The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle: A Novel

“There was no doubt about it, at forty-six, Cressida Westcott was at the very top of her game, in spite of the war.”

This passage provides characterization for Cressida, illustrating the extent of her success and how she perceives herself. It also provides foreshadowing for the way that bombings will bring Cressida down from this professional height; her reputation will remain, and she will rebuild, but she is forced to pause her work after the bombing.

“[T]here was something tantalizing about designing chic Utility Clothes—it was an oxymoron, surely? Each garment had strict stipulations, from the amount of cloth allowed to the number of pleats and buttons. No embellishments were permitted, so you had to make it stand out using color and technique. It was the ultimate challenge.”

This passage provides both historical context about Utility clothes and characterization, revealing Cressida’s interest in hard work and facing professional challenges. It also foreshadows Cressida’s later participation in the competition with Grace.

“‘It’s a shame what this war has led us to, women flying fighter planes. Women shouldn’t be working at all, least of all in war machines.’ Lawrence looked at her and smiled. ‘I’m glad you’re not going to have to do anything untoward like that.’”

Lawrence’s words reveal a sentiment shared by a portion of the British population during the war. They bemoaned the need for women to work, fearing that giving women work, even to get through the war, would cause social problems after the war was over. Lawrence’s assumption that Grace won’t work after marriage hints at the theme of Pursuing Happiness and Throwing Off Expectations.

“It’s the small kindnesses that make devastation bearable.”

Cressida’s thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the bombing reveal the power of small kindnesses to maintain morale during difficult times, highlighting the theme of Resilience in the Face of Great Difficulty. She is offered only a cup of tea, but it provides comfort after the devastation of losing her home and nearly losing her life.

“Physical disorders were deemed heartbreaking and honorable; emotional ones made people uncomfortable.”

Grace’s thoughts about her father’s shell shock, now considered a type of post-traumatic stress disorder, demonstrate the discomfort many people had with mental disorders during World War II. Mental health was still a burgeoning area of study, so men like Ben were often left to fend for themselves, forced to endure the symptoms of shell shock without adequate support.

“But humiliation gripped her. Never in her life had she been singled out for anything other than glory and success. Hardly bearing to glance at the group of cleared women watching on, she heard the now-familiar cackle of Lena. How could she be reduced to this?”

Lice treatment at military support training is Violet’s first experience with humiliation and a lack of preferential treatment. It humbles her, preparing her for the difficulties of training and for the perspective changes she will encounter.

“‘No one’s looking over your shoulder in London. That’s why I prefer it.’

But Ben only replied, ‘If no one’s looking over your shoulder, no one’s there to catch you when you fall.’

‘What if you make sure you don’t fall?’

‘You could try to stop bad things from happening, I suppose, but what kind of a life would that be, never taking chances, never letting yourself go?’”

Cressida reveals how she has always associated a close-knit community with the control and judgment that she received from her brother. Ben’s words suggest that it is better to accept the possibility of judgment if it coincides with community support, which allows people to take risks with the benefit of a safety net.

“‘Men need us to take their minds off their work and all the important, awful things that are happening in the world. They like to think that we women are above all that, beautiful creatures who aren’t tainted with life’s drudgery and horrors.’

Lena shook her head. ‘Oh, Vee. That’s not why at all. It’s because if we’re told we’re stupid, we won’t question anything.’”

Violet’s conversation with Lena, one of her fellow drivers-in-training, reveals the conflicts between traditional ways of viewing women and more modern perspectives. Violet has followed her father’s advice and suppressed her own intellect to fit the ideal of the upper-class woman, but Lena’s words help Violet see her father’s words differently, triggering her new approach to life.

“The notion that she was actually far cleverer than she’d let on seemed to take hold and spur her on as she stepped into the garage for the practical element of her final exam.”

This is a pivotal moment in Violet’s journey. The encouragement of Cressida and Lena, alongside her new experiences, helps her recognize her own potential, and she decides in this moment to take control of her own life.

“‘But doesn’t it matter what I want?’ she said in a small voice.”

This moment reveals how Grace’s perspective is changing, indicating that she is on the path to Pursuing Happiness and Throwing Off Expectations. Although she remains with Lawrence even after he disparages her desire to pursue a career in fashion, this question, and his clear belief that her desires do not matter, help Grace move toward her later decision to break off the engagement.

“Just make sure your palace doesn’t turn into a prison, duchess.”

MacCauley reminds Violet of the dangers of her insistence on marrying a titled man without considering love. Like many other people’s words, MacCauley’s sentiment stays with Violet, building a growing sense that her stubborn adherence to tradition may not be what she wants, after all.

“It’s never good form to let other people down, but it’s far more important not to let yourself down. You only have one life, Grace, and it’s short. You can’t afford to throw it away on something that isn’t right.”

Cressida’s words contribute to Grace’s character growth. Grace has spent her life trying to fulfill everyone’s expectations, but she realizes throughout the novel that she is not happy. Cressida’s words remind her of her responsibility to herself as well as to others.

