie di buste gialle contenenti dei cartamodelli degli anni sessanta. In ogni busta, un ritaglio di tessuto, una cartolina e una fotografia di una donna – sempre la stessa – che indossa il modello in questione.
Londra, McCalls 6673: abito da giorno bonton.
Parigi, Vogue 5727: vestito da sera con scollo a barchetta e cinturina.
Antibes, McCall’s 6571: abito da cocktail.
Capri, McCall’s 6291: costume da bagno a due pezzi e prendisole.
Venezia, Butterick 2308: tubino scollato senza maniche e giacca coordinata con manica a tre quarti.
Affascinata dalla storia che quei vestiti sembrano volerle raccontare e senza più niente che la leghi a casa, Flo decide di seguire la mappa tracciata dalle cartoline e dalle fotografie e di scoprire chi sia la sconosciuta.
Perché la nonna conservava i suoi scatti? E come mai le amiche di Peggy all’improvviso sembrano nasconderle qualcosa?
Passo dopo passo, riuscirà a scoprire che la donna si chiamava Nancy e che ogni vestito compone il puzzle di un suo viaggio in Europa nel 1962.
Dall’Inghilterra al Sud della Francia fino ad arrivare in Italia, ripercorrendo il grand tour di Nancy e seguendo il filo di una misteriosa storia d’amore, anche Flo troverà la forza per ricucire la propria vita.
Dalla nonna Peggy ha ereditato l’amore per i tagli sartoriali e una vecchia macchina da cucire, ma di recente la gioia che provava a ricamare si è esaurita, sotto il dolore causato da una crisi coniugale e dalla morte di Peggy.
Tutto cambia quando, sul fondo di un armadio della nonna, trova una vecchia scatola di legno. Al suo interno, una serie di buste gialle contenenti dei cartamodelli degli anni sessanta. In ogni busta, un ritaglio di tessuto, una cartolina e una fotografia di una donna – sempre la stessa – che indossa il modello in questione.
Londra, McCalls 6673: abito da giorno bonton.
Parigi, Vogue 5727: vestito da sera con scollo a barchetta e cinturina.
Antibes, McCall’s 6571: abito da cocktail.
Capri, McCall’s 6291: costume da bagno a due pezzi e prendisole.
Venezia, Butterick 2308: tubino scollato senza maniche e giacca coordinata con manica a tre quarti.
Affascinata dalla storia che quei vestiti sembrano volerle raccontare e senza più niente che la leghi a casa, Flo decide di seguire la mappa tracciata dalle cartoline e dalle fotografie e di scoprire chi sia la sconosciuta.
Perché la nonna conservava i suoi scatti? E come mai le amiche di Peggy all’improvviso sembrano nasconderle qualcosa?
Passo dopo passo, riuscirà a scoprire che la donna si chiamava Nancy e che ogni vestito compone il puzzle di un suo viaggio in Europa nel 1962.
Dall’Inghilterra al Sud della Francia fino ad arrivare in Italia, ripercorrendo il grand tour di Nancy e seguendo il filo di una misteriosa storia d’amore, anche Flo troverà la forza per ricucire la propria vita.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2020
586 people are currently reading
1192 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Steele
5 books79 followersHello and thank you for visiting my author page.
I am the author of THE MISSING PIECES OF NANCY MOON and THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL.
NANCY MOON was inspired by my own love of vintage fashion and dressmaking, with some vicarious travel thrown in, and takes the reader on a tour of the glamorous hotspots of Europe in 1962.
THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL in set in occupied rural France in 1942, and the story of Lucie Laval and her pupils is one of hope and courage in time of war.
Although I originally trained as a classical musician, writing has always been my passion, and I am never found without a notebook on my person, in case of that unexpected moment of inspiration. I am usually found in the cafés of Stroud, my home town in beautiful Gloucestershire, or walking the local hills with my dog.
For lots of photographs charting my love of vintage fashion and all things home made, as well as the stories behind my stories, do follow my Instagram and Facebook pages @sarahsteeleauthor, or catch me procrastinating on Twitter at @sarah_l_steele.
Head to my website to find images of the originals patterns made by Nancy.
I am the author of THE MISSING PIECES OF NANCY MOON and THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL.
NANCY MOON was inspired by my own love of vintage fashion and dressmaking, with some vicarious travel thrown in, and takes the reader on a tour of the glamorous hotspots of Europe in 1962.
THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL in set in occupied rural France in 1942, and the story of Lucie Laval and her pupils is one of hope and courage in time of war.
Although I originally trained as a classical musician, writing has always been my passion, and I am never found without a notebook on my person, in case of that unexpected moment of inspiration. I am usually found in the cafés of Stroud, my home town in beautiful Gloucestershire, or walking the local hills with my dog.
For lots of photographs charting my love of vintage fashion and all things home made, as well as the stories behind my stories, do follow my Instagram and Facebook pages @sarahsteeleauthor, or catch me procrastinating on Twitter at @sarah_l_steele.
Head to my website to find images of the originals patterns made by Nancy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
November 2, 2020
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is about Flo’s life after she loses her grandmother and her marriage. She runs across some 1960 dress patterns, and each one also features photographs and postcards. It’s quite the mysterious rabbit hole, and Flo finds herself yearning to know more about the mysterious Nancy Moon in the pictures.
Flo remakes all of Nancy’s dresses and sets off on the same tour Nancy completed in 1962. Will she find what she’s looking for? Will she put her life back together?
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a poignant story. I enjoyed traveling alongside Flo. It’s a story of love and loss, and there’s so much hope, too.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Flo remakes all of Nancy’s dresses and sets off on the same tour Nancy completed in 1962. Will she find what she’s looking for? Will she put her life back together?
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a poignant story. I enjoyed traveling alongside Flo. It’s a story of love and loss, and there’s so much hope, too.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
November 3, 2020
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is about Flo’s life after she loses her grandmother and her marriage. She runs across some 1960 dress patterns, and each one also features photographs and postcards. It’s quite the mysterious rabbit hole, and Flo finds herself yearning to know more about the mysterious Nancy Moon in the pictures.
Flo remakes all of Nancy’s dresses and sets off on the same tour Nancy completed in 1962. Will she find what she’s looking for? Will she put her life back together?
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a poignant story. I enjoyed traveling alongside Flo. It’s a story of love and loss, and there’s so much hope, too.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Flo remakes all of Nancy’s dresses and sets off on the same tour Nancy completed in 1962. Will she find what she’s looking for? Will she put her life back together?
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a poignant story. I enjoyed traveling alongside Flo. It’s a story of love and loss, and there’s so much hope, too.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
March 29, 2021
Thank you to Mobius Books for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
This book was good by principle - I SHOULD have fallen in love with it! But I didn’t. I found the characters (mostly Flo) a little boring, and the transitions between past and present just had me confused for a few lines before I realized what year we were in.
The story itself didn’t excite me. I did enjoy the dressmaking scenes, and how it was the tie that bound our characters together.
Although I can appreciate the idea, it just wasn’t for me, which sucks! I wanted to love this so much!
This book was good by principle - I SHOULD have fallen in love with it! But I didn’t. I found the characters (mostly Flo) a little boring, and the transitions between past and present just had me confused for a few lines before I realized what year we were in.
The story itself didn’t excite me. I did enjoy the dressmaking scenes, and how it was the tie that bound our characters together.
Although I can appreciate the idea, it just wasn’t for me, which sucks! I wanted to love this so much!
August 21, 2020
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
This will a brilliant, moving story. I felt like I was on holiday with Flo and Nancy and found the story equally relaxing and immersive. Following the threads back in time to discover Nancy’s story, I felt like I was travelling with the two women at the same time.
