Q&A with Christine Wells

 

 

Christine Wells is the author of the new novel The Paris Gown. Her other novels include Sisters of the Resistance. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

 

Q: You’ve written about the Dior fashion house before--what inspired you to write The Paris Gown, and how did you create your characters Claire, Gina, and Margot?

 

A: I wrote about the inception of the House of Dior in Sisters of the Resistance. In that book, I explored what sisterhood means, both from the point of view of blood-related sisters (Yvette and Gabby) and through the experiences of four very different women who were fighting for a cause they desperately believed in, at the risk of their own and each other’s lives.

 

The sheer beauty and creativity of Dior after the ugly repression of Nazi occupation became a symbol of hope for a better future.

 

In The Paris Gown, which is set in the 1950s, I wanted to explore the kind of sisterhood that grows between women who are friends, and who struggle and dream and stand by each other when things get tough.

 

The Dior gown became both a catalyst to action and the representation of a particular stage in each young woman’s personal journey.

 

As for the women themselves, I never set out to create particular characters—they seem to know who they are when they walk onto the page and start speaking.

 

However, when I decided Margot would become a literary agent, I remembered a memoir I’d read by an amazing Australian woman called Robin Dalton, who had many adventures before becoming an agent and producer, so I based Margot’s story loosely on Robin’s.

 

However, the character of Margot came to life when I started writing the story and she is very much her own person.

 

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: For Claire, I had a wonderful time reading about fabulous chefs like Escoffier, who worked at The Ritz and created the “kitchen brigade” which is a system still used to organise restaurant kitchens today. And there was also Julia Child, who studied at the Cordon Bleu cookery school in Paris in the 1950s just as Claire, Margot, and Gina did.

 

One thing that surprised me was that a chef called Madame Brazier was not only the first woman but the first person ever to earn three Michelin stars.

 

As for Robin Dalton, upon whom I based Margot, almost everything about her life was surprising, from her love affair with David Mountbatten, cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to a stint spying for the King of Thailand.

Q: The writer Stephanie Marie Thornton said of the book, “In The Paris Gown, Christine Wells has lovingly crafted a tale of the resiliency of female friendship and the healing power of chasing one’s dreams.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I’m thrilled and grateful that Stephanie picked up on these elements of the story in her generous endorsement.

 

This novel is my loving tribute to female friendship—it’s something I appreciate more and more as I get older. When some event or tragedy blindsides a woman, it’s often close female friends who will see her through those tough times.

 

And I think you know you have a true friend when they support your goals and dreams and cheer you on when you succeed, but also hold your feet to the fire when you’re pursuing the wrong man or not living up to your potential. Gina, Margot, and Claire are incredibly lucky to have each other.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope The Paris Gown inspires readers to pursue their own dreams with grit and determination, the way my characters do.

 

But mostly, I hope readers close this book having loved and laughed and cried with Margot, Gina, and Claire, become friends with them, and ultimately are moved to appreciate their own real life friends even more.

 

I’d love to see readers passing The Paris Gown on to other women as an expression of their love and gratitude for the joy and support their friends bring.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: At the moment, I am writing a book with the working title The Lost Perfumes of Paris. I will say no more at this stage, but we should see it on the shelves next year, hopefully!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Christine Wells.