Tilly Dunnage returns to her hometown Dungatar in rural Australia after years away. She is now a couturier for fashion houses in Paris and she sticks out like a sore thumb by her flashy wardrobe. That and…. everyone remembers why Myrtle Dunnage left town.
Slowly, while looking after her mother who is mentally unstable, Tilly wins over the women of the town by making beautiful dresses for them. Gertrude, the daughter of the shopkeepers in Dungatar, turns the head of the rich family’s son with one of Tilly’s dresses.
In flashbacks we learn that Myrtle was bullied by another kid in school. After class, he’d physically assault her. What happened back then is why Tilly left town.
And then… Tilly takes revenge on everyone in the town.
I watched The Dressmaker on a plane to Japan, and I absolutely loved it. After I got back from my holiday, I bought the book and again absolutely loved it.
This is a re-read, this time I listened to the audiobook and I still love the book!
Read for the Read Between the Lines Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 47: A Book Set in Oceania
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
