London, 1947: Besieged
by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages
and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet
desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann
Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion
house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship,
but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are
chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of
Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.
Toronto, 2016: More than half a
century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set
of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her
beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to
possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs
on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost
seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the
celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?
Description:
Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?