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Dressmaker #2
The Dressmaker's Secret
She's back!The number 1 bestselling novel continues . . .Now it is 1953 and the fashion pages are awash with royal fever. The young queen's coronation means a season of society balls and a rush to reproduce the latest styles of the Houses of Dior, Valentino and Balenciaga. Why, then, is the best dressmaker in Melbourne squandering her talents in a second-rate Collins Street salon? From whom, or what, is she hiding?Glamorous, blackly funny and full of unforgettable characters, The Dressmaker's Secret returns to Rosalie Ham's iconic vision of 1950s Australia.
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2020
154 people are currently reading
1053 people want to read
About the author
Rosalie Ham
8 books233 followersRosalie Ham was born, and raised in Jerilderie, NSW, Australia. She completed her secondary education at St Margaret's School, Berwick in 1972. After travelling and working at a variety of jobs (including aged care) for most of her twenties, Rosalie completed a Bachelor of Education majoring in Drama and Literature (Deakin University, 1989), and achieved a Master of Arts, Creative Writing (RMIT, Melbourne) in 2007. Rosalie lives in Brunswick, Melbourne, and when she is not writing, Rosalie teaches literature. Her novels have sold over 50,000 copies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
November 25, 2020
Many, many years ago, at the turn of the century, Rosalie Ham wrote a gothic novel as part of her creative writing course at RMIT, right here in Melbourne. It featured a cast of gothic-normal characters with placeholder names lines "Una Pleasance", who was unpleasant, "Evan Pettyman", who was a petty man, "Beula Harridene", who was a harriden... und so weiter.
Somehow, it touched a nerve in its readers, and moments of true insight and lived experience broke through all the gothic nonsense to elevate it to the status of a stinging critique of the lengths small-minded people will go to in order to make themselves seem important.
It is a novel that gives the harsh truths about living in a small country town, the ones not mentioned in the treechange pamphlets and instagram accounts.
Incredibly, it was made into a movie, starring some notable actors, including Kate Winslet. A production team went out to a noxious weed research centre near Geelong, and - on a patch of wasteland - created a Dungatar that was just begging to be burnt to the ground, as per gothic convention.
The novel (sadly, not the film) was picked up by the education department's VCAA for Year 12 English students to study, pairing it with Arthur Miller's harrowing play The Crucible, with which you may be familiar (or at least know the story). The aim of this task is for students to compare and contrast the depiction - through fictionalised truth - of the tensions that play out in isolated communities.
All in all, a pretty good bag of successes for what was basically a writing assignment.
Twenty years passed, and Rosalie Ham went back to Dungatar, to write this novel, jauntily sporting the eHarlequin title The Dressmaker's Secret.
In doing so, she reshaped the original novel. She actually introduces important character details that were hidden in what should have been plain sight, but were not even hinted at in the original novel.
You know in the later Back to the Future films, where it was revealed that there were now things going on just around the corner that the characters in the original movie couldn't see, but if they could have seen it would change everything? It's like that.
I can't tell you the secret (there are actually quite a few secrets, by my reckoning), but when you read this novel - if you've read The Dressmaker (and why would you read this novel without having read The Dressmaker?) - make sure you read it in a room with heavy drapes, as you will want to fling it against the wall, and that could do some damage. Aim for the drapes.
I will give one thing for you to consider: Ham brings The Crucible into the storyline. Uh-huh, the play that this novel is teamed with in the VCE Reading and Comparing SAC. Just pops it right in there.
It is interesting to see how Ham goes back over the things she said twenty years ago and re-explains them. In some cases shifting the emphasis or the apparent interpretation, quite significantly. Because, well, that is really the territory of the original text, and its responsibility. Writing a sequel that reads in many places like a text guide in novel format is not the way to treat a storyline with respect. In my humble opinion. For what it's worth. Click here for current exchange rates.
And the tone is just... too shifty. Having read this it is possible to see the shadow of this effect in the original, but here it is just plain over the top. There are slapstick characters alongside what are meant to be deeply sympathetic ones, and the mix is not a particularly successful one. When she shifts into focus on Joe, for example, the tone is soppy and indulgent. When we are with Marigold (that's right, she tried to kill herself in the previous novel, but actually survived and ended up in an asylum - it's there, in the original, but you need to pay attention or you'll miss it) and Beula (she's there, too, still minus her nose and eyesight), the tone is that slapstick I mentioned earlier. Then there are other characters who have simply changed since we knew them in the first novel, some unrecognisably. Just... changed.
I think the biggest flaw in this novel is that it is trying to make too many points. Normally not a problem for a novel, that's what they're designed to do, after all. But here we're dealing with welfare issues that touch upon the misery of the Stolen Generation, perhaps, but from a non-indigenous viewpoint, which is big enough without also trying to cover gender issues, race issues, poverty issues, workplace issues, social justice issues, as well as looking back at all the terrible problems of people being self-interested and unwilling to show compassion for others, which she covered in the first novel, and now is going back over, by repeating, and doing again, and making the same points, by repeating them, and in some cases quoting herself, revisiting things "which she covered in the first novel".
Ultimately, though, in amongst that woke fog, she does manage to reveal what this novel is about: compassion, and what happens when people don't have it.
As was the first novel also about.
I'm not sure why Rosalie Ham decided to approach the sequel in this way, covering a great deal of already covered ground and introducing some woke pennants to critique the not-yet-unreconstructed world of the 1950s, but I think I detected a certain relieved satisfaction in the very emphatic THE END at the bottom of the last page.
That's certainly what I felt. Well, relieved, anyway.
Somehow, it touched a nerve in its readers, and moments of true insight and lived experience broke through all the gothic nonsense to elevate it to the status of a stinging critique of the lengths small-minded people will go to in order to make themselves seem important.
It is a novel that gives the harsh truths about living in a small country town, the ones not mentioned in the treechange pamphlets and instagram accounts.
Incredibly, it was made into a movie, starring some notable actors, including Kate Winslet. A production team went out to a noxious weed research centre near Geelong, and - on a patch of wasteland - created a Dungatar that was just begging to be burnt to the ground, as per gothic convention.
The novel (sadly, not the film) was picked up by the education department's VCAA for Year 12 English students to study, pairing it with Arthur Miller's harrowing play The Crucible, with which you may be familiar (or at least know the story). The aim of this task is for students to compare and contrast the depiction - through fictionalised truth - of the tensions that play out in isolated communities.
All in all, a pretty good bag of successes for what was basically a writing assignment.
Twenty years passed, and Rosalie Ham went back to Dungatar, to write this novel, jauntily sporting the eHarlequin title The Dressmaker's Secret.
In doing so, she reshaped the original novel. She actually introduces important character details that were hidden in what should have been plain sight, but were not even hinted at in the original novel.
You know in the later Back to the Future films, where it was revealed that there were now things going on just around the corner that the characters in the original movie couldn't see, but if they could have seen it would change everything? It's like that.
I can't tell you the secret (there are actually quite a few secrets, by my reckoning), but when you read this novel - if you've read The Dressmaker (and why would you read this novel without having read The Dressmaker?) - make sure you read it in a room with heavy drapes, as you will want to fling it against the wall, and that could do some damage. Aim for the drapes.
I will give one thing for you to consider: Ham brings The Crucible into the storyline. Uh-huh, the play that this novel is teamed with in the VCE Reading and Comparing SAC. Just pops it right in there.
It is interesting to see how Ham goes back over the things she said twenty years ago and re-explains them. In some cases shifting the emphasis or the apparent interpretation, quite significantly. Because, well, that is really the territory of the original text, and its responsibility. Writing a sequel that reads in many places like a text guide in novel format is not the way to treat a storyline with respect. In my humble opinion. For what it's worth. Click here for current exchange rates.
And the tone is just... too shifty. Having read this it is possible to see the shadow of this effect in the original, but here it is just plain over the top. There are slapstick characters alongside what are meant to be deeply sympathetic ones, and the mix is not a particularly successful one. When she shifts into focus on Joe, for example, the tone is soppy and indulgent. When we are with Marigold (that's right, she tried to kill herself in the previous novel, but actually survived and ended up in an asylum - it's there, in the original, but you need to pay attention or you'll miss it) and Beula (she's there, too, still minus her nose and eyesight), the tone is that slapstick I mentioned earlier. Then there are other characters who have simply changed since we knew them in the first novel, some unrecognisably. Just... changed.
I think the biggest flaw in this novel is that it is trying to make too many points. Normally not a problem for a novel, that's what they're designed to do, after all. But here we're dealing with welfare issues that touch upon the misery of the Stolen Generation, perhaps, but from a non-indigenous viewpoint, which is big enough without also trying to cover gender issues, race issues, poverty issues, workplace issues, social justice issues, as well as looking back at all the terrible problems of people being self-interested and unwilling to show compassion for others, which she covered in the first novel, and now is going back over, by repeating, and doing again, and making the same points, by repeating them, and in some cases quoting herself, revisiting things "which she covered in the first novel".
