LIZ TRENOW
The Forgotten Seamstress
Copyright
AVON
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2013
Copyright © Liz Trenow 2013
Liz Trenow asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Source ISBN: 9780007480845
Ebook Edition © December 2013 ISBN: 9780007480852
Version: 2014-07-25
Dedication
To David who has, as ever, been a constant source of love and support.
Table of Contents
Book Club Q&A for The Forgotten Seamstress, by Liz Trenow
Patchwork (noun):
1 Work consisting of pieces of cloth of various colours and shapes sewn together.
2 Something composed of miscellaneous or incongruous parts.
Quilt (verb):
1 To fill, pad or line (something) like a quilt.
2 To stitch, sew or cover (something) with lines or patterns resembling those used in quilts.
3 To fasten layers of fabric and/or padding in this way.
From the Medical Superintendent
Helena Hall, 2nd April 1970
Dear Dr Meadows
Thank you for your letter in reference to your student Patricia Morton. We are always keen to support the work of bona fide research projects, and will certainly endeavour to provide her with the contacts and other information that she seeks.
However, before giving permission we would like your personal written confirmation that she will observe the following:
All interviews must be carried out anonymously, and no information which might identify the patient or staff member must appear in the final publication.
No patient may be interviewed without their prior informed consent, supported by their psychiatric consultant and, where appropriate, a key family member.
Any member of staff must seek the prior written consent of their senior manager.
In regards to former staff members and patients, Eastchester Mental Health Service has no jurisdiction, but we would seek your reassurance that Ms Morton will observe the same conditions of confidentiality as above. I am sure she will appreciate that, in terms of research data, existing and former patients may not be the most reliable of informants. Most, if not all, will have suffered