This book was disappointing. As a seamstress living in Chicago, who adores visiting New Orleans annually, I thought this book would be a fun read….I was so wrong. The narrator’s voice was so irritating. She portrayed all of the women in this light, high voice, that made them sound like air heads. It was a horrible choice because I could tell the author was trying to portray strong women. Why make ALL of them sound like children?
The author gives away all the secrets in the beginning, so there is no twist. I was just hoping to be surprised…but no. Lots of things don’t make sense in this book. Like, why wouldn’t The Black Hand immediately demand money from Constance for her husband’s debt? Why waste time scaring her kids mysteriously from the alley? By the way, does the Marigny neighborhood even actually have alleyways? I have visited a lot and never seen any. Why would Alice, who is desperate to make money for her unborn child, agree to make a ball gown for a stranger for FREE in exchange for housing and food, when she was already in a free shelter? No ball gown “only takes a little bit of time” to complete, especially for Mardis Gras. ….even so ,why would Alice move into a temporary housing with situation for a short unpaid project? Constance is living off of trust money. She has a maid, but is too broke to pay her? The Black Hand hasn’t even billed her yet! Details in the book get even worse and boring after this. Even the sewing details made me snore!
This book missed every opportunity to paint a picture of one the most fascinating cities in the USA and its history.