Ultimately, though, in amongst that woke fog, she does manage to reveal what this novel is about: compassion, and what happens when people don't have it.
As was the first novel also about.
I'm not sure why Rosalie Ham decided to approach the sequel in this way, covering a great deal of already covered ground and introducing some woke pennants to critique the not-yet-unreconstructed world of the 1950s, but I think I detected a certain relieved satisfaction in the very emphatic THE END at the bottom of the last page.
That's certainly what I felt. Well, relieved, anyway.
September 9, 2020
The Dressmaker was a quirky book that was made into a better film. The Dressmaker's Secret is the successor and sees the talented Tilly slaving away under a pretentious wannabe fashion designer in Melbourne. The Queen is about to be coronated so the demands for the newest and best dresses is at a premium. Back in Dungatar the residents are rebuilding their town and dreaming of staging their next production.
This book is full of eccentric characters, some old and some new. Plenty of humour, Dad-like-jokes and cringe worthy cultural values of the 1950s. My main criticism would be there is too many characters and their nuances are lost a little. Perhaps I should have reread The Dressmaker first.
This book is full of eccentric characters, some old and some new. Plenty of humour, Dad-like-jokes and cringe worthy cultural values of the 1950s. My main criticism would be there is too many characters and their nuances are lost a little. Perhaps I should have reread The Dressmaker first.
April 1, 2021
There were parts of this enjoyed; mostly the fashion talk and Tilly’s husband and unorthodox friends at the club but considering I loved Teddy so much in the first novel, I really didn’t feel much for the storyline about his child’s fate. A bit disappointing.
January 13, 2021
Awful. Overly complicated and boring. Too much florid descriptive words that made no sense. I found the descriptions of most of the characters mean spirited and revolting.The descriptions of the “couture” were also so overdone that they made no sense. Would not recommend
December 8, 2020
Abandoned after 100 pages. I loved The Dressmaker when I read it 20 years ago. Quirky story set in an Australian country town. But this book is way too reliant on trying to remember what I read back then - there is an attempt to provide some prompts/reminders, but it is very clunky. And the quirkiness felt forced, rather than natural.
March 21, 2021
A dishevelled mess. I’m not sure why I ploughed through it? Loyalty to its predecessor, I think.
April 26, 2021
In my quest for total escapism with a goodly dose of wonderful characters and a lashing of humour, Rosalie Ham has everything that I want. I absolutely don't care if there are plot holes. I just adore anything and everything she writes.
This is the sequel to The Dressmaker, it is fun, rampaging over Melbourne and country Victoria. It is a brilliant revenge story and I adored it.
This is the sequel to The Dressmaker, it is fun, rampaging over Melbourne and country Victoria. It is a brilliant revenge story and I adored it.
October 13, 2020
‘Now here she was, the sad mess of her life enduring and another past from which to flee.’
In this sequel to the wonderfully quirky ‘The Dressmaker’, we find Tilly Dunnage in Melbourne. It is 1953, and Melbourne society is looking forward to several events around the coronation of the young princess who is about to become Queen Elizabeth II. And appropriate dresses will be required. Tilly is working in a pretentious, second-rate salon in Collins Street where she is underpaid and unappreciated. Why? Because Tilly is keen to remain anonymous as she tries to escape from the past.
But the past is not quite so keen to let go of Tilly. Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney clan have been looking for her, as are the residents of Dungatar. While the former might have Tilley’s best interests at heart, the residents want revenge. Well, some of them would just like some new frocks.
I loved ‘The Dressmaker’ (novel and film) and this novel is a worthy (albeit darker) sequel. Can Tilly succeed, despite the odds stacked against her? How many of her secrets will she be able to keep? There are some delightful laugh-out-loud moments (where would we be without Horatio Farrat?), some beautiful creations to admire and some very tricky moments to negotiate.
While I did not enjoy this quite as much as ‘The Dressmaker’, I am longing for it to be turned into a film so I can admire the dresses Tilly creates.
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dressmaker’ first.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this sequel to the wonderfully quirky ‘The Dressmaker’, we find Tilly Dunnage in Melbourne. It is 1953, and Melbourne society is looking forward to several events around the coronation of the young princess who is about to become Queen Elizabeth II. And appropriate dresses will be required. Tilly is working in a pretentious, second-rate salon in Collins Street where she is underpaid and unappreciated. Why? Because Tilly is keen to remain anonymous as she tries to escape from the past.
But the past is not quite so keen to let go of Tilly. Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney clan have been looking for her, as are the residents of Dungatar. While the former might have Tilley’s best interests at heart, the residents want revenge. Well, some of them would just like some new frocks.