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
This will a brilliant, moving story. I felt like I was on holiday with Flo and Nancy and found the story equally relaxing and immersive. Following the threads back in time to discover Nancy’s story, I felt like I was travelling with the two women at the same time.
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
July 28, 2020
The dual time story, set during the early 1960s and the present day begins with an intriguing prologue with a woman boarding a train bound from London to France and being seen off by a small group of friends. Who is she and why is she leaving.
Following her grandmother’s funeral, Florence (Flo) is broken, as seems is her marriage to Seamus. Personal heartache has taken its toll and she doesn’t know if the marriage can ever be repaired. Whilst going through her grandmother Peggy’s belongings, Flo comes across a box of dressmaking pattern packets, each with a fabric swatch, a photo and a note of where it was taken. Each photo includes a young woman that Flo recognises from another photo of Peggy’s wedding that includes her friends. There is a name on each photo – “Nancy”. Who is Nancy and why has Peggy never mentioned her?
Alone and now rudderless, Flo, like Nancy, a talented seamstress, decides to follow in Nancy’s footsteps by re-creating the dresses and following the photos to their destinations to try and find out what happened to this mysterious Nancy.
The story is told by both Flo and Nancy however I was captivated throughout by Nancy’s story. As a young girl following her dream, her life unexpectedly changed course and she found herself travelling across Europe – Paris, the South of France, Capri …. there was a dress and a photo for every stop. The biggest mystery however involved Nancy herself. What happened to her.
As Flo turns detective and tries to follow in Nancy’s footsteps, it gradually becomes clearer to her what she really wants from her own life. I have to admit that I did prefer Nancy’s character and I loved reading about her part in the story. Nancy had far more charisma and strength of character and the positive impact she made on others lives was quite touching. It’s just personal preference, but Flo didn’t really match up for me in quite the same way.
This is the author’s debut novel and her own love of dressmaking, such a big part of Nancy and Flo’s lives has been incorporated to form a story that has many layers. There may be glamour with fantastic locations – vividly described to give a sense of place but there is also sadness and loss with more than one character keeping secrets. Did Flo discover Nancy’s fate? – You will have to read the book to find out.
This is a story beautifully written and I loved it. There are superbly drawn characters wrapped up in an engaging story of love, loss and hope. I can’t wait to see what Sarah Steele writes next.
Following her grandmother’s funeral, Florence (Flo) is broken, as seems is her marriage to Seamus. Personal heartache has taken its toll and she doesn’t know if the marriage can ever be repaired. Whilst going through her grandmother Peggy’s belongings, Flo comes across a box of dressmaking pattern packets, each with a fabric swatch, a photo and a note of where it was taken. Each photo includes a young woman that Flo recognises from another photo of Peggy’s wedding that includes her friends. There is a name on each photo – “Nancy”. Who is Nancy and why has Peggy never mentioned her?
Alone and now rudderless, Flo, like Nancy, a talented seamstress, decides to follow in Nancy’s footsteps by re-creating the dresses and following the photos to their destinations to try and find out what happened to this mysterious Nancy.
The story is told by both Flo and Nancy however I was captivated throughout by Nancy’s story. As a young girl following her dream, her life unexpectedly changed course and she found herself travelling across Europe – Paris, the South of France, Capri …. there was a dress and a photo for every stop. The biggest mystery however involved Nancy herself. What happened to her.
As Flo turns detective and tries to follow in Nancy’s footsteps, it gradually becomes clearer to her what she really wants from her own life. I have to admit that I did prefer Nancy’s character and I loved reading about her part in the story. Nancy had far more charisma and strength of character and the positive impact she made on others lives was quite touching. It’s just personal preference, but Flo didn’t really match up for me in quite the same way.
This is the author’s debut novel and her own love of dressmaking, such a big part of Nancy and Flo’s lives has been incorporated to form a story that has many layers. There may be glamour with fantastic locations – vividly described to give a sense of place but there is also sadness and loss with more than one character keeping secrets. Did Flo discover Nancy’s fate? – You will have to read the book to find out.
This is a story beautifully written and I loved it. There are superbly drawn characters wrapped up in an engaging story of love, loss and hope. I can’t wait to see what Sarah Steele writes next.
May 30, 2021
Wow what a wonderful story. I really loved this book, I devoured it very quickly. This book will stay with me for a long time. It was set in the 1960’s high is my era and I loved the dual time-line. The descriptions of all the fashions and the places that Nancy visited me it very vivid and colourful. I wish I could give this wonderful book more stars. I do hope that this author writes more books especially if they turn out like this one.
September 23, 2020
To be honest I don’t know if this is normally a book I’d have picked to read if I hadn’t been asked to read it for review. But boy am I glad I said yes bc it was a pleasant surprise all the way around! Different time periods and POV made for an exciting story that left me breathless at the end. Just an absolute delight!
Thanks so much to the publisher for this copy in exchange for review!
Thanks so much to the publisher for this copy in exchange for review!
August 8, 2020
This dual timeline novel tells the story of two women from the same family making one extraordinary journey half a century apart. Florence has lain the grandmother who raised her from the age of eleven to rest and is contemplating the ruins of her marriage following the loss of a baby and her husband’s infidelity. Pursuing a career based on her passion for sewing has proven a non-starter and she is stuck in a rut as she contemplates what her future holds. It takes the discovery of a box of vintage 1960s dress patterns, fabric swatches, postcards and a series of photographs of a young women wearing the outfits in her grandmother’s wardrobe to reignite her enthusiasm. Working out that the glamorous young woman who designed and is modelling the clothes is her great aunt, Nancy Moon, Flo wonders why she has never heard of her existence or knows how her story ends and is compelled to search for answers.
A shared passion for sewing and Nancy’s obvious talent pulls Flo into her story and urged on by friends she decides to follow in her unknown great aunt’s footsteps on her 1962 tour of Europe with the added condition that she uses Nancy’s old patterns to recreate her look to add to the adventure. But in discovering what became of Nancy, will it give Flo the opportunity to reflect on her own dilemmas and make some difficult decisions? Nancy’s journey is brilliantly well-realised as she goes from the streets of South London to the continent and her life takes several unforeseen turns. I found her story utterly compelling and vied for her every step of the way as I raced to discover the exact details and outcome of her adventure. Believable and quietly moving, it is impossible not to compare Nancy’s experience with someone of Florence’s generation and appreciate how different things are half a century on.
I found the book a struggle overall for several reasons, the first of which was my inability to connect or even care about the contemporary character of Flo. I never felt she emerged off the page or made a particularly strong impression in complete contrast to that of vivacious Nancy and Flo’s parts of the narrative failed to hold my interest. The story deliberately tries to inject a sense of mystery into Nancy’s story and leads one to believe that Nancy’s remaining childhood friends, Dorothy and Phyllis, along with Peggy never heard from her again with her name never mentioned. This is a fallacy and we sadly only discover subsequent to Flo’s journey that there was in fact nothing secret about Nancy’s life after she left London in 1962.
Furthermore Flo’s ‘investigation’, or lack of, is embarrassingly uninspired and consists of fortuitously stumbling across people who were there at the time and either remember Nancy from her picture or because she caused a stir and left a lasting memory of her encounter. Seeing Nancy’s real story as it happens and then seeing Flo recreate her steps immediately after in such a laboured manner quickly began to grate. Whilst the novel is a debut novel and Nancy’s story is compelling I certainly didn’t feel that overall it was particularly coherently pulled together.
A shared passion for sewing and Nancy’s obvious talent pulls Flo into her story and urged on by friends she decides to follow in her unknown great aunt’s footsteps on her 1962 tour of Europe with the added condition that she uses Nancy’s old patterns to recreate her look to add to the adventure. But in discovering what became of Nancy, will it give Flo the opportunity to reflect on her own dilemmas and make some difficult decisions? Nancy’s journey is brilliantly well-realised as she goes from the streets of South London to the continent and her life takes several unforeseen turns. I found her story utterly compelling and vied for her every step of the way as I raced to discover the exact details and outcome of her adventure. Believable and quietly moving, it is impossible not to compare Nancy’s experience with someone of Florence’s generation and appreciate how different things are half a century on.
