The Seamstress of New Orleans

Author: Diane C. McPhail
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Kensington, 2023
Pages: 352
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: 1900: Though the dawn of a new century promises social progress, there are few options for women like Alice Butterworth, pregnant and abandoned by her husband. In desperation, Alice leaves Chicago's bitter cold and travels to New Orleans, where she offers sewing lessons at an orphanage. 

Young widow Constance Halstead has thrown herself into charity work since her husband's death. Seeing Alice's skill, she offers lodging in exchange for help creating a gown for the Leap Year ball of Les Mysterieuses, the first all-female krewe of Mardi Gras. Leap Years offer women a rare opportunity - to turn the tables on men, upending convention. As the breathtaking gown takes shape piece by piece, it becomes a symbol of empowerment for them both.

Review: Since we are planning a family vacation to New Orleans this summer, I wanted to read a book set in the Crescent City. It will be our first time and we're super excited. I loved the cover of this novel. However, the story was very lacking, and very predictable. I knew where the plot was going early on, and I just found it boring. There also wasn't a lot of New Orleans specific details to set time or place, or to get a person excited about visiting.