I loved ‘The Dressmaker’ (novel and film) and this novel is a worthy (albeit darker) sequel. Can Tilly succeed, despite the odds stacked against her? How many of her secrets will she be able to keep? There are some delightful laugh-out-loud moments (where would we be without Horatio Farrat?), some beautiful creations to admire and some very tricky moments to negotiate.
While I did not enjoy this quite as much as ‘The Dressmaker’, I am longing for it to be turned into a film so I can admire the dresses Tilly creates.
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dressmaker’ first.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 25, 2020
Rosalie's Ham's debut novel The Dressmaker was a bestseller and made into a film starring Kate Winslet so the sequel really needs no introduction. But since the frocks are so gorgeous, here's a quick reminder anyway.
https://youtu.be/DMEu-1CIB_I
Like its predecessor, the sequel, The Dressmaker's Secret is a romcom-revenge-drama, but Tilly Dunnage is not a femme-fatale this time. When the story begins she is hiding out in Melbourne after the fire that destroyed Dungatar, and keeping a low profile in the second-rate dress Salon Mystique in Collins Street. The satire is barbed: Ham sets the scene during a Coronation frenzy, when every woman wants The Perfect Gown in which to attend the social events taking place to celebrate the ascension of Elizabeth to the faraway throne of England. Tilly, of course, is a fish out of water in a salon that shamelessly copies designs from Mrs Flock's buying expeditions to Europe, and she chafes at the pretensions and dishonesty of the place.
She has a reason for sticking it out, and that's Joe, her son by Teddy Watt who died in an accident in Book I, just as their romance was in bloom. Since there was no child-care in those unenlightened days, and Joe's grandmother (like everyone else) blamed Tilly for the death, she has to place him in an orphanage until she has enough money to bring him home to a place of her own. This being the fifties, that implies respectability — necessitating a husband — but Tilly is still grieving for Teddy so the solution is a marriage of convenience...
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/11/25/t...
https://youtu.be/DMEu-1CIB_I
Like its predecessor, the sequel, The Dressmaker's Secret is a romcom-revenge-drama, but Tilly Dunnage is not a femme-fatale this time. When the story begins she is hiding out in Melbourne after the fire that destroyed Dungatar, and keeping a low profile in the second-rate dress Salon Mystique in Collins Street. The satire is barbed: Ham sets the scene during a Coronation frenzy, when every woman wants The Perfect Gown in which to attend the social events taking place to celebrate the ascension of Elizabeth to the faraway throne of England. Tilly, of course, is a fish out of water in a salon that shamelessly copies designs from Mrs Flock's buying expeditions to Europe, and she chafes at the pretensions and dishonesty of the place.
She has a reason for sticking it out, and that's Joe, her son by Teddy Watt who died in an accident in Book I, just as their romance was in bloom. Since there was no child-care in those unenlightened days, and Joe's grandmother (like everyone else) blamed Tilly for the death, she has to place him in an orphanage until she has enough money to bring him home to a place of her own. This being the fifties, that implies respectability — necessitating a husband — but Tilly is still grieving for Teddy so the solution is a marriage of convenience...
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/11/25/t...
October 27, 2020
Following on from The Dressmaker we find Tilly Dunnage hiding out in Melbourne having burned down the town and fled from the residents of Dungatar. Tilly is trying to stay anonymous working at the not so fabulous Salon Mystique, living alone at the horrible Short family residence whilst trying to hide from her terrible past and build herself a new future.
However Tillys past is not so keen to let go, both friends and foe have followed her to Melbourne and her secrets cannot stay hidden forever.
This book was so fun, it was packed with drama, romance, secrets, unconventional characters and crazy 1950's vibes. I was immediately wrapped up in the story and carried away by Ham’s descriptive prose. I could vividly imagine the streets of Melbourne dressed up for the queen's coronation, feel the fabrics Tilly was working with and experienced Tillys pain everytime another obstacle arose on her way to her new life. This was a novel with so many laugh out loud moments, moments that will leave you distraught and also moments that will have you so riled up with anger at how women were treated in the 50s. It is safe to say this novel was a rollercoaster of emotions for me.
There are characters you will recognise from The Dressmaker (The Sergeant, The McSwiney family, Marigold, Gertrude etc) as well as new characters who bring their own eccentricities to the story. In this novel we meet Nita the glamorous movie star and her stalker, the welfare officer who is also set to ruin Tillys life, Julie a woman who can make a size 11 foot look like a size 5, and the members of the Hippocampus club, where crossdressers and rule breakers are welcomed with open arms. It is a wild and wacky novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Dressmaker and I can’t wait to watch Tilly’s dresses come to life if this novel also gets a screen adaptation (fingers crossed).