I found the book a struggle overall for several reasons, the first of which was my inability to connect or even care about the contemporary character of Flo. I never felt she emerged off the page or made a particularly strong impression in complete contrast to that of vivacious Nancy and Flo’s parts of the narrative failed to hold my interest. The story deliberately tries to inject a sense of mystery into Nancy’s story and leads one to believe that Nancy’s remaining childhood friends, Dorothy and Phyllis, along with Peggy never heard from her again with her name never mentioned. This is a fallacy and we sadly only discover subsequent to Flo’s journey that there was in fact nothing secret about Nancy’s life after she left London in 1962.
Furthermore Flo’s ‘investigation’, or lack of, is embarrassingly uninspired and consists of fortuitously stumbling across people who were there at the time and either remember Nancy from her picture or because she caused a stir and left a lasting memory of her encounter. Seeing Nancy’s real story as it happens and then seeing Flo recreate her steps immediately after in such a laboured manner quickly began to grate. Whilst the novel is a debut novel and Nancy’s story is compelling I certainly didn’t feel that overall it was particularly coherently pulled together.
May 13, 2020
With thanks to netgalley and Author Sarah Steele for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Its 4am I just finished this Outstanding beautifully written book.
This book took my breath away its plotting and scheming and intriguing ways were just exceptional from the first few pages I was there living there life with them I am actually feeling quite bereft. Nancy Moon's story is full of love heartache hope loss so many mixed emotions this is one book I will never forget it was a sheer joy to read thank you for one of the most memorable stories I've read.
Its 4am I just finished this Outstanding beautifully written book.
This book took my breath away its plotting and scheming and intriguing ways were just exceptional from the first few pages I was there living there life with them I am actually feeling quite bereft. Nancy Moon's story is full of love heartache hope loss so many mixed emotions this is one book I will never forget it was a sheer joy to read thank you for one of the most memorable stories I've read.
August 15, 2020
Novel set in LONDON and on through FRANCE and to ITALY
3.5*
What an eye-catching cover and this in itself will undoubtedly draw readers to pick up this novel.
Flo is in a wobbly marriage with Seamus and as the book opens she is at the funeral of her Grandmother. In recent times life has dealt Flo quite a few blows and she is reeling from the loss and upset of the life issues that have followed her around. Sorting through her Grandmother’s things she discovers a box with old dress patterns, swatches, postcards and photos, neatly tied into individual packages.
Her interest is, of course, piqued; there are clearly secrets in the family. She recognises many of the people in the photos, bar one woman. Who might she be? She determines that the woman is Nancy but why has her Grandmother kept all these mementos since 1962? They must have had deep meaning for her.
Flo starts to run up the dresses from the patterns on her sewing machine, she is a creative dressmaker who delights in adding the finishing touches to iconic styles of the 1960s. And then, where does she go from there?
After discovering that Seamus has been unfaithful, she decides to follow in Nancy’s footsteps and see if she can peel back the layers of the story. She wears her newly created dresses in tandem with the dress images depicted on each photo. Her first stop is Paris where she hooks up with a friend-of-a-friend, Ben, and who joins her later in her trip. Her story is very much set in the present. Nancy’s own story, set in the 1960s, is woven into Flo’s odyssey and the two narratives form a kind of pas-de-deux, tripping on down to the South of France, Capri, Venice and Tuscany.
The premise of this novel is truly delightful. The pleasure and detail of dress-making permeate the storyline. It is lovely that the author has searched out era specific patterns from Butterick, McCalls, Vogue etc., to enhance the feel of the times. Flo, really enters Nancy’s world as she endeavours to understand how each clue contributes to the full picture.
I very much enjoyed the novel overall. The aspects that didn’t work so for well for me were the characters. The novel opens with a good cast vying for the reader’s attention and then individuals are naturally singled out to take the story forward, the others still hovering (slightly confusingly) in the background. Who’s who does become clearer, however, although character development is a little slow.
The organic flow of the two, entwined stories faltered at some points, I just felt it needed a firmer editing hand to order the sequence of chapters and corral the slightly erratic pace. Coincidences helped the story to move along – it’s quite a thing to have several people in the here and now cast their minds back to 1962 and have pertinent and specific recollections to aid Flo’s investigations.
The writing style is lovely. It really doesn’t need off-pat imagery like “short gnocchi-shaped guards” assisting their passenger on a train in Italy; or when the first impression of driving in Paris is like “Le Mans” (how many times has one heard that tired analogy?); or Ben is described as dressing like Jeremy Clarkson/TopGear. The author can simply rely on her confident and accomplished style to get the story across. I enjoyed the novel for its creative escapism and for the evocative sense of place.
3.5*
What an eye-catching cover and this in itself will undoubtedly draw readers to pick up this novel.
Flo is in a wobbly marriage with Seamus and as the book opens she is at the funeral of her Grandmother. In recent times life has dealt Flo quite a few blows and she is reeling from the loss and upset of the life issues that have followed her around. Sorting through her Grandmother’s things she discovers a box with old dress patterns, swatches, postcards and photos, neatly tied into individual packages.
Her interest is, of course, piqued; there are clearly secrets in the family. She recognises many of the people in the photos, bar one woman. Who might she be? She determines that the woman is Nancy but why has her Grandmother kept all these mementos since 1962? They must have had deep meaning for her.
Flo starts to run up the dresses from the patterns on her sewing machine, she is a creative dressmaker who delights in adding the finishing touches to iconic styles of the 1960s. And then, where does she go from there?
After discovering that Seamus has been unfaithful, she decides to follow in Nancy’s footsteps and see if she can peel back the layers of the story. She wears her newly created dresses in tandem with the dress images depicted on each photo. Her first stop is Paris where she hooks up with a friend-of-a-friend, Ben, and who joins her later in her trip. Her story is very much set in the present. Nancy’s own story, set in the 1960s, is woven into Flo’s odyssey and the two narratives form a kind of pas-de-deux, tripping on down to the South of France, Capri, Venice and Tuscany.
The premise of this novel is truly delightful. The pleasure and detail of dress-making permeate the storyline. It is lovely that the author has searched out era specific patterns from Butterick, McCalls, Vogue etc., to enhance the feel of the times. Flo, really enters Nancy’s world as she endeavours to understand how each clue contributes to the full picture.
I very much enjoyed the novel overall. The aspects that didn’t work so for well for me were the characters. The novel opens with a good cast vying for the reader’s attention and then individuals are naturally singled out to take the story forward, the others still hovering (slightly confusingly) in the background. Who’s who does become clearer, however, although character development is a little slow.
The organic flow of the two, entwined stories faltered at some points, I just felt it needed a firmer editing hand to order the sequence of chapters and corral the slightly erratic pace. Coincidences helped the story to move along – it’s quite a thing to have several people in the here and now cast their minds back to 1962 and have pertinent and specific recollections to aid Flo’s investigations.
The writing style is lovely. It really doesn’t need off-pat imagery like “short gnocchi-shaped guards” assisting their passenger on a train in Italy; or when the first impression of driving in Paris is like “Le Mans” (how many times has one heard that tired analogy?); or Ben is described as dressing like Jeremy Clarkson/TopGear. The author can simply rely on her confident and accomplished style to get the story across. I enjoyed the novel for its creative escapism and for the evocative sense of place.
January 1, 2021
What an original story! I very much enjoyed The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon, possibly in no small part because I made so many of my clothes when I was a teenager and young adult. The author either did a fine job of researching, or knows her way around a pattern, fabric, and sewing machine. (Anyone who remembers stitching in interfacing versus the TOTAL JOY of ironing in fusible is my kind of seamstress.)
