In her seventh historical novel, The Paris Gown, Christine Wells (The Royal Windsor Secret) weaves together the stories of three friends--skilled Parisian chef Claire, American journalist Gina, and Australian socialite Margot--with the luster of a glorious Christian Dior gown in 1950s Paris.
The novel begins when Claire receives two startling pieces of news: her widowed father has sold the family's brasserie, and her neighbor, Madame Vaughn, has left the country and asked Claire to care for her apartment--and to take possession of a stunning Dior gown. Flattered but unsure where she'd wear such a creation, Claire hesitates but accepts the gift at the urging of her old friend Gina, who has recently resurfaced in Paris, fleeing a broken engagement and her father's shady financial dealings. Claire offers to lend Gina the gown for an event and the two attend a fitting at Dior's atelier, where they are shocked to find Margot working under an assumed name.
Wells immerses readers in mid-20th-century Paris through lush details such as the hearty meals at Claire's restaurant and the glitter of Dior's couture headquarters. Each of Wells's protagonists falls under the gown's spell, but the dress is secondary to the tough choices they must make. Though all three women harbor ambitions regarding career and love, they must decide which to prioritize, and how to stay true to themselves and one another in a time that favors men at every turn.
With a trio of strong, creative women at its center, The Paris Gown is an engaging tribute to the power of an exquisite dress and enduring female friendship. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams