She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and son.The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy. Piper blogs about the history behind her novels at.

She is a multiple-time Golden Heart finalist. Piper Huguley is the author of the Home to Milford College and the Migrations of the Heart series. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. This is a masterwork of historical fiction by one of my favorite underrated authors. This scene also serves as the prologue of the book, and in addition to highlighting the passing of the baton of haute couture wedding design, sees Ann witnessing the beginning of yet another political union that would be mired in scandal and tragedy. With Ann’s observations, albeit mostly in passing, of the complex domestic lives of the Bouvier women and how they married more for convenience than anything else, it’s somewhat ironic that Ann’s death occurred in 1981, the day after Charles and Diana’s engagement was announced. There’s also an additional poetic sensibility to Huguley’s structuring of the novel. Huguley speculates as to how close Ann was to the family and social circle, including the many intricate complications that could exist behind that journalist’s quote. Given how Ann is barely a footnote in an article about Jackie from 1961, reducing her to a “colored woman dressmaker,” it’s fascinating how Huguley peels back the layers of Ann’s association with Jackie and the Bouviers, and how their acquaintance actually dated back many years. The one that dominates and frames the book is with Jackie Kennedy and her family.

However, I also respect the fact that she didn’t let these hardships get in the way of her pursuing her dream of becoming a fashion designer, and she took advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves, ultimately finding success.Īnd one of her choices was to be a designer for the white elite, which presented some intriguing relationships and connections. All of this makes the first part of her story difficult to read, as it was and is reality for many. She also makes a reckless marriage at twelve to an older man who turns out to be an abusive alcoholic. Her grandmother is a former slave, and she grows up as a child in the Jim Crow South. I had never heard of Ann Lowe before, and I’m glad Huguley has brought her story to light in this marvelous book.Īnn is a compelling historical heroine who deals with a lot of obstacles on her rise to success. Piper Huguley makes a triumphant transition to historical fiction with By Her Own Design.

By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley