The seamstress of New Orleans / Diane C. McPhail.
The year 1900 ushers in a new century and the promise of social change, and women rise together toward equality. Yet rules and restrictions remain, especially for women like Alice Butterworth, whose husband has abruptly disappeared. Desperate to make a living for herself and the child she carries, Alice leaves the bitter cold of Chicago far behind, offering sewing lessons at a New Orleans orphanage. Constance Halstead, a young widow reeling with shock under the threat of her late husband's gambling debts, has thrown herself into charitable work. Meeting Alice at the orphanage, she offers lodging in exchange for Alice's help creating a gown for the Leap Year ball of Les Mysterieuses, the first all female krewe of Mardi Gras. During Leap Years, women have the rare opportunity to take control in their interactions with men, and upend social convention. Piece by piece, the breathtaking gown takes shape, becoming a symbol of strength for both women, reflecting their progress toward greater independence. But Constance carries a burden that makes it impossible to feel truly free. Her husband, Benton, whose death remains a dangerous mystery, was deep in debt to the Black Hand, the vicious gangsters who controlled New Orleans' notorious Storyville district. Benton's death has not satisfied them. And as the Mardi Gras festivities reach their fruition, a secret emerges that will cement the bond between Alice and Constance even as it threatens the lives they're building.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781496738158 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 1496738152 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 346 pages ; 22 cm
- Edition: First Kensington hardcover edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : John Scognamiglio Books/Kensington Books, [2022]
- Copyright: ©2022
Content descriptions
General Note: | Includes Q&A with the author and reading group guide (pages 336-346). |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Widows > Fiction. Women dressmakers > Fiction. Female friendship > Fiction. Women > United States > Social conditions > 20th century > Fiction. New Orleans (La.) > Fiction. |
Genre: | Historical fiction. |
Available copies
- 23 of 24 copies available at SPARK Libraries.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 24 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bangor Public Library | F MCP (Text) | 75011000378197 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Cambria County Library | FICTION McPha (Text) | 85131001852871 | CACM Fiction | Available | - |
Coudersport Public Library | FIC MCP (Text) | 30183000971307 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Exeter Community Library | MCP (Text) | 33249025336383 | Fiction | Available | - |
FD Campbell Memorial Library | FIC MCP (Text) | 32002000385599 | FDCM Fiction | Available | - |
Forest City | F MCPH (Text) | 38000000626909 | SSQF Main Floor | Available | - |
Hallstead - Great Bend | F MCPH (Text) | 36000000440113 | SSQH Main Floor | Available | - |
Indian Valley Public Library | Fiction McPhail (Text) | 39427103661781 | Fiction Room: Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Kutztown Community Library | MCP (Text) | 33249024866356 | Fiction | Available | - |
Martinsburg Community Library | F McPha (Text) | 1OMAR00089859. | Adult Fiction | Available | - |