On November 19, Vaughan Public Libraries is proud to present In Conversation with Jennifer Robson in partnership with our friends at Hoopla and HarperCollins. Pour yourself a cuppa and join us!
If, like me, you are still missing Downton Abbey, or are not-so-patiently waiting for the next season of The Crown (November 15 on Netflix!), why not sate your appetite with some historical fiction? Jennifer Robson’s The Gown is a fascinating peek into a largely overlooked part of history. I can tell you exactly what Kate Middleton’s and Meghan Markle’s wedding dresses looked like, but I could not tell you who designed them (upon googling: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, and Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, respectively). Even less could I tell you who made those gorgeous gowns by hand.
The titular gown here refers to the one worn by then-Princess Elizabeth during her wedding to Prince Phillip. Robson’s novel follows three women: Ann and Miriam in 1947, and Heather in 2016. Ann and Miriam are both embroiders working for the prestigious British designer Norman Hartnell, tasked with creating a wedding gown befitting a future queen. In modern day, Heather is left behind an expensive piece of embroidered silk by her grandmother, and sets out overseas to piece together the life of this mysterious woman. Robson’s tale takes us from war-ravaged England to current-day Toronto and London, tracing the lives of these three very different women.
Fans of historical fiction are in for a treat with The Gown; meticulously researched, the novel’s sense of place and time will envelop you, like the warm and welcoming glow of Hartnell’s workshop. And it’s no wonder Robson recreates this setting beautifully, as she is a scholar of the economic and social history of early 20th century Britain. Particularly apt is her doctoral thesis, which focused partially on the rationing of clothing during WWII. This academic background is seeped into her writing, in small details that bring a sense of tangible reality to this historical tale. Interestingly enough, one of the doubts of my reading experience was just how nice everyone at Hartnell is. I thought, there’s no way everyone gets along this well. Where’s the workplace drama? Where are the rude superiors? Surely, at a prestige fashion house like Hartnell, everyone would be posh and snobby? Not the case, it turns out! In an interview with the Thunder Bay Public Library, Robson recounts a story from her on-the-ground research at the former Hartnell location in London, in which the head seamstress (overseeing the making of Elizabeth’s gown) “invited every woman in the sewing workroom to add a stitch to the princess’s gown; that way they could all rightly say they had helped to make it”.
Princess Elizabeth on her wedding day, 1947
Even in real life, Hartnell’s legacy’s shows up in heartwarming places. The most recent royal wedding took place in July of this year, between Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Just as her grandmother—the current queen—was married following the devastation of the war, and thus had to ration the cloth for her own dress, Beatrice was married in the midst of a pandemic. Rather than source a new dress, Beatrice chose to rework an old gown of Elizabeth’s—a 1960s Hartnell design. This sense of warmth, of teamwork and just general loveliness saturates every page of The Gown. Even when Ann is freezing in her little council house, in a winter so cold it might as well be Canadian, the coziness of the house, the hearth of the fireplace, and the kettle on the stove are a comfort to read about.
Just in time for gloomy November, we’re happy to bring some much needed comfort into your homes. Robson will be interviewed by local writer, author, and podcaster Louise Johnson. Johnson has written for The Globe and Mail, Flare Magazine, and The Huffington Post. If you are one of the millions of quarantine bread bakers, you might want to check out her article on the science behind the phenomenon. Johnson has also worked as a professional speaker for the University of Toronto and the Harvard Business Association, among others! Her bookish podcast, the Word Weaver Podcast, is available on Apple, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Reserve your spot for In Conversation with Jennifer Robson today! You can check out a copy of The Gown from your local library branch in paper format, or digitally on Hoopla and Overdrive!