The book is beautifully written, the characters engaging. The author manages a large cast with little confusion. (I did experience "character fatigue" about three-quarters of the way through.) Steele also manages two time periods well, a literary device I normally detest. Some of the characters carry through both periods and keep the story cohesive.
Very heavy internal dialogue at the beginning of the book bogged me down, but the story picks up, and I'm glad that I stuck with it. Not only did I enjoy the sewing angle, but the book is a vicarious trip to some of my favorite European destinations that are (sadly) unavailable to me with the pandemic.
Recommended.
The book is beautifully written, the characters engaging. The author manages a large cast with little confusion. (I did experience "character fatigue" about three-quarters of the way through.) Steele also manages two time periods well, a literary device I normally detest. Some of the characters carry through both periods and keep the story cohesive.
Very heavy internal dialogue at the beginning of the book bogged me down, but the story picks up, and I'm glad that I stuck with it. Not only did I enjoy the sewing angle, but the book is a vicarious trip to some of my favorite European destinations that are (sadly) unavailable to me with the pandemic.
Recommended.
July 3, 2021
A very interesting storyline. Nancy Moon needs a change and takes a job looking after a young girl and her family as they travel through Europe seeking commissions for paintings for her employer. Nancy never returns to England, and years after the death of a relative, a box of sewing patterns is discovered, each pattern envelope complete with fabric swatches and photos of the clothing as Nancy tours Europe with her employer's family. A family member uses Nancy's patterns to recreate her clothing, then sets off on a journey to discover why her aunt disappeared, wearing the same clothing in the same places as depicted in Nancy's photos.
December 28, 2022
Ich habe mich unglaublich auf dieses Buch gefreut, da das Cover und der Klappentext direkt meine Aufmerksamkeit bekommen haben. In dem Buch gibt es wechselnde Perspektiven, zum einen erfahren wir mehr über die Protagonistin Flo, die die Reise in die Vergangenheit antritt und von Nancy, die die Schnittmuster entworfen hat. Ich finde die Idee toll, aber leider waren sie von der Reihenfolge nicht sinnvoll für die Handlung- Flo reist an einen bestimmten Ort und der*die Leserin erfährt vorher bereits, was dort passiert ist. Mich hat es dann frustriert, wenn Flo glaubte, dem Geheimnis auf der Spur zu sein.
Das Buch lässt sich sehr schnell lesen. Allerdings haben mir nur die Kapitel aus Nancys Perspektive wirklich zugesagt, da ich Flo unglaublich unsympathisch und anstrengend fand. Sie hat ihre Sympathie verloren, nachdem sie eine andere Frau abwertet, da diese "müde und übergewichtig" sei und wie diese dann mit einem so tollen und gar attraktiven Mann zusammen sein konnte. Geht's noch? 🙄 Im Laufe des Buches wird auch immer wieder aus der Erzählperspektive angedeutet, dass sie erst wieder attraktiv sein könne, wenn sie abgenommen hat. Das kann ich verzeihen, wenn wir in die 1960er springen, aber im Jahr 2022 möchte ich davon nichts mehr lesen.
Alles in allem hat mich das Buch leider nicht überzeugen können, wobei ich glaube, dass das Buch rein aus Nancys Perspektive etwas für mich gewesen wäre.
Danke an @goldmannverlag und dem @bloggerportal für das Rezensionsexemplar. Meine Meinung ist selbstverständlich unabhängig davon :)
Das Buch lässt sich sehr schnell lesen. Allerdings haben mir nur die Kapitel aus Nancys Perspektive wirklich zugesagt, da ich Flo unglaublich unsympathisch und anstrengend fand. Sie hat ihre Sympathie verloren, nachdem sie eine andere Frau abwertet, da diese "müde und übergewichtig" sei und wie diese dann mit einem so tollen und gar attraktiven Mann zusammen sein konnte. Geht's noch? 🙄 Im Laufe des Buches wird auch immer wieder aus der Erzählperspektive angedeutet, dass sie erst wieder attraktiv sein könne, wenn sie abgenommen hat. Das kann ich verzeihen, wenn wir in die 1960er springen, aber im Jahr 2022 möchte ich davon nichts mehr lesen.
Alles in allem hat mich das Buch leider nicht überzeugen können, wobei ich glaube, dass das Buch rein aus Nancys Perspektive etwas für mich gewesen wäre.
Danke an @goldmannverlag und dem @bloggerportal für das Rezensionsexemplar. Meine Meinung ist selbstverständlich unabhängig davon :)
August 4, 2020
"Most journeys begin with a goodbye: to a friend or a loved one, often to a lover, and sometimes a place… Some goodbyes last merely a few hours, but some will have to last a lifetime."
This riveting and uplifting debut encapsulates the essence of summer. It transported me from Brighton and Hove to Paris, Antibes, Capri and Tuscany, so vividly that I could feel the summer sun beating down on me and the breeze in my hair.
Florence is mourning the loss of her grandmother and her marriage when she comes across vintage dress patterns from the 1960s, each containing mementos from a European adventure taken by her Great Aunt - Nancy Moon. But Flo has never heard of Nancy before. Why did her family keep her a secret? And why has she never been seen or heard from again since that trip?
Florence decides to solve the mystery of what happened to Nancy, embarking on a pilgrimage retracing Nancy Moon's Grand Tour; remaking the dresses and following in her footsteps, slowly unravelling the untold story of her family's past.
There's been a bit of a buzz about this book and I had heard some great things, but I still wasn't expecting to fall so completely in love with Nancy, Florence and this beautifully told story of family, love, loss and long-held secrets. The author's lyrical prose and rich imagery brought the story to life as clearly as if I was watching it play in technicolour on a movie screen.
The author effortlessly moves between the dual timeliness, immersing you in their world and the mystery of what happened to Nancy. The characters are compelling, likeable and memorable, and the narrators - Florence and Nancy - are relatable and easy to connect with. But there is something about Nancy that made her leap from the page; an air of glamour and mystery that radiates from her and reminded me of the aura surrounding Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly; that movie-star lustre, beauty and mystery that makes them feel out of reach.
Heartwarming, uplifting, emotional and immersive, The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a must-read, encapsulating the essence of summer like the sun is shining from the pages
This riveting and uplifting debut encapsulates the essence of summer. It transported me from Brighton and Hove to Paris, Antibes, Capri and Tuscany, so vividly that I could feel the summer sun beating down on me and the breeze in my hair.
Florence is mourning the loss of her grandmother and her marriage when she comes across vintage dress patterns from the 1960s, each containing mementos from a European adventure taken by her Great Aunt - Nancy Moon. But Flo has never heard of Nancy before. Why did her family keep her a secret? And why has she never been seen or heard from again since that trip?
Florence decides to solve the mystery of what happened to Nancy, embarking on a pilgrimage retracing Nancy Moon's Grand Tour; remaking the dresses and following in her footsteps, slowly unravelling the untold story of her family's past.
There's been a bit of a buzz about this book and I had heard some great things, but I still wasn't expecting to fall so completely in love with Nancy, Florence and this beautifully told story of family, love, loss and long-held secrets. The author's lyrical prose and rich imagery brought the story to life as clearly as if I was watching it play in technicolour on a movie screen.
The author effortlessly moves between the dual timeliness, immersing you in their world and the mystery of what happened to Nancy. The characters are compelling, likeable and memorable, and the narrators - Florence and Nancy - are relatable and easy to connect with. But there is something about Nancy that made her leap from the page; an air of glamour and mystery that radiates from her and reminded me of the aura surrounding Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly; that movie-star lustre, beauty and mystery that makes them feel out of reach.
