The Dressmaker's Dowry

While on virus lockdown time, I decided to start pulling out books that I have had on my nightstand for quite sometime. I decided to start with The Dressmaker's Dowry because I was not familiar with Meredith Jaeger's writing.

This split history novel alternates back and forth from present day, back to the late 1800s, both eras taking place in San Francisco.

In the present, Sara is working on a historical novel to complete her Masters Degree thesis. In doing research for her story, she stumbles across a newspaper article that revolves around two young immigrant girls that were dressmakers in 1878, and who mysteriously disappeared into thin air.

Fascinated by their mystery, Sara changes focus by ditching her novel to write a non-fiction show more piece on the tragic disappearances of the two girls. But as she starts to hunt down the truth, someone in turn begins hunting her! An anonymous person threatens and blackmails Sara informing her they will reveal her own tragic secrets if she doesn't cease her investigations.

Back in 1878 we have Hanna and Margaret, immigrant teens from Ireland and Bavaria. Both of these girls have drunken abusive , and struggle to keep themselves and their siblings alive. They are beaten, they are starving, and what little money the girls earn by mending dresses for a local seamstress, gets pissed away on their parents alcoholic habits. When one day Margaret goes missing, Hanna runs away with her sisters and brothers and begins a haunting and perilous investigation of her own, desperately trying to find Margaret in time to save her from either prostitution or murder.

The Dressmaker's Dowry races like wildfire with two fascinating and riveting mysteries that offer up great historical detail, an excellent writing style, characters with great depth, edge-of-your-seat suspense, exciting adventure, and a charming love story that puts icing on the cake to this wonderful page-turner of a novel. Read in two sittings, I absolutely loved this book. show less

I received this book for free from the Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It hooked me from the very beginning and kept a good steady pace throughout the book. I enjoyed the two different timelines and think the author did a great job at blending them together. There was a bit of mystery in each time line concerning the main characters which kept me interested. I especially liked the way Sarah's secret was told. The only thing I didn't like about the book was how conveniently Sarah found Georgina's diary. I felt like that was a real long shot. I also didn't like that the Havensworth's didn't receive any repercussions from what was done. I understand that back in the 1800's they probably would show more have gotten away with it but if I were Sarah I would have wanted that brought to light in the present.
Overall this is quite definitely the best book ARC book I have received and recommend it to anyone who enjoys dual timeline books or historical fiction. show less

4.5 stars

The Dressmaker’s Dowry is a highly entertaining read. The story takes place in San Francisco, one of my favorite places to visit, in two different time periods, the mid-1870’s and present day. Sarah Havensworth is working on her thesis and struggling to find a topic that spurs her to write. She stumbles upon an article about two missing dressmakers in the 1870’s who were believed to be murdered, decides to pursue the story for her thesis, and begins researching and visiting places from that era. Back in 1876, The Dressmaker’s Dowry follows two women dressmakers, Hannelore and Margaret, through the dirty streets of the Barbary Coast. Margaret vanishes, and Hannelore is determined to find her. As the book progresses, the show more two stories converge in an entertaining and surprising manner.

Meredith Jaeger clearly exhaustively researched her subject matter and presents 1876 San Francisco vividly. I felt like I could envision the streets Hannelore traveled down, the decrepit bars she had to scour, and the beautiful Nob Hill mansion she stayed in briefly. I learned so much about that era, including the existence of Long Bridge and the various immigrant areas that are long gone now. She also portrays places in present day San Francisco that I was unaware of and now plan to visit on my next trip there.

I highly recommend this engrossing and engaging novel. I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. show less

San Francisco was and is a city of many cultures and has a fascinating history. Thus, being a fan of historical fiction, I was quickly drawn into this story that alternated between present day San Francisco and 1876 San Francisco.

Sarah Havensworth, a former journalist, married into the wealthy Havensworth family. They seem to have the perfect marriage; however, as always, one of them has a secret. Sarah had planned to tell Hunter her dark and painful secret before they got married; however, the time just never seemed to be right. And now she is afraid she will lose him when – not if - he finds out. But, unbeknownst to Sarah and Hunter, his family also has a secret.

With her husband Hunter’s financial support and encouragement, she show more planned to write a historical novel set in 1876 San Francisco for her master’s thesis. However, she just can’t find the inspiration she needs to bring her characters to life on the page.

But one day, as she is browsing through historical events from 1876, a headline pops up: “January 10: Missing dressmakers believed to be murdered”. This is it! But as she researches the story of Hannelore (Hanna) Schaeffer and Margaret O’Brien she decides she really doesn’t want to write a novel; she wants to fall back on her former skills as a journalist and write a journalistic narrative. Thus begins her search to find out what happened to these two women. And surprisingly, she finds a link to her husband’s family.

The lives of Sarah and Hanna revealed such a contrast from chapter to chapter. While Sarah was pampered by her husband and wanted for nothing, when Hanna’s mother died she was left to care for her three younger siblings and endure an alcoholic, abusive father. Fortunately Hanna, unlike many women of the time, could read and she had seamstress skills. Margaret, who could not read, had an even harder time surviving. She had more siblings than did Hanna, and had both a drunken mother and father.

Ms. Jaeger’s writing style effortlessly flows back and forth between present day and 1876. Her descriptions allowed me to envision how San Francisco must have been in 1876 – the noise of the street vendors and horses, the smells of fresh – and rotting – fish markets, the society ladies strolling in their finest apparels, the poor immigrants just trying to stay alive another day. I remained in suspense throughout the book wondering what happened to these unfortunate girls, and what the tie between them and Hunter’s family was.

