An Unlikely Suitor

Starred review from May 1, 2011
In another tale of strong women, Nancy Moser (Masquerade, 2010) takes readers once again to the harsh life of industrialized nineteenth-century New York. With skillful hands and quick thinking, Italian immigrant and dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli helps her mother and sister as they find work in a prominent dress shop. The Scarpellis new life puts them in contact with New Yorks elite, and Lucy soon finds herself in an unlikely friendship with Rowena, a socialite in need of a special summer wardrobe for her stay in Newport, Rhode Island. Through a creative orchestration, Lucy and her family become employed by Rowena at her Newport mansion to assist her with their fashionable custom garment designs. As romances bud for Lucy, her sister Sofia, and Rowena, decisions must be made that could change the course of their lives forever. Motifs of friendship that defies cultural boundaries and secret, forbidden love are laced with moments of intensity as danger threatens the lives of the Scarpelli women. Christy Awardwinning Moser excels at vivid historical settings (here including pictorial examples of nineteenth-century fashion) and compelling stories featuring resilient, uncompromising heroines.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)