Heartwarming, uplifting, emotional and immersive, The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a must-read, encapsulating the essence of summer like the sun is shining from the pages
August 4, 2020
The Missing Pieces Of Nancy Moon was a beautifully written and plotted book about love, life and heartache. This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.
Firstly i loved the two main character Flo and Nancy who I enjoyed following throughout the book. I did prefer Nancy to Flo a little bit as she was such a captivating, strong lady who seemed to have a positive outlook on life. That’s not to say I didn’t like Flo and feel a lot of sympathy for her with the state of her marriage and the sad loss if her baby. I found myself feeling a little jealous of the close family and friends that she had surrounded herself with as she seemed to have a lot of people to support her.
The dressmaking part of the story helped give it a nostalgic edge that brought to life the 1960’s era for me. I found it really interesting to learn more about it especially the type of clothes made and the materials used. The occasions that the clothes were used at was nice to read about too and some were so beautiful I found myself wishing I could have worn them too.
Overall I thought this was a fabulous, multi layered story that was an absolutely joy to read. The story intrigued me from the start with its interesting prologue which hinted of things to come and lots of history between the characters. There were many twists and turns which ensured I was glued to the page, along with lots of secrets being hidden which I loved. I felt quite sad to finish the book leave the story and characters behind.
Huge thanks to Rosie from Headline for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
Firstly i loved the two main character Flo and Nancy who I enjoyed following throughout the book. I did prefer Nancy to Flo a little bit as she was such a captivating, strong lady who seemed to have a positive outlook on life. That’s not to say I didn’t like Flo and feel a lot of sympathy for her with the state of her marriage and the sad loss if her baby. I found myself feeling a little jealous of the close family and friends that she had surrounded herself with as she seemed to have a lot of people to support her.
The dressmaking part of the story helped give it a nostalgic edge that brought to life the 1960’s era for me. I found it really interesting to learn more about it especially the type of clothes made and the materials used. The occasions that the clothes were used at was nice to read about too and some were so beautiful I found myself wishing I could have worn them too.
Overall I thought this was a fabulous, multi layered story that was an absolutely joy to read. The story intrigued me from the start with its interesting prologue which hinted of things to come and lots of history between the characters. There were many twists and turns which ensured I was glued to the page, along with lots of secrets being hidden which I loved. I felt quite sad to finish the book leave the story and characters behind.
Huge thanks to Rosie from Headline for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
August 25, 2020
I received this book after signing up to be a part of The Book Fairies’ campaign on publication day of The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon.
On opening the parcel and seeing the cover image for the first time I knew I just HAD to read this book.
Whilst I would not normally choose to read a book partially set in the 1960s it was sitting on my desk just calling out to be read. I am so pleased I took the time to sit and enjoy it. I enjoyed it immensely and I highly recommend.
This is a story told over two timelines – Flo in present day and Nancy from the 1960s. The author has paced the story perfectly.
I enjoyed the way the story focused on the dressmaking patterns and Flo re-created the dresses to help her on her quest. The way in which the author describes the dresses and the locations is just magical. I could picture every scene and given I was reading whilst we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and unable to travel I felt I had travelled across Europe with Flo.
I understand this is the author, Sarah Steele’s debut novel and it is easy to see how much she loves dressmaking and I look forward to reading more.
This book has opened up a whole new genre of novels I previously would not have considered reading and I an extremely thankful for that.
Thank you Sarah Steele, Headline and The BookFairies too!
On opening the parcel and seeing the cover image for the first time I knew I just HAD to read this book.
Whilst I would not normally choose to read a book partially set in the 1960s it was sitting on my desk just calling out to be read. I am so pleased I took the time to sit and enjoy it. I enjoyed it immensely and I highly recommend.
This is a story told over two timelines – Flo in present day and Nancy from the 1960s. The author has paced the story perfectly.
I enjoyed the way the story focused on the dressmaking patterns and Flo re-created the dresses to help her on her quest. The way in which the author describes the dresses and the locations is just magical. I could picture every scene and given I was reading whilst we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and unable to travel I felt I had travelled across Europe with Flo.
I understand this is the author, Sarah Steele’s debut novel and it is easy to see how much she loves dressmaking and I look forward to reading more.
This book has opened up a whole new genre of novels I previously would not have considered reading and I an extremely thankful for that.
Thank you Sarah Steele, Headline and The BookFairies too!
August 14, 2021
Recensione presente nel blog www.ragazzainrosso.wordpress.com
Dopo la morte della nonna, Florence è alle prese con il riordino della casa della sua anziana parente con la quale ha condiviso la passione per il cucito. In un armadio in camera da letto, mentre rovista alla ricerca della vecchia macchina da cucire, Flo ritrova una misteriosa scatola. La apre e all’interno ritrova vecchi cartamodelli degli anni ’60 racchiusi in singole buste contenenti scampoli di tessuto, cartoline e le foto di una donna che indossa quelle creazioni. Chi è costei? Per quale motivo Flo non ha mai sentito parlare di lei? Incuriosita e in preda a una strana sensazione, Flo decide di saperne di più ripercorrendo le sue tracce in un viaggio attraverso l’Europa dalla Francia fino all’Italia. Ciò che scoprirà sarà destinato a sconvolgere la sua vita per sempre.
“Un addio amplifica i sensi, fa ripensare al passato e fantasticare sul futuro. Porta con sé una lieve nostalgia, forse un vago senso di colpa o di rimpianto, a volte di speranza o perfino di sollievo. Certi addii non si protraggono per più di qualche ora, mentre altri sono destinati a durare una vita intera.”
Quanto si crede di conoscere le persone con le quali si è trascorso una vita? È da questo interrogativo che si snoda la trama di questo romanzo ricco di azione e moda.
Florence è una donna in crisi. Ha da poco perso un figlio, il suo matrimonio è giunto al capolinea e ha un disperato bisogno di ricominciare. Quando si trova dinanzi alla scatola misteriosa avverte un impulso che la spinge a voler andare avanti. Compiere quel lungo viaggio sulle tracce della sua prozia rappresenta per lei l’occasione giusta per allontanarsi dalla realtà e dai problemi che l’affliggono.
Dall’altra parte vi è Nancy, una giovane donna desiderosa d’indipendenza dal cuore spezzato. Amante della moda, è lei stessa a cucire gli abiti che indossa e quando ha l’occasione di poter lavorare a servizio di una famiglia facoltosa badando alla loro figlia adolescente durante un viaggio in giro per l’Europa non si fa sfuggire tale possibilità. Nancy cambia radicalmente pagina dopo pagina. Pian piano tutte le sue insicurezze si trasformano in determinazione e in voglia di riscatto. La sua sofferenza trova un senso e una speranza nel futuro, una strada nuova, tutta da costruire.
Le esistenze di Flo e Nancy non sono poi così diverse. Entrambe hanno vissuto momenti duri, hanno sperimentato il dolore e hanno avuto la possibilità di ripartire migliorando la propria vita.
Il romanzo si snoda su un doppio piano temporale: il presente di Flo e l’estate del 1962 di Nancy. Personalmente ho apprezzato maggiormente la narrazione ambientata nel passato sia perché mi è sembrata più coinvolgente sia per le descrizioni dei luoghi e delle società del tempo.
Lo stile della prosa è semplice e scorrevole mentre il ritmo narrativo è piuttosto altalenante. Dopo una prima parte piuttosto lenta diviene via via più serrato mano mano che gli eventi e le scoperte di Flo si susseguono. Il lettore ha bisogno di tempo per entrare nel romanzo. All’inizio avverte un’enorme distanza poi si lascia catturare dagli avvenimenti, sempre più desideroso di scoprire chi è la misteriosa Nancy Moon.
Un romanzo dinamico e nel complesso piacevole. Una lettura ricca di sentimento dove la moda è il pezzo forte.
