Do you ever wish you lived in the days of the butcher, the
baker, and the candlestick maker? How about the Cobbler, the Haberdasher, and
the Milliner?
Speaking of Milliners . . . I just read this great book
about a hatmaker. Carla Stewart’s The Hatmaker’s Heart. Stewart is known for
her “nostalgic novels.” They generally have to do with a specific moment in
time, and when I read her stories, I want to go back. Ok, keeping it real . . ..
I’ve never actually lived in the roaring twenties, but when I read Hatmaker, I
felt like I was there. And I wished I could wear one of her hats . . . and go back there.
It’s a story about postwar (between the wars) women and
explores the paradigm shift whereby women sought after careers and college
education in greater numbers than ever before. It examines the plight of women
who lost husbands in the war, and tried to find a way to support families on their own. And how they came up against the old guard who promoted their traditions of women
at home.
The Hatmaker’s Heart follows a girl who loves designing and
making hats back in the day when nearly every outfit required a different, matching hat.
1920s high fashion in NYC and then London dominates the scenes and provides a
colorful backdrop for the drama which unfolds as Nell discovers who she is and
learns to stand up for herself in a male-dominated workforce at a time of great change.
Nowadays, hats are for fun, sun, or warmth. What was the
last hat you purchased for yourself? Do you like hats? Would you wear one every
day if that was in style? Leave us a comment for a chance to win this week’s
drawing.
The Hatmaker’s Heart is a quick and fun read. I hope you’ll
give it a try.
Review by Jennifer Fromke
