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The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison

The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison

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  • Create Date：2021-06-06 04:51:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Meredith Jaffe
  • ISBN：1460760247
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Summary

Can a wedding dress save a bunch of hardened crims？ The Full Monty meets Orange is the New Black in a poignantly comic story about a men's prison sewing circle。



Derek's daughter Debbie is getting married。 He's desperate to be there， but he's banged up in Yarrandarrah Correctional Centre for embezzling funds from the golf club， and， thanks to his ex-wife， Lorraine， he hasn't spoken to Debbie in years。 He wants to make a grand gesture - to show her how much he loves her。 But what？

Inspiration strikes while he's embroidering a cushion at his weekly prison sewing circle - he'll make her a wedding dress。 His fellow stitchers rally around and soon this motley gang of crims is immersed in a joyous whirl of silks， satins and covered buttons。

But as time runs out and tensions rise both inside and outside the prison， the wedding dress project takes on greater significance。 With lives at stake， Derek feels his chance to reconcile with Debbie is slipping through his fingers 。。。

A funny， dark and moving novel about finding humanity， friendship and redemption in unexpected places。

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Reviews

Tiffany Stubbin ，

Oh my gosh， such a beautiful and well-researched story。 Though I thought the secondary story was a bit irrelevant， reading the author's note at the end made sense why it was in there。 I thought this story was absolutely about redemption and complex human beings who end up in the prison system。 This one was a tear jerker - happy tears， worry tears， anger tears， joy and relief throughout the story。 A surprising suggestion for book club， but again， glad at the choice。 I'm going to go out and buy a Oh my gosh， such a beautiful and well-researched story。 Though I thought the secondary story was a bit irrelevant， reading the author's note at the end made sense why it was in there。 I thought this story was absolutely about redemption and complex human beings who end up in the prison system。 This one was a tear jerker - happy tears， worry tears， anger tears， joy and relief throughout the story。 A surprising suggestion for book club， but again， glad at the choice。 I'm going to go out and buy a physical copy so I can read it again another time。 。。。more

Julie ，

4。5 stars， an enjoyable read once I got past the fact that no room full of blokes I've ever heard talks like these guys， let alone a group of prison inmates！ 4。5 stars， an enjoyable read once I got past the fact that no room full of blokes I've ever heard talks like these guys， let alone a group of prison inmates！ 。。。more

Marea Ford ，

I have read both of Meredith Jaffe's previous novels and was so much looking forward to reading this latest one。 I was not disappointed！ A warm and funny tale which although based within a prison， features characters so easily relatable and recognisable within Australian culture， it could be based within any of our own community structures。 Really impactful themes facing the importance of forgiveness not just of others， but of ourselves。 Reminds us that outcomes aren't the only thing that matter I have read both of Meredith Jaffe's previous novels and was so much looking forward to reading this latest one。 I was not disappointed！ A warm and funny tale which although based within a prison， features characters so easily relatable and recognisable within Australian culture， it could be based within any of our own community structures。 Really impactful themes facing the importance of forgiveness not just of others， but of ourselves。 Reminds us that outcomes aren't the only thing that matters， intentions do too。 Highly recommend for an entertaining， spirit-lifting read。 。。。more

Rhoda ，

4。5 starsThank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review！Derek is serving time in prison for embezzlement and has had no contact with his ex-wife and daughter for over five years， despite having written to his daughter Debbie weekly。 When he learns from his ex-sister in law that his daughter is getting married， he wants to send her a special gift that will really show her how much he loves her。 He is struck by inspiration while at his weekly prison sewing circle 4。5 starsThank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review！Derek is serving time in prison for embezzlement and has had no contact with his ex-wife and daughter for over five years， despite having written to his daughter Debbie weekly。 When he learns from his ex-sister in law that his daughter is getting married， he wants to send her a special gift that will really show her how much he loves her。 He is struck by inspiration while at his weekly prison sewing circle and with the sewing teacher taking the lead， convinced the other prisoners to assist him in making her wedding dress。 Naturally， things do not go according to plan and it doesn’t seem like Debbie will ever wear the dress， let alone even see it。。。。This was both a funny and sad read - along with everything else in between。 Visualizing a bunch of big blokey prisoners sitting down to their stitching really tickled me and I loved the contrast it provided in showing the prisoner’s softer sides。 Derek’s loyalty and dedication to do something special for his daughter was touching。 I really enjoyed this story of friendship and redemption that had both laugh out loud moments and sadly touching ones。 A heart warming book that I fully recommend！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。5/5 。。。more

