The Seamstress of New Orleans
1900 and the dawn of a new century carries with it a sense of change, possibility, and female empowerment. As the Suffrage Movement gathers steam across the country, society women in New Orleans prepare behind parlor doors to take the reins as the only all-female krewe, Les Mysterieuses, at the leap year’s Mardi Gras celebrations. For Constance Halstead—a young, wealthy widow whose husband’s suspicious death leaves her vulnerable to the vicious Black Hand gang of Storyville—Les Mysterieuses is a rare opportunity to take control of her life and upend social convention. It’s also a fleeting escape from her grief over the death of her infant son. While for Alice Butterworth, broke, pregnant, abandoned by her husband, newly arrived from Chicago, sewing Constance’s Krewe gown means survival and an opportunity to be a part of the historic event.
Piece by piece, the breathtaking gown takes shape, becoming a symbol of strength and a path towards greater independence. But as the Mardi Gras festivities reach their fruition, a secret emerges that will cement the bond between Alice and Constance even as it threatens the lives they’re building
Early Praise for The Seamstress of New Orleans
“From the captivating first line, The Seamstress of New Orleans transports the reader to the mystery and sultry magic of New Orleans. With McPhail’s acclaimed and atmospheric prose, The Seamstress of New Orleans is a tale of well-guarded secrets, societal bonds that must be broken, and women’s powerful resilience. A powerful and fascinating story." —Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah
“The intrigue surrounding these two young widows will draw you in then you'll be rooted into the story by the historical detail of New Orleans at the turn of the century and the first female Mardi Gras Krewe. But what you will take away from the novel is the sheer power of female friendship. An exhilarating historical romp of found family and abiding friendship.”—Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books (Denham Springs, LA)
“Reading this novel is like dining on a creole dish: rich, mysterious, and oh so satisfying.”—Fran Ziegler, Titcomb’s Bookshop (East Sandwich, MA)
“In a time and place when women were relegated to the home, these New Orleans ladies set about crafting their own future. Threads of missing husbands, menacing gamblers, and society on the cusp of changing women's rights weave together to form a riveting tale. The history of the first all-female Krewe was so captivating it sent me to do some googling for extra information. It was also an education about women's rights and the Napoleonic Code. Fascinating. McPhail has stitched an impressive work of historical fiction that will fuel plenty of book club discussions.”—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller (Stillwater, MN)
“A riveting story of two women whose lives are woven together by chance at a time before women could vote, before the streets are paved, before women had the freedom to take jobs beyond the kind carried out by “domestics.” But fate has more in store for these two and when they get together, well, anything can happen. What a story!” — Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore (Spokane, WA)
“A stunning novel that immersed me in the sultry, dangerous and beautiful world of New Orleans in 1900…richly rewarding, with the twists and turns through the genteel world of upper-class New Orleans and the harsh dangers of Storyville constantly surprising and keeping my heart racing, and each page turned faster than the last. Brilliant.” – Kim Taylor Blakemore, bestselling author of After Alice Fell
