Listen free for 30 days

  • The Gown

  • A Novel of the Royal Wedding
  • Written by: Jennifer Robson
  • Narrated by: Marisa Calin
  • Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (153 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Gown cover art

The Gown

Written by: Jennifer Robson
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $40.01

Buy Now for $40.01

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

From the internationally best-selling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the 20th century - Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it.

“Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.” (Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding)

London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together, they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost 70 years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?

With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces listeners to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.

©2018 Jennifer Robson (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Featured Article: Outstanding Female Authors Everyone Ought to Listen to


Throughout history, women have crafted some of the most incredible and beloved stories in the world. From rising stars to household names, female authors have contributed some of the best works of all time for our listening pleasure. At times, especially in societies where gender roles and expectations were rigidly defined, women would write under pen names to avoid the fact that a woman was behind the work. Discover the best female authors.

What listeners say about The Gown

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    116
  • 4 Stars
    28
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    93
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A bit slow at first

Was a bit slow at first but I am glad I persevered. A wonderful piece of history that heretofore, has not been told nor perhaps considered at great length. Beautiful story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

A Glib Fairytale

Robson has turned what could have been a novel and engaging story into a glib and overwrought fairytale, only exacerbated by the over dramatic storytelling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

enjoyable

loved it, learned a lot of interesting things about that wedding I wasn't aware of.
this being my first audiobook I found it very good and easy to follow along.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging, Charming

Lovely story, not too intense yet still riveting. Three main, well-developed female characters. I was invested in all of them, which is a rarity. I lost sleep listening to this one.
SPECTACULAR Narrator!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Wanted a light listen...not a rape scene

I was excited to learn more about the creation of this famous dress and was OK with the light fiction built around the few fact dug up by the author. Unfortunately, the "light listen" I was OK with, even when it was a bit slow, then shifted to a rape scene. That ruined it for me. I think it is possible to add excitement to a story without sexual assault...it was a bit of a cheap way to solve the story arcs.

I have to say that the narrator did a pretty good job in a story involving at least 6 distinctly different accents. It wasn't perfect, but BRAVO - she did pretty well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely story, well written

This story and the characters are interesting. the author does a good job of weaving the story lines and time frames together. Well paced to keep the story moving.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Very disappointing

Very disappointing. I hoped that the novel was about the making the gown. It was more about the relationship of the characters. The
relationships had the depth of a Harlequin Romance.
The accents were annoying and I found listening to them grating.
It is a good portrayal of England after the war but this was the only redeeming feature.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The crown

A wonderful story about frienship amidst problems of the two female friends. Very interesting given that the story I’d in two different is

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific

A GREATstory, told by a fantastic reader! If you love royalty-related stuff... this is the tale for you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

I really enjoyed this book. It's a heart warming story with just enough mystery to keep you engaged. The characters are well developed and the story is placed in a very interesting time in history after the 2nd world war. Such a good read. So sorry when it was over.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Cynthia in NoCO
  • Cynthia in NoCO
  • 2019-05-12

Such a disappointment...

I looked at the title and thought, how great, a novel about the Queen's wedding and dress. But it wasn't. It was a very predictable story about two women who worked in the embroidery shop of the atelier where the gown was made. There was almost nothing at all about the actual gown. It was obvious that the author did as little research as possible about embroidery and nothing at all about couture sewing, both of which I'm fairly familiar with. It was a nice angle to have a granddaughter from Toronto trying to learn about her grandmother's career but the author didn't take the story along to its natural conclusion. So it was pretty frustrating to listen to this. The narrator wasn't bad, but the Canadian accent left a lot to be desired, with only a slight "aboot" here and there. She also had the Canadian character refer to her own mother as "mom" which is an American expression. Most Canadians I know always say "mum" or "mummy". Yes, it's a nit, but shows sloppy research.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kristyn
  • Kristyn
  • 2019-01-08

Just adored it

I really did love this book and I think it’s a wonderful story. The emotion it evoked in me, at times, was so powerful it brought me to tears or raised goosebumps on my skin. I love historical fiction (specifically the English monarchy and the holocaust) so this was a perfect pick for me. The story does come full circle so nicely without being predictable which is something I truly value in a novel these days.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Bonny
  • Bonny
  • 2019-02-10

Light, predictable, and stereotypical

The Gown started off as interesting fiction, but turned out to be a predictable story with stereotypical characters. Ann Hughes is the plucky British embroiderer, fellow embroiderer Miriam Dassin, the French woman who survived the Holocaust and becomes Ann's friend, and Ann's granddaughter, Heather populate this novel about Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress. I enjoyed the many details about embroidery and the embroiderers who worked at Hartnells, along with facts about rationing, shortages, and life in postwar London. Less enjoyable were plot twists that arose seemingly from nowhere, the way the Holocaust was used as a perfunctory aside only to further Miriam's part in the book, three lukewarm romances, one of which turns out appallingly and unbelievably, and Heather's general cluelessness about most things. It's a light read where everything falls happily into place, but not much more than that for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Karen Jefferson
  • Karen Jefferson
  • 2019-03-25

Fun and informative

Enjoyed after the introduction of characters. It was slow at the beginning then I found myself anxious to keep reading. The one star I took away from performance was all the English men seemed to speak with German accents instead of English. I wish on audio books that men would read the male scripts. It does seem that in audio books that unless the male character is America’s that they all sound alike no matter what their nationality.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Toni
  • Toni
  • 2019-03-28

HRH has only a bit part!

I loved this story. The characters are so clear and love able. I loved the narration, accents included. I was expecting a more non fiction tale of the production of the Queen’s wedding gown starring all the royal family. But, surprisingly, and happily it was a sweet tale of the lives of two women that worked on the historical dress. Jennifer Robson is now a new favorite; I look forward to reading more of her work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Sarah C. Bell
  • Sarah C. Bell
  • 2019-03-07

Wonderful story with great historical detail

The characters came alive for me particularly because my mother survived the Blitz in London. Narration was superb.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for donnabean
  • donnabean
  • 2019-02-18

not my usual listen but really enjoyed it

The first part of the story seemed a little melodramatic to me but a few chapters in I was hooked. The narrator struck a good balance between neutrality and emotion and did accents well. I loved how the story eventually made use of details mentioned earlier. If you are interested in any kind of sewing (like I am) you would appreciate the lovely details about embroidery. I would've liked Anne and Miriam to show more personality to make them more dimensional, yet still found myself affected by them. The ending is super satisfying and I'm glad I invested time in this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for T. Highlen
  • T. Highlen
  • 2019-02-08

A delight to listen to

I am a finicky listener but I would be open to getting additional stories by this author and also those by the narrator.

I was not disappointed and was sad when it ended. Great characters and wonderful details to the stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Melanie Anderson
  • Melanie Anderson
  • 2019-01-27

I loved this book!

This is one of the best books I’ve ever listened to. I loved the narrator, she made the characters come to life, I didn’t want the sweet story to end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for MsKate
  • MsKate
  • 2021-02-21

I didn't know what to expect but I loved this book

I bought it because I was scanning all of the $5 books on sale this week. It sounded interesting. It went from being interesting into great. The characters caught me up in their stories. There were some tears but overall the story brought me joy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

.