What Fern Reads ，

Five years into a seven year prison sentence， Derek finds out that his daughter Debbie is getting married。 Thanks to his ex-wife， Derek hasn’t spoken to Debbie since he was sent down。He wants to make a grand gesture to show his daughter how much he cares and inspiration strikes during his weekly sewing circle。 🧵 He’s going to make Debbie a wedding dress！But as time runs out to make the dress with his motley gang of crims， the dress begins to take on greater significance， and Derek’s chance to re Five years into a seven year prison sentence， Derek finds out that his daughter Debbie is getting married。 Thanks to his ex-wife， Derek hasn’t spoken to Debbie since he was sent down。He wants to make a grand gesture to show his daughter how much he cares and inspiration strikes during his weekly sewing circle。 🧵 He’s going to make Debbie a wedding dress！But as time runs out to make the dress with his motley gang of crims， the dress begins to take on greater significance， and Derek’s chance to reconcile with Debbie is getting slimmer and slimmer。What a wholesome and enjoyable read！ As an avid embroider and someone who grew up watching my seamstress grandmothers， I loved reading about the sewing techniques and found myself rooting for the men to finish their special project！As the blurb suggests 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 ends up being about more than just Derek， Debbie and a wedding dress。 It’s also about the fight for reading， education and highlights prison rehabilitation。If you strip away a layer and look deeper， this novel showcases some incredible themes and I think this novel would make an excellent bookclub pick！ 。。。more

Joycelyn ，

Meredith Jaffe is a master at characterizing the different personalities in her books。 The characters in The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison are skillfully exhibited。 Although it is an unusual setting there are elements of people you recognize in your daily life。 It had the unexpected， along with fun and sadness。 This book work be a wonderful choice for any Bookclub。

Caspette ，

Oh my gosh this book was a surprising delight。 It seems odd to say that a book about prisoners could be sweet and heartwarming but here I am。This book follows a group of male prisoners who are part of a sewing group。 It follows their lives in prison and how the sewing group improves their connections to each other。I enjoyed reading how the relationships developed and how they impacted the story。 The story itself takes a different view of prison life， that not everyone run there is irredeemable。 Oh my gosh this book was a surprising delight。 It seems odd to say that a book about prisoners could be sweet and heartwarming but here I am。This book follows a group of male prisoners who are part of a sewing group。 It follows their lives in prison and how the sewing group improves their connections to each other。I enjoyed reading how the relationships developed and how they impacted the story。 The story itself takes a different view of prison life， that not everyone run there is irredeemable。 That the prisoners are flawed but complex people。A great read and recommend it。 。。。more

Claire ，

4。5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 review to come

Susan Gibson ，

Enjoyable

Bec ，

This one had me at Full Monty x Orange is the new black。Derek is stuck in prison for embezzlement and his daughter Debbie is getting married。 He has nothing to offer and his ex wife wants nothing to do with him。 He wants to give his daughter something to show how much he loved her but with limited resources he’s not had much luck。While sewing a cushion on his sewing circle Derry had a thought and decides he wants to make Debbie a wedding dress。 His fellow inmates rally to help him get the supply This one had me at Full Monty x Orange is the new black。Derek is stuck in prison for embezzlement and his daughter Debbie is getting married。 He has nothing to offer and his ex wife wants nothing to do with him。 He wants to give his daughter something to show how much he loved her but with limited resources he’s not had much luck。While sewing a cushion on his sewing circle Derry had a thought and decides he wants to make Debbie a wedding dress。 His fellow inmates rally to help him get the supply’s and resources required。But times running out and tensions rise both inside and out side of the prison。 Derek just wants his daughter to know how much he loves her and Debbie just wants her dad。 This was such a sweet eye opening story。 。。。more

