Novel set in Paris (“French was the language of the hat trade”)

• Book: The Milliner’s Secret
• Location: Paris
• Author: Natalie Meg Evans

Review Author: tripfiction

The Milliner’s Secret is a follow on to The Dress Thief, set in pre-war Paris but can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

Cora is a Bermondsey girl through and through, with a dad who, at the drop of a hat (no pun intended) would beat seven bells out of her (in other words, thrash her to within an inch of her life). She works in a lowly position at milliners Pettrew and Lofthouse.

Through her work she wins a ticket to attend Epsom Downs Races and duly takes her friend Donal. A bit of betting and socialising make it an enjoyable day out until she meets Dietrich in the company of Ottilia, and somehow there is a spark. Before long she is at the station fulfilling a long held dream of travelling to Paris, now with him, with no prospect of a job other than the patronage of the rather handsome German man. Cora does not “wait for life to unfold…she rides after it, like a gaucho roping a steer“. And that is certainly how the spirited heroine negotiates her way in the new city as war unfurls.

However, she soon finds herself on the verge of destitution because Dietrich has disappeared and she needs to work fast to keep her head above water. She thus assumes the persona of Coralie de Lirac – of course, she has knowledge of French through her Belgian father. Various encounters later she is running her own hat shop whilst war is escalating and soon she is in a new relationship with Ramon Cazaubon. Pregnancy ensues to complicate her life and little Noëlle arrives. As she actively engages in the Resistance during the war years, whilst keeping her hat business afloat, Coralie is definitely “a working class girl who dares to reach for the stars“! Wheels within wheels, people of all nationalities populate the storyline and those who have disappeared soon reappear. But who can Coralie trust?

Paris remains unscathed in the early years but the inevitable hardships of the time descend. The Germans take up residence in The Crillon at the heart of the city; and is that a Swastika atop the Eiffel Tower?

It is clear that Natalie has done a lot of research and has taken a great deal of care to set the developing storyline against a backdrop of monumental unfolding history. Enjoy!

This review first appeared on our blog plus a fabulous author interview

Back to book