Dopo la morte della nonna, Florence è alle prese con il riordino della casa della sua anziana parente con la quale ha condiviso la passione per il cucito. In un armadio in camera da letto, mentre rovista alla ricerca della vecchia macchina da cucire, Flo ritrova una misteriosa scatola. La apre e all’interno ritrova vecchi cartamodelli degli anni ’60 racchiusi in singole buste contenenti scampoli di tessuto, cartoline e le foto di una donna che indossa quelle creazioni. Chi è costei? Per quale motivo Flo non ha mai sentito parlare di lei? Incuriosita e in preda a una strana sensazione, Flo decide di saperne di più ripercorrendo le sue tracce in un viaggio attraverso l’Europa dalla Francia fino all’Italia. Ciò che scoprirà sarà destinato a sconvolgere la sua vita per sempre.
“Un addio amplifica i sensi, fa ripensare al passato e fantasticare sul futuro. Porta con sé una lieve nostalgia, forse un vago senso di colpa o di rimpianto, a volte di speranza o perfino di sollievo. Certi addii non si protraggono per più di qualche ora, mentre altri sono destinati a durare una vita intera.”
Quanto si crede di conoscere le persone con le quali si è trascorso una vita? È da questo interrogativo che si snoda la trama di questo romanzo ricco di azione e moda.
Florence è una donna in crisi. Ha da poco perso un figlio, il suo matrimonio è giunto al capolinea e ha un disperato bisogno di ricominciare. Quando si trova dinanzi alla scatola misteriosa avverte un impulso che la spinge a voler andare avanti. Compiere quel lungo viaggio sulle tracce della sua prozia rappresenta per lei l’occasione giusta per allontanarsi dalla realtà e dai problemi che l’affliggono.
Dall’altra parte vi è Nancy, una giovane donna desiderosa d’indipendenza dal cuore spezzato. Amante della moda, è lei stessa a cucire gli abiti che indossa e quando ha l’occasione di poter lavorare a servizio di una famiglia facoltosa badando alla loro figlia adolescente durante un viaggio in giro per l’Europa non si fa sfuggire tale possibilità. Nancy cambia radicalmente pagina dopo pagina. Pian piano tutte le sue insicurezze si trasformano in determinazione e in voglia di riscatto. La sua sofferenza trova un senso e una speranza nel futuro, una strada nuova, tutta da costruire.
Le esistenze di Flo e Nancy non sono poi così diverse. Entrambe hanno vissuto momenti duri, hanno sperimentato il dolore e hanno avuto la possibilità di ripartire migliorando la propria vita.
Il romanzo si snoda su un doppio piano temporale: il presente di Flo e l’estate del 1962 di Nancy. Personalmente ho apprezzato maggiormente la narrazione ambientata nel passato sia perché mi è sembrata più coinvolgente sia per le descrizioni dei luoghi e delle società del tempo.
Lo stile della prosa è semplice e scorrevole mentre il ritmo narrativo è piuttosto altalenante. Dopo una prima parte piuttosto lenta diviene via via più serrato mano mano che gli eventi e le scoperte di Flo si susseguono. Il lettore ha bisogno di tempo per entrare nel romanzo. All’inizio avverte un’enorme distanza poi si lascia catturare dagli avvenimenti, sempre più desideroso di scoprire chi è la misteriosa Nancy Moon.
Un romanzo dinamico e nel complesso piacevole. Una lettura ricca di sentimento dove la moda è il pezzo forte.
October 25, 2021
A story with dual timelines. Set in 1962 and present day. In the present day, Flo is dealing with a crumbling marriage and the loss of a child. She is sorting through the belongings of her recently deceased grandmother and finds some old dress patterns and fabrics along with some mysterious photographs of a woman that with some digging, Flo finds out is her nan's sister. A keen dressmaker, Flo decides to recreate the dresses and Nancy's travels in Europe.
In 1962, Nancy had a flowering career as a dressmaker in London, despite her humble beginnings. Tragedy strikes for her and she loses it all. To get over things she takes a job as a companion to an Artist's daughter and has the chance for some European travel to help her forget.
The writing flowed and the two time lines blended well. As family, a couple of generations apart struggled with their own heartache having much in common along the way.
In 1962, Nancy had a flowering career as a dressmaker in London, despite her humble beginnings. Tragedy strikes for her and she loses it all. To get over things she takes a job as a companion to an Artist's daughter and has the chance for some European travel to help her forget.
The writing flowed and the two time lines blended well. As family, a couple of generations apart struggled with their own heartache having much in common along the way.
January 15, 2023
Unoriginal
I rarely write a poor review but this story was unoriginal and obvious.
A shame as the premise had such promise
I rarely write a poor review but this story was unoriginal and obvious.
A shame as the premise had such promise
June 11, 2021
3.5 stars!
June 24, 2023
It took me awhile to get into this book, but as I usually find if I stick to it, it does not disappoint.
October 12, 2020
Enjoyed this colourful story of a family jigsaw of life being unravelled.
December 9, 2020
I really enjoyed this. I hadn’t read a book in months and this was a lovely re-entry. Classic two time period story line which I am a fan of.
Also - for once the end of the book didn’t seem like the author just got a call from their editor telling them to wrap it up in the next 5 minutes.
Also - for once the end of the book didn’t seem like the author just got a call from their editor telling them to wrap it up in the next 5 minutes.
December 31, 2020
If you’re looking for a little escapism, a trip to the Riviera of the Sixties, then ‘The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon’ by Sarah Steele is for you. A family mystery spanning two generations is unravelled by Flo, Nancy Moon’s great-niece, who treads in her aunt’s footsteps across Europe following the clues. It all starts with a photograph.
Told in two timelines, it is Nancy’s story that came alive for me and I would have been happy if the book had focussed solely on Nancy. Brimming with nostalgia for life in the 1960s, the Riviera, Paris, Nice, Venice, Capri, Steele tells of Nancy’s trip as companion to Pea, a teenage girl sidelined by her distracted artist father and disinterested step-mother. It is clear Nancy is running from something and, though this is billed as a historical romance, it is essentially a tale of grief and moving on.
Clearing her grandmother’s house after her death, Flo finds a photograph of her grandma Peggy and three friends. One is a complete stranger. The next discovery is a cache of dressmaking envelopes. Each is dated and inside are cut-out dress pieces and other momentoes left by Great-Aunt Nancy, photographs, postcards and oddments. Flo has never heard of Nancy Moon. Why was she never spoken of? Flo, grieving not only for the death of Peggy but for the break-up of her marriage and the loss of a baby, decides to follow Nancy’s trail across Europe.
The motif of dressmaking patterns is underlined by Steele’s beautiful descriptions of Sixties dresses, swimsuits and fabrics. We see Nancy wearing the original version of the home-made garment, and then Flo following in her footsteps wearing a contemporary version of the same outfit. At the beginning there are so many characters introduced that it’s disorientating. It took me a while to unravel them until halfway through when I realised I simply wanted to read Nancy’s story.
So, an intriguing story idea weakened by the sudden switching of narrator and timeline intended to introduce mystery. The simple addition of chapter headings with the year and location would help. In truth I figured out the mystery very early on. How much stronger this would be as a single viewpoint, traditional historical narrative without the coincidences and neat solutions of Flo’s storyline.
I was pleased I stuck with the story, despite the slow beginning. There is plenty to admire in the writing and the locations are beautiful, a real piece of escapism for armchair travellers.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
Told in two timelines, it is Nancy’s story that came alive for me and I would have been happy if the book had focussed solely on Nancy. Brimming with nostalgia for life in the 1960s, the Riviera, Paris, Nice, Venice, Capri, Steele tells of Nancy’s trip as companion to Pea, a teenage girl sidelined by her distracted artist father and disinterested step-mother. It is clear Nancy is running from something and, though this is billed as a historical romance, it is essentially a tale of grief and moving on.