However Tillys past is not so keen to let go, both friends and foe have followed her to Melbourne and her secrets cannot stay hidden forever.
This book was so fun, it was packed with drama, romance, secrets, unconventional characters and crazy 1950's vibes. I was immediately wrapped up in the story and carried away by Ham’s descriptive prose. I could vividly imagine the streets of Melbourne dressed up for the queen's coronation, feel the fabrics Tilly was working with and experienced Tillys pain everytime another obstacle arose on her way to her new life. This was a novel with so many laugh out loud moments, moments that will leave you distraught and also moments that will have you so riled up with anger at how women were treated in the 50s. It is safe to say this novel was a rollercoaster of emotions for me.
There are characters you will recognise from The Dressmaker (The Sergeant, The McSwiney family, Marigold, Gertrude etc) as well as new characters who bring their own eccentricities to the story. In this novel we meet Nita the glamorous movie star and her stalker, the welfare officer who is also set to ruin Tillys life, Julie a woman who can make a size 11 foot look like a size 5, and the members of the Hippocampus club, where crossdressers and rule breakers are welcomed with open arms. It is a wild and wacky novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Dressmaker and I can’t wait to watch Tilly’s dresses come to life if this novel also gets a screen adaptation (fingers crossed).
January 4, 2021
I was a bit nervous starting this. After loving The Dressmaker there was a lot at stake with the sequel! But after a slow-ish start, while I struggled to remember who was who in the previous book (re-reading might have been a good idea in hindsight!), I soon realised I needn't have worried. Tilly Dunnage isn't out for revenge and is working hard in Melbourne trying to leave the dreadful memories (and people) of Dungatar behind. But secrets do have a way of getting out, and soon her past catches up to her, leading to some inventive ways to try and hang on to those she loves. Once again, there is plenty of laugh-out-loud black humour, love, gorgeous frocks and tension as the reader waits to see if there will ever be a happy ending for Tilly.
January 18, 2021
DNF at 50%, because life is too short for bad books!
Given The Dressmaker was first published 20 years ago, its sequel is far too reliant on the reader remembering all the characters and events of the first book. I only read The Dressmaker a few years ago and still struggled to mentally place all the characters in The Dressmaker’s Secret, and I found that the story wasn’t compelling enough for me to persevere. By the halfway point it felt like the story had barely progressed and quite frankly, it was pretty boring. I’m a sewist myself and even the descriptions of couture weren’t appealing, as it seemed overdone and likely won’t make sense to someone without some knowledge of dressmaking.
Given The Dressmaker was first published 20 years ago, its sequel is far too reliant on the reader remembering all the characters and events of the first book. I only read The Dressmaker a few years ago and still struggled to mentally place all the characters in The Dressmaker’s Secret, and I found that the story wasn’t compelling enough for me to persevere. By the halfway point it felt like the story had barely progressed and quite frankly, it was pretty boring. I’m a sewist myself and even the descriptions of couture weren’t appealing, as it seemed overdone and likely won’t make sense to someone without some knowledge of dressmaking.
November 23, 2020
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Thank you Macmillan Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
I have a deep love for The Dressmaker. Back in high school I studied that book for a whole year and every single time we reread it I found more depth to the story and fell in love over and over! It was and still is to this day one of my favourite fiction books. So with that in mind – I have extremely high expectations of The Dressmaker’s Secret and in fact had to read it twice before I sat down to type this.
Let’s dive into the thoughts that I had around The Dressmaker’s Secret and why this book is fricken AMAZING!
Tilly Dunage has moved back to Melbourne and is trying to keep herself off anyone’s radar, until Sergeant Farret and the McSwiney clan seek her out. While some of her old town folk might be after some new address, the remainder are after revenge and will do anything to win. This sequel is just as quirky as the original and is full of the witty humour and sass that filled you with love of the first book.
Honestly – I loved it. I mean the first book will always have a place in my heart but this book was just as well written, just as entertaining and just as brilliant!!
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Thank you Macmillan Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
I have a deep love for The Dressmaker. Back in high school I studied that book for a whole year and every single time we reread it I found more depth to the story and fell in love over and over! It was and still is to this day one of my favourite fiction books. So with that in mind – I have extremely high expectations of The Dressmaker’s Secret and in fact had to read it twice before I sat down to type this.