This engrossing novel is Meredith Jaeger’s first novel, and I hope it is not her last. show less

Author Meredith Jaeger’s debut work, “The Dressmaker’s Dowry”, is a compelling mystery which connects San Francisco of the Victorian Era to its celebrated status as a world-renowned city of our modern times. As the storyline weaves together events and characters from past to present and back again, the author’s wonderfully descriptive writing shapes the city into a character itself. In contemporary San Francisco, former journalist Sarah Havensworth is struggling to meet the societal expectations of her husband’s prominent family while still achieving her own personal and career goals. Haunted by an unsolved crime case more than a century old, Sarah is determined to find out what really happened to the two young dressmakers show more who disappeared so long ago. In 1876, San Francisco is a turbulent blend of wealthy citizens and multicultural immigrants. As dressmakers Hannelore and Margaret cater their seamstress skills to the wants and whims of the wealthy, they do not remain untouched by the atmosphere and elements of the wharves of the notorious Barbary Coast. When Margaret vanishes, Hannelore turns to Lucas, a wealthy client from the tailor shop where the women work, to help her find her friend. Despite the differences in their social status, Hannelore and Lucas find themselves becoming friends, and the promise of something more glimmers in dreams. As Sarah researches the past lives and events involved in the disappearance, she discovers a sinister link to her own husband’s well-to-do family, but is it a secret that can remain hidden? If Sarah reveals the total truth, will she lose all that she holds dear? A richly atmospheric setting and an involving storyline make for a very worthwhile read.

Book Copy Gratis William Morrow via Goodreads First Reads show less

Meredith Jaeger’s debut novel is very much a debut. The descriptions are weak. The plot is rushed. Her characters are lacking in depth and personality. The discovery of the truth behind Meredith’s and Hanna’s disappearances makes for a tragic story but means nothing for Sarah. She has no stake in their story and therefore no real connection between them.

There is also an issue with Sarah’s big secret. Even though she does not reveal it until late into the story, the actual secret is not much of a surprise. There are heavy-handed hints that allow readers to guess at it long before she shares the truth with her husband. The secret itself is tragic but does not warrant her panic attacks and social anxiety – that we only hear about show more but never witness. Plus, it becomes increasingly odd that her husband, who loves her so much, would not urge her to seek help for her issues. However odd this all is, one can explain it. However, when she does reveal her secret to her husband, her reaction is so dramatic that it becomes eyeroll-worthy and laughter-inducing. The whole situation exists to create drama but ends up be farcical.

In fact, all of Sarah’s story is eyeroll-inducing. Not only is she happily married to someone who absolutely adores her, she married into one of the wealthiest families in San Francisco. She had a great job as editor-in-chief at a local newspaper but that was not enough for her, so she was able to quit her job to get her masters’ degree. When we meet her, she is doing exactly what she wants with no financial worries. Readers will find it very difficult to relate to her and her charmed life. She mentions being raised in Wisconsin, but the few memories she shares are not enough to bridge the gap between privilege and real life. Even the so-called threats she receives are superficial with no real danger or urgency. Frankly, Sarah’s life is rather boring.

Hanna’s story is definitely more interesting, with its glimpses into early San Francisco and its hardships for immigrants. Ms. Jaeger does a great job explaining how Hanna’s San Francisco sits underneath Sarah’s, how old neighborhoods morphed into the current ones. She does not mince words when it comes to the filth and lack of sanitation in the streets and houses. She even captures the desperation that drove people to unspeakable crimes. In spite of all of this, the reader remains at a distant from it. One is never transported to Hanna’s world. Instead, we view it remotely from the safety of our modern world.

The best way to view The Dressmaker’s Dowry is as a fairy tale except without the morality tale. This helps explain the lack of character development and the weak attention to setting. It also helps to explain the missing urgency in the plot, as the ending is a foregone conclusion. Revealed secrets and confronted enemies allow everyone to obtain their happily ever after. While a perfectly acceptable literary style, it is a disappointing choice for this story. It is obvious Ms. Jaeger has done her research and knows her city. I just wish the characters and the story were less superficial, that there was more gravitas to the entire novel. show less

I actually enjoyed reading the first 2/3 of this book and the dual timelines did not bother me. The writing can improve- seems like quite a few books these days overuse the phrases "sucked in her breath," "bit her lip," and "heat rose to her cheeks," as a standard response to every encounter or conversation. This book used all three or variations of the three on almost every page. This didn't bother me as much as that ending did though, and it is the ending that ruined the entire book for me. I just can't believe the actions taken by Hanna for two reasons: 1- it doesn't fit her nature. She is so caring and concerned about everyone around her, and headstrong when she needs to be, but then she completely runs away in the end? She could show more have left and made sure her siblings were safe, and then found a way to contact Lucas. 2- Running away at the time she did and never coming back is a horrible decision for anyone to make. There are so many negative repercussions to that action that I could hardly stomach finishing the book. The killer gets away with multiple murders (dishonors their life/memory) and is free to murder again, is left among people Hanna supposedly loves/cares for who have children, an innocent man is killed instead, she breaks Lucas' heart after he is the only person who cares for her in a dark time, she denies him his son... It's too bad, I think I would have really like this book otherwise. show less