I’ve been eager to finish ‘The Seamstress’ by Maria Duenas ahead of my trip to Jordan because I love a new book to take away on a holiday, and this is a large, cumbersome tome coming in at 336 pages.
Here’s the synopsis:
“1935: As turmoil brews in Europe, Sira Quiroga’s carefully mapped-out life is thrown into chaos, first by love, then betrayal. Abandoned and alone, all she has are her skills as a seamstress, a talent that could not only save her but may influence the course of a war…
When the glamorous circles of high society and the shadowy world of espionage collide, Sira is confronted with a terrifying decision, with only one possible choice.
From the haute couture ateliers of old Madrid to the exotic souqs of Morocco, The Seamstress is the inspiring journey of an extraordinary young woman who embraces destiny, braving life-or-death stakes and risking everything, for love.”
When I bought this book it was at an airport on my last holiday but I found it too large to handle in economy class (I know I keep going on about the size but trust me, its big!) and just too bland to excite me. It didn’t start to get interesting for me until chapter 12, and so it wasn’t until I was home that I actually dedicated time to finishing it.
Maria Duenas is a fabulous storyteller and while I can’t find a bad review of The Seamstress for me it was too long and drawn out. I found Sira essentially a selfish character, distant emotionally and her naivety hard to relate to.
I was drawn to the plot line because it mixed mystery, espionage and fashion (who knew?!) and Duenas paints evocative descriptions of exotic locations. I was absolutely transported to Tangiers, Madrid, Tetouan and Lisbon of the 1930s but when I got there I found myself needing a more nuanced emotional story. Women who consistently get butterflies in their stomach annoy me.
The story itself is absolutely fascinating, it just needed to be 100 pages shorter for my liking.
3 stars.
Have you read a good book lately? I’d love to hear what you recommend, it might end up next months reading!