Clearing her grandmother’s house after her death, Flo finds a photograph of her grandma Peggy and three friends. One is a complete stranger. The next discovery is a cache of dressmaking envelopes. Each is dated and inside are cut-out dress pieces and other momentoes left by Great-Aunt Nancy, photographs, postcards and oddments. Flo has never heard of Nancy Moon. Why was she never spoken of? Flo, grieving not only for the death of Peggy but for the break-up of her marriage and the loss of a baby, decides to follow Nancy’s trail across Europe.
The motif of dressmaking patterns is underlined by Steele’s beautiful descriptions of Sixties dresses, swimsuits and fabrics. We see Nancy wearing the original version of the home-made garment, and then Flo following in her footsteps wearing a contemporary version of the same outfit. At the beginning there are so many characters introduced that it’s disorientating. It took me a while to unravel them until halfway through when I realised I simply wanted to read Nancy’s story.
So, an intriguing story idea weakened by the sudden switching of narrator and timeline intended to introduce mystery. The simple addition of chapter headings with the year and location would help. In truth I figured out the mystery very early on. How much stronger this would be as a single viewpoint, traditional historical narrative without the coincidences and neat solutions of Flo’s storyline.
I was pleased I stuck with the story, despite the slow beginning. There is plenty to admire in the writing and the locations are beautiful, a real piece of escapism for armchair travellers.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
July 31, 2022
To unravel that long-lost summer, she had to follow the thread...
Florence Connelly is broken hearted. Her marriage has collapsed under the weight of the loss she shares with her husband, and her beloved grandmother has just died. Even the joy she found in dressmaking is gone.
But things change when Flo opens a box of vintage 1960s dress patterns found inside her grandmother's wardrobe. Inside each pattern packet is a fabric swatch, a postcard from Europe and a photograph of a mysterious young woman, Nancy Moon, wearing the hand-made dress.
Flo discovers that Nancy was a distant relation who took the boat train to Paris in 1962 and never returned. With no one to stay home for, Flo decides to follow Nancy's thread. She unravels an untold story of love and loss in her family's past. And begins to stitch the pieces of her own life back together.
A boat train is a passenger train operating to a port for the specific purpose of making connection with a passenger ship,such as a ferry or cruise ship.Through ticketing is normally available.Notable boat rains are the former La Fleche d'Or(Golden Arrow),Paris Gare du Nord-Calais-Maritime(1929-1972) and from The Cunarder was the London Waterloo-Southampton Docks(Ocean Terminal).The French Riviera or Cote d'Azur,was one of the first modern resort areas.It began as a winter health resort for the British upper class at the end of the 18th century.With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century,it became the playground amd vacation spot of European royalty and aristocracy,and in the summer it also played home to many members of the Rothschild family.In the first half of the 20th century,it was frequented by artists and writers,as well as wealthy Americans and Europeans.After WWII,it became a popular tourist destination and convention site.Celebrities such as Brigitte Bardot,have homes in the region.The Cannes Film Festival was launched in September 1946,marking the return of French cinema to world screens.The marriage of American film actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco on 18 April 1956,attracted worldwide attention once again.Antibes is situated between Cannes and Nice.
Florence Connelly is broken hearted. Her marriage has collapsed under the weight of the loss she shares with her husband, and her beloved grandmother has just died. Even the joy she found in dressmaking is gone.
But things change when Flo opens a box of vintage 1960s dress patterns found inside her grandmother's wardrobe. Inside each pattern packet is a fabric swatch, a postcard from Europe and a photograph of a mysterious young woman, Nancy Moon, wearing the hand-made dress.
Flo discovers that Nancy was a distant relation who took the boat train to Paris in 1962 and never returned. With no one to stay home for, Flo decides to follow Nancy's thread. She unravels an untold story of love and loss in her family's past. And begins to stitch the pieces of her own life back together.
A boat train is a passenger train operating to a port for the specific purpose of making connection with a passenger ship,such as a ferry or cruise ship.Through ticketing is normally available.Notable boat rains are the former La Fleche d'Or(Golden Arrow),Paris Gare du Nord-Calais-Maritime(1929-1972) and from The Cunarder was the London Waterloo-Southampton Docks(Ocean Terminal).The French Riviera or Cote d'Azur,was one of the first modern resort areas.It began as a winter health resort for the British upper class at the end of the 18th century.With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century,it became the playground amd vacation spot of European royalty and aristocracy,and in the summer it also played home to many members of the Rothschild family.In the first half of the 20th century,it was frequented by artists and writers,as well as wealthy Americans and Europeans.After WWII,it became a popular tourist destination and convention site.Celebrities such as Brigitte Bardot,have homes in the region.The Cannes Film Festival was launched in September 1946,marking the return of French cinema to world screens.The marriage of American film actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco on 18 April 1956,attracted worldwide attention once again.Antibes is situated between Cannes and Nice.
December 26, 2024
L'amata nonna Peggy è morta, evento che si aggiunge all'avvilimento di Flo, in piena crisi matrimoniale con Seamus. Sbirciando nell'armadio di Peggy, Flo trova dei cartamodelli appartenenti agli anni '60, con allegate delle fotografie che ritraggono una giovane donna sconosciuta. Chi è e perché sua nonna non ne ha mai parlato? Flo, che ha una passione per il cucito, si incuriosisce e decide di partire alla volta dell'Europa seguendo le tappe delle fotografie per conoscere la storia della donna. Durante questo viaggio, Flo cercherà di rimettere insieme i pezzi della sua vita.
Una storia dalla trama promettente, ma che mi ha delusa un po'. La scrittura è semplice e la lettura scorrevole, cose che ho apprezzato molto. Per quanto riguarda i personaggi, secondo me non sono stati bene approfonditi, ce ne sono tanti di importanti di cui alla fine della storia sappiamo quello che sapevamo anche all'inizio. Nonostante questo, mi sono affezionata a Flo e Nancy, i due punti di vista sulla storia, e mi hanno tenuto compagnia in queste fredde sere d'inverno. Avevano tanto da dire, avrei voluto sapere di più su di loro, avrei voluto conoscere non solo il passato di Nancy, ma anche la sua vita più recente.
Sicuramente la storia è originale, però l'ho trovata prevedibile nei suoi risvolti. Una cosa che ho trovato poco realistica il fatto che qualsiasi persona casuale che Flo incontrasse, conosceva la donna misteriosa o ne aveva sentito parlare. In questo modo era facile intuire quello che veniva dopo, risultato una storia senza particolari colpi di scena.
Considerando che questo è l'esordio dell'autrice, è un libro dalla trama originale e molto piacevole da leggere, ma con delle mancanze, forse in futuro proverò a leggere qualcos'altro dell'autrice.
Una storia dalla trama promettente, ma che mi ha delusa un po'. La scrittura è semplice e la lettura scorrevole, cose che ho apprezzato molto. Per quanto riguarda i personaggi, secondo me non sono stati bene approfonditi, ce ne sono tanti di importanti di cui alla fine della storia sappiamo quello che sapevamo anche all'inizio. Nonostante questo, mi sono affezionata a Flo e Nancy, i due punti di vista sulla storia, e mi hanno tenuto compagnia in queste fredde sere d'inverno. Avevano tanto da dire, avrei voluto sapere di più su di loro, avrei voluto conoscere non solo il passato di Nancy, ma anche la sua vita più recente.
Sicuramente la storia è originale, però l'ho trovata prevedibile nei suoi risvolti. Una cosa che ho trovato poco realistica il fatto che qualsiasi persona casuale che Flo incontrasse, conosceva la donna misteriosa o ne aveva sentito parlare. In questo modo era facile intuire quello che veniva dopo, risultato una storia senza particolari colpi di scena.
