By Her Own Design
A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register
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Narrated by:
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Tracey Conyer Lee
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By:
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Piper Huguley
About this listen
The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy.
1953, New York City
Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish the task, but they will do it.
1918, Tampa
Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her an amazing opportunity—the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.
Based on the true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties through the sixties who has since been unjustly forgotten, By Her Own Design is an unforgettable novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world.
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By: Sandra Dallas
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The Gown
- A Novel of the Royal Wedding
- By: Jennifer Robson
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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From the internationally best-selling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the 20th century - Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it.
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Such a disappointment...
- By Cynthia in NoCO on 05-12-19
By: Jennifer Robson
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Gloria
- By: Kerry Young
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Jamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act alters the course of her life forever. Taking along her younger sister, she flees their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. But in a capital city awash with change, a black woman is still treated as a second-class citizen. From a room in a boarding house and a job at a supply store, Gloria finds her way to a house of ill repute on the edge of the city, intrigued by the glamorous, financially independent women within.
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Awesome story! And Robin Miles is a star!!
- By atlfolk on 06-23-18
By: Kerry Young
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Kiss Carlo
- By: Adriana Trigiani
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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It's 1949, and South Philadelphia bursts with opportunity during the postwar boom. The Palazzini Cab Company & Western Union Telegraph Office, owned and operated by Dominic Palazzini and his three sons, is flourishing: Business is good, and they're surrounded by sympathetic wives and daughters-in-law, with grandchildren on the way. But a decades-long feud that split Dominic and his brother, Mike, and their once-close families sets the stage for a rematch.
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Wow!!
- By MCMAK on 07-16-17
By: Adriana Trigiani
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Everlasting
- A Novel
- By: Nancy Thayer
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Catherine Eliot was born to a world of privilege and prestige, with a family whose last name and vast fortune provide her with access to almost anything she could wish for. But what Catherine craves most is independence. So while her friends settle into comfortable lives financed by doting parents and indulgent husbands, she moves to New York City, determined to make it on her own. Taking a demanding job in a bustling flower shop, she works hard and learns the trade until, with courage and determination, she’s able to open Blooms, an exclusive floral boutique on the Upper East Side.
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decent book
- By Amazon Customer on 10-10-20
By: Nancy Thayer
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How to Be an American Housewife
- A Novel
- By: Margaret Dilloway
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Emily Durante
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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How to Be an American Housewife is a novel about mothers and daughters and the pull of tradition. It tells the story of Shoko, a Japanese woman who married an American GI, and her grown daughter, Sue, a divorced mother whose life as an American housewife hasn't been what she'd expected. When illness prevents Shoko from traveling to Japan, she asks Sue to go in her place. The trip reveals family secrets that change their lives in dramatic and unforeseen ways.
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big disappointment
- By Kirsten on 04-12-12
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The Homeplace
- Singing River, Book 1
- By: Gilbert Morris
- Narrated by: Judith West
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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As the year 1928 begins, 14-year-old Lanie Belle Freeman of Fairhope, Arkansas, has bright hopes for the future. Her father has launched a new business, and her mother is expecting her fifth baby. Lanie has dreams of going to college and being a writer. Then tragedy strikes.
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Slow to start. But hang in there. It’s worth it
- By paula wright on 02-24-19
By: Gilbert Morris
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The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove
- A Novel
- By: Susan Gregg Gilmore
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Bezellia Grove was born into the most prominent of Nashville families, but that didn’t stop her from having an alcoholic mother and a distant, adulterous father. Her nanny, Maizelle, and Nathaniel, the handyman, are the people who have taken care of her since she can remember. She considers them family, but her parents just consider them servants because they are Black. When Bezellia has a clandestine romance with Nathaniel's son, Whites and Blacks unite in fury at the young couple.
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light southern fiction
- By suzanne on 02-08-13
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Very Valentine
- A Novel (Valentine Trilogy, Book 1)
- By: Adriana Trigiani
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The adventures of an extraordinary and unforgettable woman as she attempts to rescue her family’s struggling shoe business and find love at the same time, Very Valentine sweeps the listener from the streets of Manhattan to the picturesque hills of Italy.
