
A Vintage Affair
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Violet Mathieson
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By:
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Isabel Wolff
Every dress has a history. And so does every woman. In Isabel Wolff’s captivating A Vintage Affair, a treasured child’s coat becomes a thread of hope connecting two very different women. Her friends are stunned when Phoebe Swift abruptly leaves a plum job at the prestigious Sotheby’s auction house to open her own vintage clothing shop in London—but to Phoebe, it’s the fulfillment of a dream. In the sunlight-flooded interior of Village Vintage, surrounded by Yves Saint Laurent silk scarves, Vivienne Westwood bustle skirts, cupcake dresses, and satin gowns, Phoebe hopes to make her store the hot new place to shop, even as she deals with two ardent suitors, her increasingly difficult mother, and a secret from her past that casts a shadow over her new venture.For Phoebe, each vintage garment carries its own precious history. Digging for finds in attics and wardrobes, Phoebe is rewarded whenever she finds something truly unique, for she knows that when you buy a piece of vintage clothing, you’re not just buying fabric and thread—you’re buying a piece of someone’s past. But one particular article of clothing will soon unexpectedly change her life. Thérèse Bell, an elderly Frenchwoman, has an impressive clothing collection. But among the array of smart suits and couture gowns, Phoebe finds a child’s sky-blue coat—an item with which Bell is stubbornly reluctant to part. As the two women become friends, Phoebe will learn the tale of that little blue coat. And she will discover an astonishing connection between herself and Thérèse Bell—one that will help her heal the pain of her own past and allow her to love again.
©2010 Isabel Wolff (P)2010 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
“What makes this book stand out is Wolff’s passion for vintage fashion; velvety, silken prose describes the clothes and their history, with several pieces telling rich stories that develop into compelling sub-plots.” (Easy Living)
“Romance in a vintage clothes shop - we were sold from line one. Luckily, this book lives up to its hype, and is filled with all the sensory goodness that leads to inevitable comparisons to Joanne Harris - this is an author to bookmark.” (Irish Tatler)
“What a lovely book!” (Daily Mail)
The part that made me giggle was the narration. It's read, quite well, by a British reader who seems to think that people in California have a mix of a Brooklyn and Bostonian accents. It's only a very small part of the book, but every time she tried it, I erupted into giggles. (Don't let my immaturity stop you, though--it's a good, if light, story.)
Predictable but entertaining
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Very enjoyable
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An Excellent Choice!
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What did you love best about A Vintage Affair?
I loved the intertwined romance and historical stories. I also loved that the romance thread of the novel was not ridiculous in the way that a lot of "chick lit" can be. Sophie was still quite respectable.What did you like best about this story?
I really liked the details woven in about vintage clothing. There are quite a few lessons in there if you're listening! I felt that the author really did her homework when she included all those tidbits about clothing through the ages.What about Violet Mathieson’s performance did you like?
Her voice was quite lovely with good intonation and inflection. She did a convincing male voice as well.Light and Easy for Dreary Fall Days
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Great story, very descriptive
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Never gets old.
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Any additional comments?
Beautifully written, good pacing and a lovely story line. I think this book ended just as it should have. All the main story lines were tied up, but there was still a promise of Phoebe having a future. I didn't feel like I NEEDED a sequel.Book Review: A Vintage Affair
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The narrator had some difficulty with male voices. Her American accents were terrible. She seemed to think that speakers from California produce wandering /r/ sounds at the ends of words - "Californier"; "idear"; "sor" for "saw" - or add them in the middle, as in "farther" for "father" and "tort" for "taught" - or eliminate final /r/ as in "sista" and "brotha." The reader seemed to be trying so hard, speaking very slowly for accents (as she did with male voices), but there was no accuracy or consistency, so those parts of the narration were quite annoying.
Mildly interesting
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Better than average chick lit
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loved it
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