theliterateleprechaun's Reviews > The Lost Dresses of Italy

“But what’s wrong with knowing the truth? We have to remember what came before to make peace with what comes after.”

What a fascinating combination - poetry and fashion - sewn together in an intriguing conspiracy surrounding a pre-Raphaelite poet’s secret life in Italy!

In the 1947 timeline, textile historian, Marianne Baxter, looking for a way to deal with grief, heads to Verona, Italy at her friend Rufina Rovelli’s insistence to mount an exhibit of recently discovered Victorian dresses. These textiles have intriguing provenance - they once belonged to the famous poet, Christina Rossetti. As Baxter diligently spends her three weeks before the exhibit opening, arranging the dresses, she uncovers a secret and soon discovers she’s caught up in a web of lies and murder. It seems that Rossetti had once travelled to Italy and the experience had been so memorable that it changed the direction of her life. Whatever happened, Rossetti felt the need to be secretive and left clues in three of her dresses.

In the 1864 timeline, Rossetti arrives in Italy and discovers a gift once given to her by her father. When she finds a secret compartment, it gives her solace (a letter from her father) and purpose (an urgent request). It’s the content of the ornate box that unites the two women and the two tragic timelines.

What you will get: an amazing fictional story that uncovers what may have happened to Rossetti on her trip to Italy.

Inspired by the real-life mystery surrounding poet Christina Rossetti, this book will transport you to the magical city of Verona and enchant and intrigue you with art and fashion. You’ll finish, agreeing that although Rossetti never felt free in her personal life to adopt bohemian ways (the focus of the pre-Raphaelite poets) she still found a way to be creative!

‘When I read about costume historian Baxter's discovery (and the discovery that led to the discovery), and dream come true, I wished I was a fly on the wall of the Fondazione Museo Menigatti.

I loved finding the similarities between the two women, decades apart, who arrive in Italy hoping to begin anew as much as I enjoyed seeing how Baxter dealt with her challenges: an indifferent museum owner, a less than friendly community and a hidden warning letter. The thread of (1) starting anew was echoed not only in both women’s lives, but also in the initiative to restart the fashion industry post-war. Reviving through the artistry of the past, McLaughlin demonstrates, it really where beginning anew starts. When allowed to “peer through a portal” into the past, we should consider ourselves thankful and seize the opportunity for growth. I appreciated the excitement the costume curator had in being given “a chance to connect with something tangible after the wearer was long gone.“ The thread of (2) seeking the truth joined the two timelines seamlessly. I valued the insight about garments and how they “show truths about our past as a society” and how “they have meaning just like any other release or objet d’art.” The author wove in the mystery of ‘fata morgana’ with such flair and the story about the jewels with such emotional heartache.

This story was so much more than I anticipated! I liken it to the box Rossetti was gifted. The more I read, the more I discovered and learned, and the more endearing the book became.

I can’t wait to return to Verona, visit the Arco della Costa and look up! Legend would want me to believe that it will fall on me….

I was gifted this copy by Alcove Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.