Debbie Harris ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 From the moment I picked it up in the book shop and read the back I was hooked and had to buy it immediately。 I worked in a men's prison （correctional centre） as a teacher and the Manager of Education programs for over 20 years before being made redundant （along with most of the teachers around the state of NSW）， so you can imagine how much of this book resonated with me！ The story was fun in places but also showed the life that goes on 'inside' with great clarity I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 From the moment I picked it up in the book shop and read the back I was hooked and had to buy it immediately。 I worked in a men's prison （correctional centre） as a teacher and the Manager of Education programs for over 20 years before being made redundant （along with most of the teachers around the state of NSW）， so you can imagine how much of this book resonated with me！ The story was fun in places but also showed the life that goes on 'inside' with great clarity。 It also dealt well with the emotions of the inmate and their family。The daily goings on， the emotions， the staffing issues， the feelings and the thoughts expressed were just right。 This paragraph particularly spoke to me - 'I told him he was wrong。 I reminded him that learning to read and write allows a man to expand his horizons， develop a trade or gain a qualification。 It's money well spent。 As opposed to releasing us back into the community the same way we came in， so we'll reoffend and end up back in here。'I could have written that myself as I used to explain it this way to anyone who would listen to me， time after time！A great read， well written， well researched and very timely！ 。。。more

Bec ，

Who would've thought a book about a group of prisoners sewing a wedding dress would be utterly so wonderful？ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚈𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 tells the story of a father's love for his daughter。 Derek is five years into a seven year sentence when he has a surprise visitor- his ex sister in law， Sharon。 And she brings joyful news。 Debbie， Derek's daughter is getting married。 Unable to see or have any contact with his daughter for so many years， Derek struggles with the decision on what to g Who would've thought a book about a group of prisoners sewing a wedding dress would be utterly so wonderful？ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚈𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 tells the story of a father's love for his daughter。 Derek is five years into a seven year sentence when he has a surprise visitor- his ex sister in law， Sharon。 And she brings joyful news。 Debbie， Derek's daughter is getting married。 Unable to see or have any contact with his daughter for so many years， Derek struggles with the decision on what to give as a wedding present。 Luckily， he's a member of Backtackers- a scheme teaching prisoners sewing skills。 His fellow prisoners have a wealth of sewing skills between them all， and despite Derek's initial reluctance， they all decide to pitch in and make Debbie's wedding dress。 This is a spectacular tale of love， forgiveness and redemption。 It also showcases the brutality and harshness of the Australian prison system; but at the same time also highlights the friendships and bonds created in such extreme conditions。 It's an unusual premise， but everything blends in beautifully。 I won my copy from @theluckyfindbookclub， but you can find it at your usual book retailer。 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 。。。more

Shelleyrae at Book'd Out ，

The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison is a thoughtful and engaging contemporary novel by Meredith Jaffe。Derek Brown is five years into a seven year sentence for embezzlement when he learns his daughter is getting married。 Though he hasn’t seen nor heard from Debbie during his incarceration， despite writing her weekly letters， Derek wants to give her a gift that reminds her how much she is loved。 Unable to afford any extravagance， Derek decides to use the skills he has learnt at Backtackers， the The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison is a thoughtful and engaging contemporary novel by Meredith Jaffe。Derek Brown is five years into a seven year sentence for embezzlement when he learns his daughter is getting married。 Though he hasn’t seen nor heard from Debbie during his incarceration， despite writing her weekly letters， Derek wants to give her a gift that reminds her how much she is loved。 Unable to afford any extravagance， Derek decides to use the skills he has learnt at Backtackers， the weekly sewing group he attends run by a volunteer， to make his daughter something meaningful， but has to be convinced when the inmates suggest he makes her a wedding dress。Told with warmth and humour， The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison is a story that explores the themes of， among others， estrangement， addiction， connection and redemption。 It centers around Derek， but expands to involve a number of other characters， both from within and outside of the prisons walls， and includes a touch of romance， and a side of politics。I’m familiar with the book club programs that operate in prisons， but I was surprised to learn sewing groups exist， activities like tapestry and quilting are not pastimes I’d associate with male inmates。 Jaffe’s inspiration for the Yarrandarrah Prison sewing group came from the charity organisation， Fine Cell Work， which runs programs in British prisons。 Designed to not only teach incarcerated men needlework and sewing skills which could be used to improve employment opportunities on release， the program has also proven valuable in strengthening mental health， building self esteem and promoting positive connections。Derek arguably stands to gain the most from the completion of the wedding dress， but each of the Backtackers also benefit in both tangible and intangible ways from the project。 Jaffe’s inmate characters are a diverse group whom she writes about with empathy， flawed though they may be。 She challenges the shallow perceptions of incarcerated criminals by creating well rounded， authentic characters， from the irrepressible young Maloney， to the manipulative lifer， Doc。 I found the dynamics of the relationships within the prison， and the BackTackers， to be interesting。I also appreciated the insight into the modern Australian prison system Jaffe provides。 She doesn’t shy away from the realities of the system， and makes some thought-provoking observations about the competing philosophies of incarceration as a means of punishment versus rehabilitation。With its unusual setting， well crafted plot and interesting characters， I enjoyed reading The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison。 To learn more about the book， and its author， please click here to read Reading， Rioting and Libraries， an exclusive guest post by Meredith Jaffe published here earlier。 。。。more