Let’s dive into the thoughts that I had around The Dressmaker’s Secret and why this book is fricken AMAZING!
Tilly Dunage has moved back to Melbourne and is trying to keep herself off anyone’s radar, until Sergeant Farret and the McSwiney clan seek her out. While some of her old town folk might be after some new address, the remainder are after revenge and will do anything to win. This sequel is just as quirky as the original and is full of the witty humour and sass that filled you with love of the first book.
Honestly – I loved it. I mean the first book will always have a place in my heart but this book was just as well written, just as entertaining and just as brilliant!!
September 4, 2020
I loved the dressmaker, it was one of my favourite books and I loved the movie, being able to read the sequel was such a pleasure and I wanna thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Australia for approving me.
The story starts out with buzz of the queen coronation.
Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage is working at Salon Mystique after leaving Dungatar.
Just like “The Dressmaker” Rosalie Ham’s writing is a pleasure to flick through, you’re engaged by the first page and can’t stop even if you wanted too.
Not going to lie I was shook at what happened within the first couple chapters there were some things I DID not see coming.
I never wanted the story to end but I’m so satisfied with this ones ending, I’ll forgive it. What a heartwarming, engaging & beautiful story woven perfectly with twists and turns so mischievous. I could go on forever.
I can not wait for its release 27TH OF OCTOBER.
Gonna grab up a physical copy too,
5 stars.
The story starts out with buzz of the queen coronation.
Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage is working at Salon Mystique after leaving Dungatar.
Just like “The Dressmaker” Rosalie Ham’s writing is a pleasure to flick through, you’re engaged by the first page and can’t stop even if you wanted too.
Not going to lie I was shook at what happened within the first couple chapters there were some things I DID not see coming.
I never wanted the story to end but I’m so satisfied with this ones ending, I’ll forgive it. What a heartwarming, engaging & beautiful story woven perfectly with twists and turns so mischievous. I could go on forever.
I can not wait for its release 27TH OF OCTOBER.
Gonna grab up a physical copy too,
5 stars.
January 27, 2021
It took me a while to get into this story and I had to push to finish it. There were a lot of social issues covered or touched on - perhaps too many for a single book - but I enjoyed the peek into the world of the Hippocampus Club members. The ending felt incomplete, as though there might be plans for a third book. I was sad that the key part of the secret wasn't fully resolved.
A lot of repetition of actions by characters from book 1 who haven't learned anything in the intervening years to book 2.
A lot of repetition of actions by characters from book 1 who haven't learned anything in the intervening years to book 2.
April 16, 2021
I found this an enjoyable book with dark humour and lots of fashion. It has the same cast as The Dressmaker and it would be advisable to read that book first. You will enjoy this book if you like satire and couture.
December 14, 2020
This was a lot of fun, spiky with sarcasm and dripping with dark – sometimes very, very dark! – humour. I wouldn’t recommend reading it though unless you’ve already read The Dressmaker. This is firmly sequel territory and not a whole lot will make sense without the backstory and context offered by the first book.
If you enjoy reading about fashion, particularly design from bygone days, you will relish much of this book. I adore reading about fashion, so these parts were my favourite. I was less interested in the goings on back in Dungatar, they were all mad as cut snakes and I felt the inclusion of this sub-plot resulted in the story being overly busy. Whilst most of the villains in the story had fairly transparent motives, the welfare officer was a puzzle. Overly zealous in his job, he seemed to have a baseless personal vendetta against Tilly and the McSwiney family. With the story jumping all over Melbourne and back to Dungatar, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and many scenes that made my head spin. I also found it a bit on the longish side, to be honest.
This entire novel is outlandish, absurd, slightly horrific, and endlessly entertaining. It didn’t quite measure up to its predecessor, The Dressmaker, but as a way of marking the 20th anniversary of that iconic novel, it’s a worthy salute. I’ll be interested to see if it’s adapted into a film as well, it would be worth it for the fashion alone.
Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Dressmaker’s Secret for review.
If you enjoy reading about fashion, particularly design from bygone days, you will relish much of this book. I adore reading about fashion, so these parts were my favourite. I was less interested in the goings on back in Dungatar, they were all mad as cut snakes and I felt the inclusion of this sub-plot resulted in the story being overly busy. Whilst most of the villains in the story had fairly transparent motives, the welfare officer was a puzzle. Overly zealous in his job, he seemed to have a baseless personal vendetta against Tilly and the McSwiney family. With the story jumping all over Melbourne and back to Dungatar, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and many scenes that made my head spin. I also found it a bit on the longish side, to be honest.
