What poem or quote would appear on your tattoo (or on a tee-shirt if you’d rather not make such a permanent gesture)? Daniel has lines from a poem by Wilfred Owen tattooed on his arm.Do you think it’s possible to accurately depict the life of a public figure who is still alive? And what do you think it must be like to be that public figure, and to know that strangers are reading about or watching the story of your life? Would it upset you, or would you find it entertaining to see what novelists and filmmakers get wrong-and what they get right?.Was Heather right to persevere in uncovering the secrets of Ann’s past?.

If you had a chance to stand in Ann’s shoes, would you tell your daughter or granddaughter the truth about your life?.

Can you close your eyes and picture Miriam’s Vél d’Hiv embroideries? What do they look like to you?.

Why do you think Ann made a clean break with her past? Why did she never attempt to contact Miriam? Would you have done the same?.

If you could snap your fingers and become a princess, with all of the duties and obligations and relentless attention that such a position entails, would you do it?.

How do you think you would have coped with the difficulties of the post-war period?.

How would you have reacted to the news of the royal wedding in 1947?.

I hope you have a wonderful time and thank you for choosing The Gown for your book club! I’ve included a text-only version as well as larger downloadable PDFs for the images here that you are welcome to print out and distribute to your friends. Here are some resources I hope you find useful in planning your book club’s discussion of The Gown.

The gown jennifer robson