Marg ，

Loved this book！！

Lyn ，

I was wondering how this story would work， but it does so well。 This book raises a lot of issues to ponder after reading the last page。 I enjoyed the friendships， the heart breaks and the ultimate light at the end of the tunnel。 This could have been a bit cheesy， but it certainly wasn’t。 The characters were real， vulnerable and wonderful。 It was also great to read about prison life in a realistic way。。

Kim （hundredacreofbooks。com） ，

Reading the synopsis had me eager to discover just how this story would work but the minute I met the other inmates and staff of the correctional centre I knew I was on to a winner with a character-based story; the element I look for most in a book。 Read my full review herehttps://hundredacreofbooks。com/index。。。。 Reading the synopsis had me eager to discover just how this story would work but the minute I met the other inmates and staff of the correctional centre I knew I was on to a winner with a character-based story; the element I look for most in a book。 Read my full review herehttps://hundredacreofbooks。com/index。。。。 。。。more

Jennifer （JC-S） ，

‘When Sharon enters the room， Derek doesn’t know where to look。’Derek Brown， a prisoner at the Yarrandarrah Correctional Centre for embezzling funds， learns that his daughter Debbie is getting married when his （former） sister-in-law Sharon visits him。 Derek’s been imprisoned for five years and still has two to serve。 Sharon is the first visitor he has had except for his lawyer。 Derek writes to his daughter every week， but he has never heard back from her。 Debbie is 21， and she is planning to mar ‘When Sharon enters the room， Derek doesn’t know where to look。’Derek Brown， a prisoner at the Yarrandarrah Correctional Centre for embezzling funds， learns that his daughter Debbie is getting married when his （former） sister-in-law Sharon visits him。 Derek’s been imprisoned for five years and still has two to serve。 Sharon is the first visitor he has had except for his lawyer。 Derek writes to his daughter every week， but he has never heard back from her。 Debbie is 21， and she is planning to marry in seven months。Derek cannot be present and has no money。 How can he prove to his daughter that he loves her？Derek is part of a prison sewing group called Backtackers， a group run by a charity which teaches male prisoners quilting and embroidery。 Jane is the teacher for Yarrandarrah， and Derek seeks her advice。Eventually， with time ticking by and after discussion and agonising about what to do， the Backtackers decide to make a wedding dress。 At times， Derek is the least committed to this project but other men in the group are caught up by the idea。 Decisions need to be made about fabric and the length of the veil， and Jane approaches Lorraine and Debbie to try to get Debbie’s measurements。But there are plenty of twists in this tale。 Being part of Backtackers is a privilege， and men move into and out of the group as privileges are revoked or transfers occur。 Can Jane win Lorraine and Debbie over？ Can the prisoners work together for long enough to make and embroider a wedding dress and veil？I really enjoyed this novel: watching Derek become more self-aware， realising that the other inmates had more in common with him than he thought。 There are a few laugh out loud moments as well as both romance and tragedy as this story unfolds。Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes。 Jennifer Cameron-Smith 。。。more

Penny ，

Meredith Jaffe has a way of writing light romping fiction with real heartfelt issues at its core。 Beneath The Dressmakers’ quirky premise of a men’s prison sewing circle are the issues of deception， estranged families and the consequences of gambling addiction， all delivered with a feather light touch。 Jaffe holds the tension well as we get to know the characters and the plot thickens。 The second half is a real page-turner as we get increasingly invested in Derek’s mission to reconnect with his Meredith Jaffe has a way of writing light romping fiction with real heartfelt issues at its core。 Beneath The Dressmakers’ quirky premise of a men’s prison sewing circle are the issues of deception， estranged families and the consequences of gambling addiction， all delivered with a feather light touch。 Jaffe holds the tension well as we get to know the characters and the plot thickens。 The second half is a real page-turner as we get increasingly invested in Derek’s mission to reconnect with his daughter。 Doc and Maloney shine as two other inmates with their own mysteries。 Worth the price for the divine cover alone， this story would make a great Aussie film。 。。。more