“You’re Grace, pure and simple. Why everyone has this notion that you have to be one type of person or another is beyond me. We’re all a blend of different ingredients, and I think there’s a great deal more to you than Lawrence sees—or wants to see.”

Cressida highlights the limiting views of so many people in their society. She reminds Grace that Grace can have more than one primary trait and desire, and she helps Grace see her own potential.

“Hugh’s eyes met Violet’s as if trying to steady himself for the ordeal ahead, and she suddenly saw how very vulnerable he was, how he needed her as much as she needed him—after all, they were the closest family each of them had. Violet gave him a deft nod, a reassuring smile. Whatever was going through his mind, he had to get through the day.”

Violet and Hugh’s relationship shifts as Violet recognizes her brother’s vulnerability. They are both learning to value community and to throw off the weight of expectations, and Violet recognizes in this moment that her brother needs support just as much as she does.

“‘You really have no idea what we’ve been going through over here, have you?’ She laughed with bitterness. ‘Heroics and death have become commonplace events. We’re desperately trying to hold on to our country, doing the best that we can.’”

Violet gives MacCauley a reality check about how difficult the war has been for the British as opposed to the Americans. The Americans joined the war late, and their citizens, with a wide ocean between themselves and the war, suffered less than those living under bombings in London. Violet also highlights the importance of community by emphasizing how hard they have all been trying to keep hold of their own country.

“[S]he couldn’t help but feel disgusted at her previous self, the spoiled, heartless society girl whose only desire was to marry a lord. She was appalled at how short-sighted, how selfish she’d been when everyone else was putting body and soul on the line.”

Violet’s words here, marked by the motif of social class divides, reveal her character growth. Her inner conflict is resolved as she recognizes how far she has come from the spoiled girl she once was.

“And suddenly she understood why people yearned for love during this war—why they went to such lengths to find it. Why marriage was so fast, people frantic for someone to cling on to, to call their own. Why women were tossing their virginity into the wind, peeling off their clothes to make love while they were still alive—it transcended everything bad that could ever happen. It stripped the Nazis of their power. It was more meaningful than any bomb could ever be.”

Under the imminent fear of death, Violet finally understands all the changes she has seen in society. The war was brought to the home front in World War II, and people learned to seek life and love as soon as they could so they could feel alive and strip the Nazis of their power to demoralize them. Her reflections on the importance of living in the moment underscore the theme of Resilience in the Face of Great Difficulty.

“Every day, the newspapers and radio impressed upon civilians the need to stay cheerful, and it usually struck her as a rather futile and transparent gesture. But now, in the thick of the mayhem, she realized that even a weak smile was far more than that: It was a kindness.”

Grace recognizes the value of kindness and smiles in the midst of tragedy. Grace recognizes how much such gestures can build morale and help create a sense of humanity among death and destruction, illustrating the role that small comforts and kindnesses play in Resilience in the Face of Great Difficulty.

“‘This war has changed a lot of things. It’s stirred up how we see life and death—how we value the importance of our own individual lives in a world where people are dying daily in an effort to save our community, our entire way of life.’ She paused, her eyes on the floor. ‘We need to think about everyone, if necessary put our own lives on the line to do what each of us can do for the whole.’”

Grace highlights the lesson that she and many other people have learned during the war. Community is valuable not just as a social support but as a tool through which people can help one another survive. Her words point at the theme of The Transformative Power of Community and Friendship.

“Life without bravery is life without freedom. It’s why there are so many weddings—couples want to take advantage of every day they have together. We all have our moment to stand up and do what we can, from saving lives to sharing a wedding dress.”

Grace highlights the importance of truly living while one is able, mirroring both Violet and Cressida’s earlier reflections on the value of living for the present moment amid war and danger. Her own words help anchor her decision to pursue her dream and end her engagement.

“And she realized what it was that had been missing in her life. She had found a kinship, a band of friends who, regardless of what happened, would stand strong for one another. And how she missed them!”

Cressida’s realization helps her come to terms with the recent changes in her life. She learns how much she values community despite her decades of avoiding deep relationships. Her words highlight the role the Sewing Circle plays in the theme of The Transformative Power of Community and Friendship.

“Deep inside her, the last thread of resistance snapped, and she realized that to surrender to happiness wasn’t the downfall she had told herself, if indeed it was a downfall. It was better—far more joyful and thrilling and real—than she could ever imagine.”

This is the moment of resolution for Cressida’s inner and inter-relational conflicts. She realizes that as long as she is with someone she truly loves, who will support her rather than limit her, she can have both her professional success and the happiness she has been missing.

“My wife and I […] want this wedding to mark a new era for the manor and for Aldhurst too, an era of support and togetherness.”

Hugh reflects on the lessons each character has learned over the course of the novel. He and Grace understand more fully the power of community, and they intend to nurture their community during and after the war.