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Meh... that's all I can say
- By Tammie on 08-17-23
By: Adriana Trigiani
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Rush Home Road
- By: Lori Lansens
- Narrated by: Ruby Dee
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Abridged
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When a 70-year-old woman finds a five-year-old girl abandoned on her doorstep, she is thrust into a sorrowful past that can only be conquered with the help of the girl who opened her memory - the very girl she is trying to save. This first novel, according to author Jacquelyn Mitchard, is one of "exquisite power, honesty, and conviction...quite nearly without flaws."
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filthy language and violent content
- By Anna on 12-16-11
By: Lori Lansens
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Half a Lifelong Romance
- A Novel
- By: Eileen Chang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Manzhen is a young worker in a Shanghai factory where she meets Shijun, the son of wealthy merchants. Despite family complications, they fall in love and begin to dream of a shared life together - until circumstances force them apart. When they are reunited after many years, can they start their relationship again? Or is it destined to be the romance of only half a lifetime?
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super
- By Marcus Aurelius on 10-05-17
By: Eileen Chang
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What listeners say about By Her Own Design
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Tanya L Dorf
- 04-07-24
A story that sweeps you away
The story, history, and performance were outstanding. I learned a lot and found myself swept away by the story of Ann Lowe. It’s a story people should have known about for a long time. The performance brought it to life in a way that made me feel like I was watching a movie of the story.
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- Neanabug
- 01-20-24
Beautiful historic novel
This book was referred to me by the women in my book club. We read the book and visited the exhibit of Ms. Lowe's work at the Winterthur Museum (former DuPont home) in Wilmington, Delaware. The story was well-written and easy to follow. I could not stop listening as it approached the last few chapters. The only area of improvement is the narration. The accents in the beginning of the book were odd, not authentically southern. It took some getting used to -- the narrator improved as the story went on. It is a triumphant account of a woman who had soooo many odds against her. Yet in the words of Maya Angelou, "and still I rise". Bits of history, misfortune, and the impact of racism are woven into the narrative that is designer, artist Ann Lowe's life. To top it off with the privilege of seeing her gowns on exhibit was a special treat!
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- Frieda
- 11-10-22
By Her Own Design
What a wonderful book!!! I really enjoyed listening to it!! What a hard life Ann Lowe had. So sad but I think it made her strong. I can’t imagine her sewing all those dresses and especially when she lost an eye! I’m glad I read this book about her!
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- Anonymous User
- 07-27-22
A must read!
Enjoyed this book tremendously!
it is a must read! I recommend this book and would love to know more about Anne Lowe!
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- Emily K.
- 11-14-23
Great book
First time my book club gave five stars all around. What an excellent book and inspiring woman.
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- carol criss
- 02-12-24
An amazing woman
There are so many women, minorities in our country and world who made contributions to our history and yet we knew nothing about their lives. Our history focuses on mainly white men who shaped our world. Anne Lowe is a petite black women who grew up in poverty and yet managed to develop a skill, be a part of our history and show women success is possible if you pursue your dreams amid tough obstacles. A remarkable example of the strength of women. A must read.
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- rararazz
- 08-15-24
Inspiring
Wonderful story of a much overlooked black designer. Glad her story is being told. Loved the ending.
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- Patrice Aitken
- 01-06-23
Admirable Woman
Loved this story of ingenuity, perseverance, extraordinary talent! Ann was a creative genius of whom i was completely unaware and the authors perspective well taken. The narrator was also quite outstanding
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- dixie
- 01-29-23
Designer and seamstress extraordinaire, Ann Lowe
Wonderful novel that keeps the reader engaged. Ann Lowe was a talented dress designer, as well as seamstress. I was interested in reading this as two of my friend’s mothers were the lucky recipients of some of Ann’s gorgeous creations. The book was very enjoyable and it was apparent that the author researched Ann Lowe to write her story.
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- Kristin
- 01-01-23
Great narration, great story.
You need something to listen to when crafting or sewing? Don’t hesitate. This is it. This story is tender, tough and entertaining. Piper Huguley takes us to a world gone by. You’ll enjoy this book about ladies of the 20th century- and whether you relate to the hard working hands that sew or the tough hearts wearing the gowns sewn, is up to you.
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