Anna Loder ，

What a beautiful read of community， redemption and love。 I loved the themes and the premise。 Probably the only book I will ever want to read about life in prison。 It’s a really visual novel， you can see it all in your minds eye， and of course I swear I know Lorraine 😂 lots of really lovely characters you are completely cheering on。 Such a beautiful motif x you just hope that Derek is going to be ok

Nicole ，

The Dressmakers Of Yarrandarrah Prison is the 2021 contemporary release from Australian author， Meredith Jaffe。 I was immediately captivated by the cover which is intricately linked to the storyline and the intriguing premise of a prison inmate making a wedding dress for his daughter。 Like many people I had preconceptions of life in prison， and from the opening pages Jaffe made me reconsider my prejudices that were largely informed from books， television shows and movies。 Jaffe has researched li The Dressmakers Of Yarrandarrah Prison is the 2021 contemporary release from Australian author， Meredith Jaffe。 I was immediately captivated by the cover which is intricately linked to the storyline and the intriguing premise of a prison inmate making a wedding dress for his daughter。 Like many people I had preconceptions of life in prison， and from the opening pages Jaffe made me reconsider my prejudices that were largely informed from books， television shows and movies。 Jaffe has researched life for a prisoner。 Reading Correctional Services handbooks for prisoners and their families， daily operations manuals， policy directives and PhDs on areas such as diet， prison libraries and mental health and talking to those who have worked in the system has given Jaffe the opportunity to present a well rounded view of prison in a realistic， honest manner that will leave readers with a smile on their face。The central character Jaffe’s third book is Derek。 Before he was an inmate of Yarrandarrah， Derek was a husband to Lorraine and father to Debbie。 His job as a math teacher brought in a decent wage but committing a white collar crime that involved his local golf club sent Derek to the slammer。 While Derek and Debbie were close before Derek broke the law， they are now estranged。 Derek regularly writes to Debbie， but Lorraine’s interference has ensured that the pair have not seen or spoken to each other for five years。 I was left questioning many times whether Debbie was receiving her father’s letters。 Lorriane was a woman I did not have patience for as she could not see the importance of a father daughter relationship。 She was happy to poison Debbie’s thoughts about her father。 When Derek finds out from a family member that Debbie is getting married， he is devasted that he won't be a part of one of the most important days of her life。 I felt Derek’s pain as he is desperate to show Debbie his love for her， coming up with many ideas and disregarding them all。 Inspiration strikes when Derek attends his weekly sewing circle…he will make Debbie a wedding dress！ The weekly sewing circle is Derek’s reprieve from the daily grind。 It came as a complete surprise to me that sewing circles did exist in such an environment。 Jaffe’s inspiration came from The British charity， Fine Cell Work。 Their blog gave Jaffe access to the letters written by the men whose lives they had affected。 It was fascinating to have my ideas challenged as I got to know the different men who were incarcerated for different reasons。 With the help of his fellow inmates who are part of the sewing circle， ideas and creativity quickly flow to begin for the wedding dress that will reveal Derek’s feelings for Debbie。 Like in all good novels though， dramas abound and I was left speculating if the dress would come to fruition。 The Dressmakers Of Yarrandarrah Prison deals shines a positive light on jail life， friendships， father-daughter relationships， sewing， marriage and much more with warmth and humour。 Thanks to Harper Collins Australia for the opportunity to review this book。 。。。more