“It is a truth universally acknowledged…” that Jane Austen’s works have been adapted what seems like countless times, whether it’s a film adaptation of one of her novels or a modern retelling of one of her books, written by another author. There are also books written about Jane Austen and her family, as well as books about groups of Jane Austen fans. As an Austen fan myself, I often eschew any “updates” on Austen’s works. After all, what could be better than re-reading Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time? That being said, like many, I’ve spent a lot of time at home these last few months, and from the latest film version of Emma that came out earlier this year to binge-watching the TV series Sanditon, based on Austen’s unfinished novel of the same name, it feels like Austen is all around me. If you’re feeling inclined to go down the rabbit hole of endless Austen, here are a few recommendations. You can find Austen’s works in the 
In Sense and Sensibility, the three Dashwood sisters and their widowed mother must leave Norland Park, the estate on which they grew up, after their half-brother, John, inherits it upon their father’s death. With little money, they find a cottage to rent. Marianne attracts the attention of Colonel Brandon. However, she finds herself infatuated with the charming John Willoughby. Meanwhile, Elinor forms an attachment with Edward Ferrars, but things get awkward when she learns of his prior engagement.
In this YA retelling of Sense and Sensibility, Plum Blatchley is quiet and introspective, while her older sister, Ginny, has a flair for the dramatic. The two often get on each other’s nerves, but when their family is faced with financial ruin, they must support each other as they navigate the trials of growing up.
Perhaps the best known and most frequently adapted of all Austen’s works, Pride and Prejudice is the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters and their romantic entanglements. When Elizabeth meets the wealthy Mr. Darcy, she finds him rude and prideful. But as she gets to know him, her feelings begin to change.
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 
My least favourite Austen novel, Mansfield Park is the story of young Fanny Price, who at age 10 is sent to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle. She is treated unkindly by everyone except her cousin Edmund. While there, she meets the Crawford siblings. Henry Crawford decides to make Fanny fall in love with him, for his own amusement, while Mary forms at attachment with Edmund but spurns his lack of finances.
Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd 
Beautiful and charming Emma Woodhouse considers herself something of a matchmaker and believes she knows best. In her father’s eyes she can do no wrong. Family friend Mr. Knightley is the one person who can find fault with Emma. When Emma’s attempts to find a husband for her friend Harriet go horribly awry, she is forced to acknowledge her own mistakes and her heart’s true desire.
Polite Society by Mahesh Rao 
When Catherine Morland, an avid reader of Gothic novels, travels to Bath, she is introduced to Henry Tilney. The Tilney family invite her to stay at their home, Northanger Abbey, and Catherine’s overactive imagination leads her to expect something out of one of her novels. Over the course of the book, Catherine gains a better understanding of herself and the world around her.
Seventeen-year-old Cat Morland is invited to attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her neighbours. There, she meets Henry Tilney and his sister, Eleanor. When she is invited to their family home, Northanger Abbey, her imagination runs wild as she imagines dark secrets lurking in every corner.
Eight years ago, Anne Elliot rejected Frederick Wentworth’s proposal due to his uncertain future and lack of finances. When Frederick returns to town, Anne finds that she is still in love with him. But is it too late for a second chance at love?
When Chef Ashna Raje is asked to join the cast of reality TV show Cooking with the Stars, it seems like the perfect opportunity to save her struggling restaurant. Until she is paired with Rico Silva, soccer star and Ashna’s first love whose heart she broke when they were teens. Dev is also the author of Austen adaptation 
Lady Susan is Austen’s epistolary novel about a charming yet amoral widow who is determined her daughter should marry the rich man her mother has chosen for her. Lady Susan was recently adapted into the movie 
Jane Austen started writing Sanditon in 1817 but was unable to finish due to her declining health. The novel begins with Mr. and Mrs. Parker experiencing a carriage accident on the way to the Sanditon, a seaside town that Mr. Parker hopes to turn into a fashionable resort. While their carriage undergoes repairs, they stay with the Heywood family. Oldest daughter Charlotte Heywood takes an interest in Sanditon, so the Parkers invite her to come with them as their guest. While there, Charlotte meets many interesting people, including Mr. Parker’s business partner, the wealthy widow Lady Denham, and his attractive brother Sidney. Sanditon was recently turned into a 