This entire novel is outlandish, absurd, slightly horrific, and endlessly entertaining. It didn’t quite measure up to its predecessor, The Dressmaker, but as a way of marking the 20th anniversary of that iconic novel, it’s a worthy salute. I’ll be interested to see if it’s adapted into a film as well, it would be worth it for the fashion alone.
Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Dressmaker’s Secret for review.
September 22, 2020
What a pleasure to catch up with Tilly and the population of Dungatar. With some new characters introduced, The Dressmaker's Secret gives some more insight into Tilly as well as Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney family. Loved it. Thanks to Netgalley for a preview of this lovely book.
December 1, 2020
It’s hard to believe its twenty years since the world first fell in love with Tilly Dunnage and the (mostly) deplorable residents of Dungatar. Rosalie Ham’s debut novel, The Dressmaker, is marvellous tale blending haute couture, grudges, revenge, and pettiness in a hilarious sharp-witted ensemble piece of fiction that would prove to be Ham’s inimitable style.
When readers left Dungatar, it had been razed to the ground, and Tilly had fled the scene of the crime. The residents, still adorned in their Macbeth costumery for the Eisteddfod, had been exposed for all their narrowness and hypocrisy and forced to decamp to Windswept Crest.
The Dressmaker’s Secret picks up the story in January 1953 when all of Melbourne’s polite society is in a tizz about the forthcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Tilly is working for Salon Mystique which churns out cheap imitations of European fashion a few years out of date. Here she hides in plain sight, her only friend being the Sergeant who now lives in his mother’s old house where he has also taken over her millinery business. But Dungatar is not finished with Tilly and anyone who can make Miss Post Office Picnic look like a princess is not going to stay hidden for long.
There are too many gems in this novel to give away the secrets in its title. Suffice to say that Ham is at it again. Her razor-sharp wit and her eye for the ridiculousness within her characters makes every page come alive. This is a novel to be devoured in a few sittings, cringing at the awfulness of familiar characters, such as Marigold Pettyman and Beula Harridene. Ambitious Gertrude ‘Gerty’ Beaumont is determined to climb the social ladder and dispatch her mother-in-law from the lofty perch of Windswept Crest and assume her proper place as the Mayor’s Wife. There is also much going on in this Melbourne, from the antics at the Hippocampus Club to the arrival of Tilly’s deep past. Ham is after only one thing; to entertain and this she does in spades with an almost breathless audacity. The Dressmaker’s Secret is nothing short of an absolute delight.
When readers left Dungatar, it had been razed to the ground, and Tilly had fled the scene of the crime. The residents, still adorned in their Macbeth costumery for the Eisteddfod, had been exposed for all their narrowness and hypocrisy and forced to decamp to Windswept Crest.
The Dressmaker’s Secret picks up the story in January 1953 when all of Melbourne’s polite society is in a tizz about the forthcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Tilly is working for Salon Mystique which churns out cheap imitations of European fashion a few years out of date. Here she hides in plain sight, her only friend being the Sergeant who now lives in his mother’s old house where he has also taken over her millinery business. But Dungatar is not finished with Tilly and anyone who can make Miss Post Office Picnic look like a princess is not going to stay hidden for long.
There are too many gems in this novel to give away the secrets in its title. Suffice to say that Ham is at it again. Her razor-sharp wit and her eye for the ridiculousness within her characters makes every page come alive. This is a novel to be devoured in a few sittings, cringing at the awfulness of familiar characters, such as Marigold Pettyman and Beula Harridene. Ambitious Gertrude ‘Gerty’ Beaumont is determined to climb the social ladder and dispatch her mother-in-law from the lofty perch of Windswept Crest and assume her proper place as the Mayor’s Wife. There is also much going on in this Melbourne, from the antics at the Hippocampus Club to the arrival of Tilly’s deep past. Ham is after only one thing; to entertain and this she does in spades with an almost breathless audacity. The Dressmaker’s Secret is nothing short of an absolute delight.
February 18, 2021
Oh my, this book reinforced my love of adult fiction. I haven't read something of this style in such a long time, and I truly revelled in the experience of getting to read this book. To start with, I love the continuation of the original storyline, with the same characters plus some new and fun ones. I thought it was really cleverly written, with the multiple changes of perspective between Sergeant Farratt, Tilly, Mae, William and many more. Ham elegantly ties up the loose threads from the previous book, and slowly but surely pulls the reader in until you are submerged in the life of Dungatar and all its obscurities. I loved that we were able to get a glimpse into Tilly's past life, and some of the reasons for her move to Europe and back, as well as how she moves on from the events from the previous book to become a 'better' person in this followup. I loved the revisit of the town and its people, as well as looking at big city life in Melbourne and all the different types of people there. I loved the introduction of a cast of new characters who all brought something new, funky and interesting to the novel. I could not recommend this book more highly.
