A Dress of Violet Taffeta

Arlen’s (In Royal Service to the Queen; “Woman of World War II” mysteries) latest, skillfully narrated by Hannah Curtis, tells the fictionalized biographical story of Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, a ground-breaking entrepreneur and fashion-world luminary in the 1890s. Gordon is married, with a daughter, until her husband abandons her for a pantomime dancer. In a move that shocks society, Lucy divorces him and follows her heart to begin designing fashionable clothing with the help of her maid, Celia. Great success follows, eventually leading to the development of Lucile Ltd., a fashion house known throughout the world. Romance arrives too, when Lucy meets the man destined to become her second husband. In a nail-biting development, she, her husband, and her daughter all survive the Titanic tragedy. Curtis adeptly captures Arlen’s many characters, voicing them with appropriate accents and bearing. Her presentation of Lucy’s mother, who positively bristles with petulance, is priceless. The recounting of the Titanic episode is suitably fraught.