Dressmaker is a term that is no longer in our contemporary vocabulary. A century ago, it was a profession with formal training. 
The American College of Dressmaking in Kansas City published The American Dressmaker textbook in 1906. I assume this instruction became part of Home Economics curriculum some decades later.
I digress… the title The Dressmaker’s Gift understates the powerful story of women in Paris during WW2 resisting the domination and occupation of Nazi Germany.
From making custom dresses/gowns in Paris, to being held at a location for political prisoners (Fresnes), then transferred to Dachau…shocking! In 2012, I was on the grounds for a walking tour.
The author accurately related the horrors of life in the concentration camp.
Read for yourself how it is possible to reconcile the trauma, not only for one’s self but also one’s children and grandchildren decades later.
elfcroft 