The Prince and the Dressmaker

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2018

Review

The Prince and the Dressmaker is a graphic novel by Jen Wang. In Paris, in a vaguely ambiguous historical time, Prince Sebastian's parents are searching for a bride for their son. Sebastian, however, isn't interested, because he's more occupied with keeping his secrets. The first is Frances, his seamstress, whose brilliant and inventive creations caught his eye. The second is what she makes: not suits, but dresses. Sebastian loves to wear dresses, make up, and a wig, taking on his alter ego, Lady Crystallia. For a while, everything is wonderful. But as the pressure increases on Sebastian to find a bride and prepare to be king, and as the weight of keeping her own gifts a secret presses on Frances, the deep and vital relationship between the two of them fractures.

Wang tells a powerful story about the fear of being different, about how expressing yourself is not only freeing, but vital to the soul, and how the proud acceptance and love--or absence thereof--of the people that matter to you can make or break a life. The words are wonderful, but they are sparse, because it is the illustrations that tell the story. Wang draws with a beautiful fluidity that captures the elegance of Frances' creations and the emotion and power of every scene. The Prince and the Dressmaker is a masterpiece.

Overall Book Score: excellent