My only criticism is that I struggled to get into it at first because I had forgotten the characters and what had happened to some of them from the first book! So, word of advice, make sure you read a summary of the first one before embarking on this spectacular journey!!
My only criticism is that I struggled to get into it at first because I had forgotten the characters and what had happened to some of them from the first book! So, word of advice, make sure you read a summary of the first one before embarking on this spectacular journey!!
September 16, 2021
The Dressmaker’s Secret (Picador 2020) is a sequel to the best-selling novel The Dressmaker, by Rosalie Ham, which was also made into a successful film. Both books are written with a quirky small-town quality, peopled by eccentric characters and fuelled by a twisting plot. I absolutely loved The Dressmaker and this follow-up book is a satisfying resolution to the narrative arcs of some of the best-loved characters in the first book.
Tilly Dunnage returns to her home town in 1953, two years after leaving it in flames (which, spoiler alert, may possibly have been her fault). Now a famous and sought-after dressmaker, Tilly is remaining enigmatically aloof from her cohort, who are all besotted by the upcoming coronation of the new queen, which means a season of society fashion and balls, with designs by Dior, Valentino and Balenciaga. Tilly is hiding a secret, and her new-found fame threatens to destroy her carefully cultivated anonymity.
Absurd, blackly funny, poignant and surprising, this novel is a must-read for Tilly Dunnage fans. While it is perhaps not as pitch perfect (or as well-stitched!) as its predecessor, it is still a classic, dark and engrossing tale of revenge, high fashion and small-town secrets.
Tilly Dunnage returns to her home town in 1953, two years after leaving it in flames (which, spoiler alert, may possibly have been her fault). Now a famous and sought-after dressmaker, Tilly is remaining enigmatically aloof from her cohort, who are all besotted by the upcoming coronation of the new queen, which means a season of society fashion and balls, with designs by Dior, Valentino and Balenciaga. Tilly is hiding a secret, and her new-found fame threatens to destroy her carefully cultivated anonymity.
Absurd, blackly funny, poignant and surprising, this novel is a must-read for Tilly Dunnage fans. While it is perhaps not as pitch perfect (or as well-stitched!) as its predecessor, it is still a classic, dark and engrossing tale of revenge, high fashion and small-town secrets.
December 6, 2020
It has been a long time since I've read The Dressmaker and while I remembered some of the characters, I found this book introduced too many townsfolk and tie up lots of loose ends of people that really were of no interest. I would have preferred the novel to stay in Melbourne and develop the story line there.
January 30, 2022
I loved some parts of this novel, the fashion speak, some of the characters... But, I also felt it covered much of the ground of the The Dressmaker, without the subtlety. Not all rang true to characters, time and place.
September 5, 2022
An ok book. I had not read her first novel but did see the movie with Kate Winslet and enjoyed that. There were an awful lot of quirky characters to keep track of....having seen the movie made this easier, but it was a little discombobulating at times.
April 17, 2021
Seemed to go round in circles and repeat itself in the middle, but redeemed itself in the last few chapters.
June 13, 2021
Carries on from "The Dressmaker" - just as unbelievable, large characters, not quite as entertaining.
January 2, 2021
Having loved the Dressmaker, I was excited to get my teeth into this long-awaited new sequel. It promised much and did deliver some clever lines and laugh-out-loud moments but overall, I found the tale a bit overwhelming. It was heavily reliant on the original story and I confess, I needed to go back and refresh my memory before getting totally confused by the plethora of characters being introduced, or re-introduced, in rapid succession. The often over-the-top narrative became quite dark at times, with the main character, Tilly Dunnage, remarkably normal and likeable, and in stark contrast to the remaining line-up of weird and wonderful characters.
I think this novel would play out well on the big screen and I’d probably enjoy it more as a movie than as a book.
I think this novel would play out well on the big screen and I’d probably enjoy it more as a movie than as a book.
December 21, 2021
This book wasn’t quite as good as the first book, but still an enjoyable read
February 13, 2022
I found it really difficult to follow this book. I wondered if I should have re-read the first book but given the interval between the two I think it should have been able to stand alone. I didn’t know why half the characters were in the book - most of them were either sketchy or peripheral to plot. It was a bit boring although I did like the sewing parts.
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