Status
Available
Publication
Graydon House (2020), Edition: Original, 400 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:A USA Today and Globe and Mail bestseller! A novel of survival, love, loss, triumphâ??and the sisters who changed fashion forever Antoinette and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel know they're destined for something better. Abandoned by their family at a young age, they've grown up under the guidance of nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. At night, their secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts beneath the floorboards are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive. The walls of the convent can't shield them forever, and when they're finally of age, the Chanel sisters set out together with a fierce determination to prove themselves worthy to a society that has never accepted them. Their journey propels them out of poverty and to the stylish cafĂ©s of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichyâ??and to a small hat shop on the rue Cambon in Paris, where a boutique business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns. But the sisters' lives are again thrown into turmoil when World War I breaks out, forcing them to make irrevocable choices, and they'll have to gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if apart from each other. "The Chanel Sisters explores with care the timeless need for belonging, purpose, and love, and the heart's relentless pursuit of these despite daunting odds. Beautifully told to the last page." â??Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the Wa… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member fredreeca
The Chanel sisters were abandoned at a very young age. They were raised in an orphanage by nuns. But, as hard as the nuns tried, they could not contain these sisters. These ladies were determined to achieve whatever they wanted at whatever it cost!
These young ladies were strong willed and very
This has a lot of mundane details. I was a little bored through some of it. It was better toward the end. But, the history of this time period and of these fascinating women is very enjoyable. I love strong women and Coco is one of the best! Nothing stopped her!
I received this from the publisher for a honest review.
These young ladies were strong willed and very
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intelligent. They all have different personalities which create a unique understanding between the sisters. I loved how they had each other’s back…but could also put each other in their place!This has a lot of mundane details. I was a little bored through some of it. It was better toward the end. But, the history of this time period and of these fascinating women is very enjoyable. I love strong women and Coco is one of the best! Nothing stopped her!
I received this from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member Virginia51
I feel that if you like to read novels based on real people you will enjoy this story. This is a story of Coco(Gabrielle) Chanel and her sisters. This tells a tale of the sisters as they grow up in an orphanage and how Coco becomes famous. The story is told by Coco’s sister Antoinette. I really
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enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book and then I think it got a little slow once they started Coco’s business. I did like how it ended and I needed to know the ending. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
I've encountered the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel in fiction before, but typically the focus is on the 1930s-40s period. This novel is set earlier and is largely narrated by Antoinette, Coco's younger sister, a figure I'd never known of previously. A more human Coco Chanel emerges in this
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novel as she is seen maturing from a girl abandoned at a convent to a woman determined to make her own way in the world, although one can glimpse at times the character she would later harden into. Overall, this book made for fascinating reading and I appreciated the author's work in taking the few known facts about Antoinette Chanel and crafting a believable story of her life. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
The Chanel Sisters is told from Antoinette’s point of view which gives the reader an altogether different insight into Coco Chanel and how their childhood gave them both a fierce determination to prove themselves worthy. Antoinette and Gabrielle (Coco) are abandoned by their family at a young
After they leave the orphanage they start up a small hat shop in Paris where it grows into a boutique and expands to the glamorous French resort towns. However, when World War I breaks out, their lives are thrown into turmoil and they will have to forge their own places in the world apart from each other. This is a touching rags to riches story based on determination, courage and luck.
“All those years on the rue Cambon, in Deauville, in Biarritz, people thought they were buying Chanel, glamour, Parisian sophistication. But what they were really buying were the ornaments of our childhood, memories of the nuns who civilized us, the abbey that sheltered us.”
This is a wonderful book for fans of historical fiction who will appreciate the early struggles of the sisters, the glamorous settings and the complicated romances. I really enjoyed this book!
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age. The nuns at the orphanage in Aubazine are preparing them for a simple life as wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. Needless to say, they have no interest in this kind of a life. They spend many hours cutting out pictures from magazines of the “elegants” for them to keep and study their style, attitude, expressions and everything else about them. They started by taking their ill-fitting uniforms apart and resewing them so that they fit perfectly. “We didn’t look well-off, but we looked like Something Better, and for the first time, we felt that way too.”After they leave the orphanage they start up a small hat shop in Paris where it grows into a boutique and expands to the glamorous French resort towns. However, when World War I breaks out, their lives are thrown into turmoil and they will have to forge their own places in the world apart from each other. This is a touching rags to riches story based on determination, courage and luck.
“All those years on the rue Cambon, in Deauville, in Biarritz, people thought they were buying Chanel, glamour, Parisian sophistication. But what they were really buying were the ornaments of our childhood, memories of the nuns who civilized us, the abbey that sheltered us.”
This is a wonderful book for fans of historical fiction who will appreciate the early struggles of the sisters, the glamorous settings and the complicated romances. I really enjoyed this book!
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
When the death of their mother, the Chanel sisters, Antoinette and Gabrielle, are sent to live in a convent. There they learn discipline and sewing, and are groomed to become the wives of lower-middle class men. Unhappy with their proposed futures, Gabrielle breaks away, determined to become a
This was a well written and engaging book. The sister's were dynamic and well rounded characters. The story was well paced, and did a good job of spanning a long time period. Overall, highly recommended.
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performer. Antoinette takes a job in a modest hat shop, learning the trade. When it becomes clear that Gabrielle cannot get a job as a performer, she leave town to become the mistress of a wealthy man. When Gabrielle begins dabbling with hats, they are an instant success leading Gabrielle and Antoinette to open a hat shop. This was a well written and engaging book. The sister's were dynamic and well rounded characters. The story was well paced, and did a good job of spanning a long time period. Overall, highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Romonko
I read Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner in 2017, and I loved that book. I was a little hesitant to read this one because the first one had gripped me so much, and I didn't want to spoil my memories. This book did not do that, and that was mainly as it was written from the point of view of
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Antoinette Chanel, Coco's younger sister. This book concentrated more on Coco Chanel's earlier life and we get a quite detailed description about that up to the end of WWI. Mademoiselle Chanel covered her earlier life, but not in as much detail, and more time was spent on that book with the timeline mostly being after WWII and up to and including WWII and beyond, when Coco Chanel got into some diplomatic isses because of her alleged coercion with the Germans during WWII. Coco Chanel, the woman, has always fascinated me and it was certainly not time wasted reading this book in conjunction with the first one I read. Chanel was a very complex woman, and her and her designs are very much a product of her earlier life in orphanage after orphanage. Seeing her through the eyes of her beloved younger sister has added a whole new dimension for me. I recommend anyone that is interested in historical fiction built up around haute couture, read both books. This is why I love historical fiction. This is why I keep coming back to this genre in various forms and covernin different time frames and countries. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jynell
I really enjoyed this book and felt I learned a little something about the fashion industry. I was fascinated. It's a story of perseverance and fighting for what you want. Along the way, these sisters show their strength and their bond. It was very well written, researched, and put together!
Thank
Thank
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you for allowing me to read this! Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-12-29
Physical description
9.24 inches
ISBN
1525806386 / 9781525806384
Other editions
The Chanel Sisters: A Novel by Judithe Little (Hardcover)