Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

1. What role does the setting of wartime Britain play in the novel?
2. What is your opinion of Cressida Westcott? Do you think she was like other women of her time? How did her background influence her choices, including her work? How did her career shape her outlook on the events that were happening around her?
3. Cressida, Violet, and Grace are an unlikely trio when they start on their quest. How does their journey shape them as they come of age? How does each of them grow during their quest? What does each learn from the other?
4. What does each of our three main characters—Cressida, Grace, and Violet— truly want?
5. How do class and gender impact the way the characters interact with their surroundings and are perceived by others? What does the novel say about the ways in which our identities shape our experiences?
6. Love, family, and feminism are all major themes. What other overarching ideas did you notice? What did you take away from the book overall?
7. Evaluate the treatment and role of women in the novel. Discuss the various types of power (or lack of) that Cressida, Violet, and Grace experience. What provides, or denies, each of them access to forms of expression?
8. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is based on true events. Had you heard of a sewing circle before? What did you learn about its historical significance from the book?
9. The bonds of friendship play an important role in the novel, inspiring and stymying the three characters at different points along their journeys. How does each character view friendship? What about their traits and histories make them feel that way?
10. How does The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle compare to Ryan's other historical fiction, such as The Chilbury Ladies' Choir or The Kitchen Front?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Ballantine Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.