Garden District Book Shop presents Diane C. McPhail in conversation with Sue Strachan: A Launch Celebration for The Seamstress of New Orleans

Diane C. McPhail, acclaimed author of The Seamstress of New Orleans in conversation with journalist and author Sue Strachan,  will discuss her new novel, The Seamstress in New Orleans. Inspired by the author’s experiences riding in the Krewe of Iris, this work of historical fiction is set in the year 1900, as two very different women are fated to meet amidst furtive preparations for New Orleans’ first all-female Mardi Gras krewe. 

The presentation will be followed by a book signing and refreshments, with book sales catered by The Garden District Book Shop. 

Hosted by Tom and Dian Winingder and John and Kathy Eastman, this event is free and open to the public.

It’s 1900 and the dawn of a new century carries a sense of change, possibility, and female empowerment, as two women from very different circumstances are fated to meet in the jasmine scented humidity of New Orleans, a city of decadence and danger. Behind parlor doors, high society women of New Orleans prepare to seize the reins as the only all-female krewe, Les Mysterieuses, at this year’s Mardi Gras. For Constance Halstead—a young, wealthy widow whose husband’s suspicious death has left her indebted to a vicious Storyville gang—Les Mysterieuses feels like a rare opportunity to take control of her life and upend social convention. While for Alice Butterworth, pregnant, abandoned by her husband, broke, and newly arrived from Chicago, sewing Constance’s Krewe gown means survival. Piece by piece, the breathtaking gown takes shape, becoming a symbol of strength, their growing bond, their resilience in the face of grief, and a path towards greater independence. But a secret could unravel their progress…

Inspired by her time living in New Orleans, acclaimed Southern author Diane C. McPhail’s atmospheric historical fiction novel weaves New Orleans and Mardi Gras history with the unlikely kinship between two women riding on the cusp of societal change, the secrets they must hide, and the glittering gown that binds them together.

JUNE 3 | WHISPER DOWN THE LANE: A NOVEL | 5:00 PM

The Garden District Book Shop in conjunction with the Overlook Festival will host renowned horror author, Clay McLeod Chapman for a reading and book signing of his book Whisper Down the Lane: A Novel on June 3 at 5:00 PM. Whisper Down the Lane is the pulse-pounding, true-crime-based horror novel inspired by the McMartin preschool trial and Satanic Panic of the ’80s. Chapman will read a selection from his book for guests and be available for a signing afterwards. The event is open to the public and books can be purchased at The Garden District Book Shop.

Author Emma Soames’ will be at The Garden District Book Shop for a special signing of her new book, Mary Churchill’s War, a unique and evocative portrait of World War II—and a charming coming-of-age story—from the private diaries of Winston Churchill's youngest daughter, Mary.

The signing will begin at 3:00 PM. Soames will be available to sign copies of the book and meet guests.

Purchase your tickets here.

In 1939, seventeen-year-old Mary found herself in an extraordinary position at an extraordinary time: it was the outbreak of World War II and her father, Winston Churchill, had been appointed First Lord of the Admiralty; within months he would become prime minister.

The young Mary Churchill was uniquely placed to observe this remarkable historical moment, and her diaries—most of which have never been published until now—provide an immediate view of the great events of the war, as well as exchanges and intimate moments with her father. But these diaries also capture what it was like to be a young woman during wartime.

An impulsive and spirited writer, full of coming-of-age self-consciousness and joie de vivre, Mary's diaries are untrammeled by self-censorship or nostalgia. From aid raid sirens at 10 Downing Street to seeing action with the women’s branch of the British Army, from cocktail parties with presidents and royals to accompanying her father on key diplomatic trips, Mary's wartime diaries are full of color, rich in historical insight, and a charming and intimate portrait of life alongside Winston Churchill during a key moment of the twentieth century.

All citywide-mandated COVID safety protocols will be in place.

Join us for the discussion the second Wednesday of every month.   New Members are always welcome.  Purchase book in-store for a 20% discount.