The Hatmaker’s Heart
Nell Marchwold is an apprentice designer at the prestigious Oscar Fields Millinery in 1920s New York City. For Nell, the joy is not just in creating the stylish cloches and headpieces sold in the salon, but in making each customer feel beautiful. But she’s held back, not only by her shyness and a long-held stutter, but also by her envious boss, who wants to keep her designs under his label. When a prominent clothing designer invites Nell to contribute to his new collection and her designs take off, she must decide whether she has the strength to strike out on her own and the courage to follow her heart.
The Hatmaker’s Heart is a sweet story, less about romance and more about finding the balance between ambition and faith. The era comes out through the fashion and Nell’s beautifully-described hats. As a historical romance, it’s mild—the love interest doesn’t make his appearance until quite late in the book—but as a story of a young woman finding her place in a man’s world, it hits the mark.