Considerando che questo è l'esordio dell'autrice, è un libro dalla trama originale e molto piacevole da leggere, ma con delle mancanze, forse in futuro proverò a leggere qualcos'altro dell'autrice.
July 9, 2021
È un libro che mi ha colpito, come spesso, fin dalla veste grafica: confesso che nella scelta dei libri da leggere un ruolo molto importante per me ha anche l'aspetto estetico/grafico; mi ha incuriosito la sinossi anche se ero titubante ma fortunatamente non mi sono fatta fuorviare: la sinossi lo banalizza secondo me. Appena ho cominciato a leggere non sono più riuscita a smettere... la vicenda narrativa prosegue per analessi e prolessi e questo mi piace molto (naturalmente dipende dai gusti personali, a me piace molto questo andamento nella narrazione) e si dipana in un arco temporale abbastanza ampio che va dagli anni sessanta del Novecento fino ai giorni nostri. Non voglio dirvi se le protagoniste, perché naturalmente le protagoniste sono donne, siano legate in qualche modo... preferisco lo scopriate da sole e non voglio svelarvi molto. L'intreccio narrativo è coinvolgente, non banale, non scontato. Chi racconta e chi viene raccontato ha dei segreti che vengono svelati progressivamente. Mi sono particolarmente piaciute le ambientazioni e le descrizioni soprattutto dell'abbigliamento: c'è un motivo naturalmente se mi appunto sulle descrizioni del vestiario e lo capirete se leggerete! Dicevo che non è un libro banale, povero di spunti di riflessione: le figure femminili al centro della narrazione hanno dei vissuti dolorosi con i quali si trovano a dover fare i conti e che affrontano così come solo noi donne sappiamo affrontare... in diversi punti è stato commovente ed emozionante... non voglio svelarvi molto perché davvero vale la pena leggerlo e scoprirlo da sole! È un libro che si saluta con un sorriso, delicato e profumato...
February 21, 2023
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon: Escape to the Rivera with This Irresistible and Poignant Page-turner is by Sarah Steele. This is such a good story and so well written. The use of patterns to document a journey is definitely unique. I love the use of vintage-like dresses being used to follow a trail.
Florence (Flo) was exhausted and sad. She was exhausted over having to oversee her grandmother’s funeral and host her friends afterward. Only Phyllis, Dorothy, and Aunty Bean as well as Phyllis’s husband were left. Flo’s own husband had left taking a guest home. He would then go home as well. Flo needed a last minute with her grandmother’s best friends, then she would finish cleaning up and spend the evening saying good-bye to her grandmother. Flo was not in a hurry to go home as she and Seamus were at odds due to his cheating and her losing their baby. Instead, she begins looking through her grandmother’s things. She finds a box with patterns. Each pattern is marked and inside, she finds items, among them a picture of someone names Nancy wearing the item that was made. She then remembers a comment one of her grandmother’s friends made about the four of them being best friends since they were children. However, only three of them could possibly have been friends that long, Aunty Bean was not nearly as old as the other women. Who was the fourth woman they talked about? Where is she now? What happened? Somehow, Flo must find the answers to her questions before she can go on with her life.
Florence (Flo) was exhausted and sad. She was exhausted over having to oversee her grandmother’s funeral and host her friends afterward. Only Phyllis, Dorothy, and Aunty Bean as well as Phyllis’s husband were left. Flo’s own husband had left taking a guest home. He would then go home as well. Flo needed a last minute with her grandmother’s best friends, then she would finish cleaning up and spend the evening saying good-bye to her grandmother. Flo was not in a hurry to go home as she and Seamus were at odds due to his cheating and her losing their baby. Instead, she begins looking through her grandmother’s things. She finds a box with patterns. Each pattern is marked and inside, she finds items, among them a picture of someone names Nancy wearing the item that was made. She then remembers a comment one of her grandmother’s friends made about the four of them being best friends since they were children. However, only three of them could possibly have been friends that long, Aunty Bean was not nearly as old as the other women. Who was the fourth woman they talked about? Where is she now? What happened? Somehow, Flo must find the answers to her questions before she can go on with her life.
May 15, 2021
This was a predictable yet lovely story of Flo, who learns she has a great aunt after discovering a box of 1960s era patterns, fabrics, and photos in the back of the closet.
She determines that this is her great aunt Nancy, but why had her grandmother, who raised, never mentioned her? Her grandmother's friend reveals that Nancy had disappeared in Europe after 1962 and they had never heard from her again.
Flo is a bit of a mess after the loss of a full-term pregnancy and learning her husband had cheated on her, so she sets out to discover where Nancy has gone by following the travel notes on each of the patterns, and to make the trip more interesting, she sews all the clothes Nancy had made herself, using similar material.
The story follows Flo's journey to find Nancy and resolve the sorrow in her heart as well as Nancy's journey.
As I said, sweet and predictable. I might have given this four stars but the ending left me with more questions than answers and was just weird. It turns out that Flo's grandmother and friends had been staying in touch with Nancy all along. And let her set out on this very unlikely journey to discover what had happened to Nancy 60 years later.
Ah well. I enjoyed traveling to France and Italy with Nancy and Flo even if the ending was just strange.
She determines that this is her great aunt Nancy, but why had her grandmother, who raised, never mentioned her? Her grandmother's friend reveals that Nancy had disappeared in Europe after 1962 and they had never heard from her again.
Flo is a bit of a mess after the loss of a full-term pregnancy and learning her husband had cheated on her, so she sets out to discover where Nancy has gone by following the travel notes on each of the patterns, and to make the trip more interesting, she sews all the clothes Nancy had made herself, using similar material.
The story follows Flo's journey to find Nancy and resolve the sorrow in her heart as well as Nancy's journey.
As I said, sweet and predictable. I might have given this four stars but the ending left me with more questions than answers and was just weird. It turns out that Flo's grandmother and friends had been staying in touch with Nancy all along. And let her set out on this very unlikely journey to discover what had happened to Nancy 60 years later.
Ah well. I enjoyed traveling to France and Italy with Nancy and Flo even if the ending was just strange.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2025
A great book if you have sewn many clothes or traveled in Europe or like mysteries. Better if all three attributes apply to you as they do to me. This book caused me to review my travel photos from when I traveled solo and with my infant son. I also was compelled to google each pattern and fabric mentioned as I read the novel.
The most visceral memory jogs for me in this novel were the train station descriptions and the sounds and sights along the Cote d’Azur. On a gastronomic level, I would die to eat a fresh bagel with coffee in a Parisian cafe in the Latin Quarter right now.
The novel was amusing to me when it pushed the idea of solving a mystery by dressing in the exact same clothes as your look-alike victim and retrace her steps across Europe. However, doing this two decades after the woman’s disappearance took an incredible amount of luck and serendipity.
For romantics, this novel offers several broken and repaired relationships and also hidden family connections. I never completely understood why the hidden connections were so carefully guarded, but trying to figure them out kept me turning pages. Even when you think you understand it all, new little tidbits that you hadn’t anticipated are revealed
The most visceral memory jogs for me in this novel were the train station descriptions and the sounds and sights along the Cote d’Azur. On a gastronomic level, I would die to eat a fresh bagel with coffee in a Parisian cafe in the Latin Quarter right now.
The novel was amusing to me when it pushed the idea of solving a mystery by dressing in the exact same clothes as your look-alike victim and retrace her steps across Europe. However, doing this two decades after the woman’s disappearance took an incredible amount of luck and serendipity.
For romantics, this novel offers several broken and repaired relationships and also hidden family connections. I never completely understood why the hidden connections were so carefully guarded, but trying to figure them out kept me turning pages. Even when you think you understand it all, new little tidbits that you hadn’t anticipated are revealed
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