Listen free for 30 days

Preview
  • The Gown

  • A Novel of the Royal Wedding
  • Written by: Jennifer Robson
  • Narrated by: Marisa Calin
  • Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (154 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Gown

Written by: Jennifer Robson
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $31.46

Buy Now for $31.46

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

From the internationally best-selling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the 20th century - Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it.

“Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.” (Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding)

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 70 years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?

With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces listeners to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.

©2018 Jennifer Robson (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Featured Article: Outstanding Female Authors Everyone Ought to Listen to


Throughout history, women have crafted some of the most incredible and beloved stories in the world. From rising stars to household names, female authors have contributed some of the best works of all time for our listening pleasure. At times, especially in societies where gender roles and expectations were rigidly defined, women would write under pen names to avoid the fact that a woman was behind the work. Discover the best female authors.

What listeners say about The Gown

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    116
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    93
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story,

Interesting, plausible story of working class girls immediately after the end of WWII
Hard tome to put down. Didn't especially care for narrators efforts at some of the male voices but was able to not let that spoil the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable!

Enjoyed this very much, as it is a 'side' that is not discussed much but should be!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

I loved listening to this book, the characters were so real and the ending was beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The crown

A wonderful story about frienship amidst problems of the two female friends. Very interesting given that the story I’d in two different is

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific

A GREATstory, told by a fantastic reader! If you love royalty-related stuff... this is the tale for you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book.

This is a story about the relationship of two women who met after WW2. The reader was able to speak with an English accent, a French accent and a Canadian accent which really brought the story to life. Keep some tissues handy for the last hour, I think you may need them. I did.



Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully structured

Jennifer Robson offers the readers of 'The Gown' reason for celebration in a world that today too often appears cold and uncaring. Though her work realistically describes challenges often still experienced today, she inserts a level of a caring humanity that offers the reader respite from the troubling news that too often eclipses the generosity of spirit so greatly needed in our communities.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging, Charming

Lovely story, not too intense yet still riveting. Three main, well-developed female characters. I was invested in all of them, which is a rarity. I lost sleep listening to this one.
SPECTACULAR Narrator!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely peek into a different world

I remember my mother reading a book about Norman Hartnell and I was entranced by the gowns. This was a great story with lots of interesting facts woven into it. The Narration was superb!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

enjoyable

loved it, learned a lot of interesting things about that wedding I wasn't aware of.
this being my first audiobook I found it very good and easy to follow along.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!