The Winter Dress: Two women separated by centuries drawn together by one beautiful silk dress

Jo Baaker, a textiles historian, investigates the provenance of a valuable seventeenth-century silk dress retrieved from a sunken shipwreck. Her research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress who served on the fringes of the Dutch court. Jo discovers haunting details of her own past as she gets closer to Anna's history.

Format: Hardback
Publication date: 20 October 2022
Publisher: Allison & Busby

Textiles historian Jo Baaker embarks on a captivating journey back to the Dutch island where she was born, driven by a quest to unravel the origins of a precious seventeenth-century silk dress recovered from a sunken shipwreck. Her research takes her to the humble abode of Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress who played a marginal role in the Dutch court. As Jo delves deeper into Anna's life, unsettling revelations about her own past emerge, intertwining their stories in a web of mystery and intrigue.

Jo's investigation takes her through the winding streets of Amsterdam, where she encounters various characters who shed light on Anna's remarkable tale. She discovers that Anna, despite her humble circumstances, possessed a rare talent for embroidery, which she honed through years of hard work and dedication. One day, Anna's skill caught the attention of a wealthy noblewoman, who commissioned her to create a magnificent silk dress for a grand ball. Anna poured her heart and soul into the project, infusing it with her own unique style and creativity.

However, fate intervened when the ship carrying the dress sank on its way to the ball. Anna, devastated by the loss of her masterpiece, was left to fend for herself and her family. Jo's research reveals that Anna, in a moment of despair, sold the dress to a pawnshop, hoping to alleviate her financial burdens. Little did she know that the dress would eventually find its way into the hands of a wealthy collector, who would preserve it for centuries to come.

As Jo closes in on the truth, she discovers that the silk dress holds a deeper significance than mere material value. It symbolizes the resilience and determination of the human spirit, reminding Jo of her own struggles and triumphs. Through her journey, Jo not only uncovers the origins of the silk dress but also finds a sense of connection and belonging, as she realizes that the past and the present are intertwined in ways that we may never fully understand.

Weight: 424g
Dimension: 136 x 217 x 43 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780749029005