The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

I always feel that it's a good practice to try new authors but I consistently show a weakness for a book with a pretty cover.  This book, The Dressmaker does indeed have pretty cover.  Unfortunately, the cover was the most artistic and intriguing part of the book.

Summary:
Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the "Titanic" comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young seamstress who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.