The Lucky Find Book Club ，

There was so much I Ioved about this book。 It took me by surprise because there were aspects of the book that I just wasn't  expecting。 Derek's in Yarrandarrah Correctional centre， he hasn't spoken to his daughter Debbie in years。 When he finds out she is getting married Derek knows he has to find a way to show her how much he loves her。 Being in prison he has little to no money to buy her a gift。 During his weekly prison sewing session he gets the grand idea to make Debbie a wedding dress。 The There was so much I Ioved about this book。 It took me by surprise because there were aspects of the book that I just wasn't  expecting。 Derek's in Yarrandarrah Correctional centre， he hasn't spoken to his daughter Debbie in years。 When he finds out she is getting married Derek knows he has to find a way to show her how much he loves her。 Being in prison he has little to no money to buy her a gift。 During his weekly prison sewing session he gets the grand idea to make Debbie a wedding dress。 The sewing group is made up of a ragtag bunch of prisoners who all become invested in seeing the dress completed。 The first thing I'll say is don't let the gorgeous cover on this book fool you。 While this is a beautiful story It's also set in a men's prison and Meredith Jaffe hasn't forgotten that when telling this story。 I thought this was going to be a light and completely feel good take on prison life。 This is one of the big things I loved about the book， it was a real reminder that not all is rosy in prison。 I loved the storyline， the language and all the supporting characters。 This book made me laugh and even shed a tear on the last page 。。。more

Em__Jay ，

3。5 stars

Kerry Prince ，

Such a delightfully enjoyable book。 I devoured this book and was sad to see it end。 I loved the characters， the story， the dress。 It was all so vivid。 Without giving anything away I also thought the side story that weaves its way through the book was brilliant。 Thank you Meredith for yet another great read。 Your books just get better and better。 Can’t wait for the next one。 😊

Michelle ，

I read The Fence by Meredith Jaffe a few years back and loved it， so I was glad to be offered the opportunity to read her latest book， The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison。As the title suggests， the story is mostly set in prison， where a man by the name of Derek is doing time for embezzlement after stealing funds from his local golf club。 A bit of a back story about Derek - he was a math teacher， and was married to Lorraine for many years， but is now divorced from 'Lol' as he calls her。 Togeth I read The Fence by Meredith Jaffe a few years back and loved it， so I was glad to be offered the opportunity to read her latest book， The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison。As the title suggests， the story is mostly set in prison， where a man by the name of Derek is doing time for embezzlement after stealing funds from his local golf club。 A bit of a back story about Derek - he was a math teacher， and was married to Lorraine for many years， but is now divorced from 'Lol' as he calls her。 Together， they have a daughter Debbie， but thanks to Lorraine， she hasn't spoken or seen Derek in about 5 years， even though he writes to her on a weekly basis。 When Derek finds out from his sister-in-law that Debbie is getting married， he is sad that he won't be able to walk her down the aisle on her big day。 He wants to show Debbie that he still loves and cares about her， and tries to come up with an idea to prove it to his daughter。The idea presents itself one day as Derek attends the weekly sewing circle class - he will make a wedding dress for Debbie！ His stitching mates offer to help him out and it isn't long before they put their talents to work to come up with a beautiful dress。 But there are dramas both inside and outside of the prison and the dress may not be able to get finished after all。 I thoroughly enjoyed this story。 I would've loved to have a few extra chapters or even scenes shown from Debbie's perspective， but apart from that， it's a ripping read。 。。。more

Claire ，

A funny and heartfelt look at life in minimum security。 Derek is doing 7 years for stealing 750k from the golf club he worked at， he's never once had a visitor until his sister in law comes to tell him his daughter is getting married in 7 months time。Derek only has $200 to his name but looks to his prison sewing circle， Backtackers， for inspiration for a gift。 After much peer pressure， he decides to enlist all their help to make her a dress for her big day。Contains a cast of absolute characters， A funny and heartfelt look at life in minimum security。 Derek is doing 7 years for stealing 750k from the golf club he worked at， he's never once had a visitor until his sister in law comes to tell him his daughter is getting married in 7 months time。Derek only has $200 to his name but looks to his prison sewing circle， Backtackers， for inspiration for a gift。 After much peer pressure， he decides to enlist all their help to make her a dress for her big day。Contains a cast of absolute characters， it explores whether prison is for punishment or rehabilitation and teaches us to take people at face value for we don't know what story they may have to tell 。。。more

Michelle Barraclough ，

I loved this big-hearted， warmly witty novel and its cast of unforgettable characters （some of them unforgettable for all the wrong reasons - selfish nasty spendaholic Lorraine， I'm looking at you！）Meredith Jaffe has once again written a novel which has all the dark humour of a Liane Moriarty， the warmth and character of a Rosalie Ham and themes reminiscent of a Fay Weldon novel。 You can read the blurb and other people's summaries of the plot。 Suffice it to say， reading any Meredith Jaffe novel， I loved this big-hearted， warmly witty novel and its cast of unforgettable characters （some of them unforgettable for all the wrong reasons - selfish nasty spendaholic Lorraine， I'm looking at you！）Meredith Jaffe has once again written a novel which has all the dark humour of a Liane Moriarty， the warmth and character of a Rosalie Ham and themes reminiscent of a Fay Weldon novel。 You can read the blurb and other people's summaries of the plot。 Suffice it to say， reading any Meredith Jaffe novel， you are in very sure hands。 She is a novelist who knows how to flesh out a character and really bring them to life in all their wonderful， triumphant， likeable and at times pitiful， sad or downright awful， glory。 I dare you not to fall in love with the delightful Joey （a dab hand with a bedazzler！） or to want to reach into the pages and strangle the narcisstic Lorraine， or to just give poor old Derek a big hug and tell him it's all going to be fine。Highly recommend！ 。。。more

Joanne Draper ，

Meredith's new book is a very entertaining read。 Despite the prison setting， it is not overly dark and depressing and messages of hope shine throughout。 I warmed to the characters and must admit to shedding a tear or two at the end！Great work Meredith， can't wait for the next one！ Meredith's new book is a very entertaining read。 Despite the prison setting， it is not overly dark and depressing and messages of hope shine throughout。 I warmed to the characters and must admit to shedding a tear or two at the end！Great work Meredith， can't wait for the next one！ 。。。more

Sanchia ，

I enjoyed The Fence so was looking forward to this。 Set in a prison bursting with characters of varying villainy， Jaffe gently builds her cast in the sewing club as they band together to create a wedding dress for Derek’s estranged daughter Debbie。A light and enjoyable read that depicts human frailties as well that of problems with incarceration， there are some twists and turns along the way。

Craig / Phil ，

Thank you Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review。The image of hardened prisoners sitting in a sewing room delicately crafting the most stunning wedding dress softens the heart and immediately draws attention to such positive activities。 Breaking down barriers and allowing second chances is a theme for life in general but is extra hard for those incarcerated， where they have society and family redemption to gain。 Derek is in for seven years。 He accepts this and lives each day to Thank you Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review。The image of hardened prisoners sitting in a sewing room delicately crafting the most stunning wedding dress softens the heart and immediately draws attention to such positive activities。 Breaking down barriers and allowing second chances is a theme for life in general but is extra hard for those incarcerated， where they have society and family redemption to gain。 Derek is in for seven years。 He accepts this and lives each day to gain his freedom。 A model prisoner by any standard he has banter with the guards， friends within and respect from his sewing teacher。 The physical and emotional disconnect from family often the hardest facet of life to bear。 After five years with no contact from his daughter he gets the news she is about to marry。 A fathers dream to be part of such an occasion is shattered。 An idea emerges that Derek and his sewing group could make the wedding dress to show his love and congratulations。 Deborah was only a teenager when her father was arrested and sentenced。 Her life thrown into turmoil mentally， financially and physically let alone normal teenage hormones and rebellions taking their toll。 Interference and callous behaviour from her mother ensures no relationship is fostered with her dad。In a story where Wentworth meets Project Runway we are served a banquet of storyline’s with characters that are well developed。 It’s an engaging and entertaining read and gives insight into life behind bars but most importantly it shows rehabilitation is a positive move in reform and eventual re entry to society。 Loved the premise and concept of this book and was not let down。 。。。more

Carol Oldham ，

I enjoyed Meredith Jaffé’s new book， The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison。 All the while I was reading it， I was thinking of Maeve Binchy， Liz Byrszki， and Monica McInerny。 Anyone who loves their books will most definitely love this new addition to that genre。 I also loved the "australianism" and the characters。 I think every book has a lot of the author in them （which is only natural） but the person who wrote "The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah" is a person I think I would like very much。 I’m su I enjoyed Meredith Jaffé’s new book， The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison。 All the while I was reading it， I was thinking of Maeve Binchy， Liz Byrszki， and Monica McInerny。 Anyone who loves their books will most definitely love this new addition to that genre。 I also loved the "australianism" and the characters。 I think every book has a lot of the author in them （which is only natural） but the person who wrote "The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah" is a person I think I would like very much。 I’m sure all my friends will love this book as well and I'm looking forward to Meredith’s next one。 NO HURRY！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0