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Table of Contents
About The Book
Longlisted for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize.
‘From a few shimmering strands of truth, Lauren Chater has spun an intriguing story of love, loss and fulfilment.’ Pip Williams, bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
Two women separated by centuries but connected by one beautiful silk dress. A captivating novel based on a real-life shipwreck discovered off Texel Island by the bestselling author of Gulliver's Wife, Lauren Chater.
The brightness of silk in that dull room was like the heavens parting after a storm ... She saw herself remade, no longer a poor laundress but a woman with means.
Jo Baaker, a textiles historian and Dutch expat is drawn back to the island where she was born to investigate the provenance of a 17th-century silk dress. Retrieved by local divers from a sunken shipwreck, the dress offers tantalising clues about the way people lived and died during Holland's famous Golden Age.
Jo's research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress turned ladies’ companion who served the enigmatic artist Catharina van Shurman. The two women were said to share a powerful bond, so why did Anna abandon Catharina at the height of her misfortune?
Jo is convinced the truth lies hidden between the folds of this extraordinary dress. But as she delves deeper into Anna’s history, troubling details about her own past begin to emerge.
On the small Dutch island of Texel where fortunes are lost and secrets lie buried for centuries, Jo will finally discover the truth about herself and the woman who wore the Winter Dress.
Praise for The Winter Dress
'Chater has delivered a beautifully told story that takes an intriguing historical mystery and weaves it into a richly imagined tale that is every bit as breathtaking and beguiling as the remarkable dress it is based on.' Better Reading
‘Vivid, expansive and richly imagined, The Winter Dress weaves together a fascinating historical mystery and an uncompromising portrait of the possibility and price of female autonomy with remarkable and deeply affecting results.’ James Bradley, author of Wrack
'Wrap yourself in Chater's prose. The Winter Dress is a captivating tale of discovery and obsession by one of Australia's very best historical fiction authors. Absolutely essential reading.' Melissa Ashley, author of The Birdman’s Wife
‘From a few shimmering strands of truth, Lauren Chater has spun an intriguing story of love, loss and fulfilment.’ Pip Williams, bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
Two women separated by centuries but connected by one beautiful silk dress. A captivating novel based on a real-life shipwreck discovered off Texel Island by the bestselling author of Gulliver's Wife, Lauren Chater.
The brightness of silk in that dull room was like the heavens parting after a storm ... She saw herself remade, no longer a poor laundress but a woman with means.
Jo Baaker, a textiles historian and Dutch expat is drawn back to the island where she was born to investigate the provenance of a 17th-century silk dress. Retrieved by local divers from a sunken shipwreck, the dress offers tantalising clues about the way people lived and died during Holland's famous Golden Age.
Jo's research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress turned ladies’ companion who served the enigmatic artist Catharina van Shurman. The two women were said to share a powerful bond, so why did Anna abandon Catharina at the height of her misfortune?
Jo is convinced the truth lies hidden between the folds of this extraordinary dress. But as she delves deeper into Anna’s history, troubling details about her own past begin to emerge.
On the small Dutch island of Texel where fortunes are lost and secrets lie buried for centuries, Jo will finally discover the truth about herself and the woman who wore the Winter Dress.
Praise for The Winter Dress
'Chater has delivered a beautifully told story that takes an intriguing historical mystery and weaves it into a richly imagined tale that is every bit as breathtaking and beguiling as the remarkable dress it is based on.' Better Reading
‘Vivid, expansive and richly imagined, The Winter Dress weaves together a fascinating historical mystery and an uncompromising portrait of the possibility and price of female autonomy with remarkable and deeply affecting results.’ James Bradley, author of Wrack
'Wrap yourself in Chater's prose. The Winter Dress is a captivating tale of discovery and obsession by one of Australia's very best historical fiction authors. Absolutely essential reading.' Melissa Ashley, author of The Birdman’s Wife
About The Author
Photograph © Ben Williams
Lauren Chater is the author of the historical novels The Lace Weaver, Gulliver's Wife, The Winter Dress and The Beauties. In 2018 she was awarded a grant by the Neilma Sidney Literary Fund, and The Winter Dress was longlisted for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize. IG: @lauren_chater_author and visit laurenchater.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (March 30, 2022)
- Length: 368 pages
- ISBN13: 9781760850234
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Raves and Reviews
‘From a few shimmering strands of truth, Lauren Chater has spun an intriguing story of love, loss and fulfilment.’
– Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
‘Vivid, expansive and richly imagined, The Winter Dress weaves together a fascinating historical mystery and an uncompromising portrait of the possibility and price of female autonomy with remarkable and deeply affecting results.’
– James Bradley, author of Wrack
'Wrap yourself in Chater's sumptuous prose. The Winter Dress is a captivating tale of discovery and obsession by one of Australia's very best historical fiction authors. Absolutely essential reading.'
– Melissa Ashley, author of The Birdman’s Wife
‘Chater has delivered a beautifully told story that takes an intriguing historical mystery and weaves it into a richly imagined tale that is every bit as breathtaking and beguiling as the remarkable dress it is based on.’
– Better Reading
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Winter Dress eBook 9781760850234
- Author Photo (jpg): Lauren Chater Photograph © Ben Williams(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
