A USA Today and Globe and Mail bestseller!A novel of survival, love, loss, triumph—and the sisters who changed fashion foreverAntoinette 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 … 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 cafés of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy—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.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War
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THE CHANEL SISTERS by Judithe Little is a historical fiction novel featuring the Chanel sisters and is told from the perspective of the youngest sister from the time they are placed in a convent orphanage until her death in 1921. The author gives us a fascinating look at the early establishment of a new fashion style and the birth of a business empire run by women in a society dominated by men.
With the death of their mother and abandonment of their father, the three Chanel sisters, Julia-Berthe, Gabrielle and Antionette are placed in a convent orphanage. As they grow up under the strict rules of the nuns, they always believe they are destined for “something better”.
Antionette is the youngest sister and the story of their early lives is told from her perspective. From the freedom, but poverty of their aging out of the convent to the hard work to learn and establish a business of their own, the author vividly portrays the French society and class system they had to struggle against. The sisters refused to settle for being members of the merchant class but continually strived to be financially independent. With the rise of “Coco” Chanel and the Chanel brand, Antionette is by her sister’s side assisting in the business as it expands and continually fighting against the strictures placed on women in early the 1900’s society.
I found this book difficult to put down. I find the story of any woman who beats the odds to succeed against not only personal, but societal strictures and norms very interesting. Ms. Little did a great job of bringing the sisters and the time period to life even if liberties were taken for the story. Coco’s story goes on for another 50 years, but this book and part of her life ends with of the death of the narrator.
I recommend this historical fiction for a unique look at the Chanel rags to riches story.
This book starts out in 1897 and is told through the voice of Antionette, sister of Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel.) When their mother died from consumption, their father placed the sisters in an orphanage. There, they were under the strict thumbs of the nuns and led sheltered lives. Once, they were invited to visit with their grandparents and that was a treat. They were given coins and they bought magazines to hide in the orphanage and look at and dream about all of the fashions.
Two sisters left the orphanage first and promised to send for Antionette when she reached the age of 19. When she finally left, her sisters were living a more sophisticated life. She then worked in a hat shop and had a great talent for creating them.
Some years later, Antionette joined Gabrielle in Paris where she was being supported by a wealthy man. Together, they began designing hats that sold to many of the haute ton. That’s when they opened a shop on the Rue Cambon.
The book follows the sister through the shops they opened and the men they loved. We learn about the types of clothes that Coco designed and how popular she became. We also learn about the war and the hardships endured by a lot of people. However, the Chanel sisters still sold expensive clothing to rich women. In addition, the men who come into their lives and the depth with which they love is beautifully portrayed. There are a number of historical events mentioned in this book, as well as the lifestyle of the wealthy and newly discovered artists.
I lived in Paris for a number of years so reading this book was like taking a trip home. The language, the streets and landmarks described all made me smile. I purchased some Chanel things for myself which I treasure. They are classics and never go out of style. I am glad the author chose to write about this family as they truly went from very humble beginnings to being quite wealthy. Well done!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I am in love with the cover of this book, and I found The Chanel Sisters very interesting! It is a well-written historical fiction, and the story is told from the point of view of the middle Chanel sister, Antoinette. Readers get a glimpse at the beginnings of the Chanel fashion house as well as the sister’s humble childhood and later romantic escapades.
The story provides much information about Gabrielle (Coco) not only as it pertains to her younger sister, Antoinette, but also about their growing business and various romantic dalliances. Gabrielle, not Antoinette, shrewdly used her wealthy and generous lovers to her advantage in terms of developing and growing her business. There is just enough information about their younger sister Julia and the rest of the family to give you a taste of the struggles they experienced. Not surprisingly, much of Antoinette’s story is surmised as historically, there was little documentation on women’s lives.
I loved the details of Gabrielle’s creativity and Antoinette’s technical ability. With every mention of a new hat or dress, I was looking up photos and drawings for reference. The sisters’ yearning for “something better” tugged at my heartstrings. Their desire to rise above the low expectations given to them at the orphanage is understandable. Beyond the exploration of the Chanel sisters, Ms. Little’s book provides a look at the mores of various social classes. I would have appreciated more details about the impact of the war on the Chanel business, but overall, the book is clearly well researched. An added bonus is the brief story about the development of the iconic Chanel 5 parfum.
Overall an engaging and easy to digest historical fiction with added appeal to any fashionista.
4.5 stars
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 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.
“A lovely, gorgeously set, romantic story sure to charm lovers of historical fiction with its joie de vivre and savoir faire.”
In Judithe Little’s beguiling The Chanel Sisters, the road to personal fulfillment starts with a dream. Sisters Gabrielle, Julia-Berthe, and Antoinette have much to overcome. They are left to fend for themselves pre-pubescence, when their mother dies and their father, known widely as a rootless “seducteur,” deposits them at an Aubazine, France, orphanage with false promises but never looks back.
Stifled and trapped by rigid nuns, as they mature, the sisters are schooled in a Catholic school class system dividing the payantes and necessiteuses. They are a charity case ever aware of their lowly station. Youngest sister and narrator, Antoinette, known as Ninette, describes the Pensionnat’s disparity: “We charity cases had different tables, different classrooms, different uniforms. We all wore black shirt-waists and skirts, but whereas the payantes were new and crisp, the fabrics smooth and expensive, ours were ill-fitting and had a thin, oily sheen from wear, hand-me-downs faded from too much washing.”
Full review in New York Journal of Books: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/chanel-sisters-novel-0
This book follows the Chanel sisters from living in an orphanage and through their designing years. It was an interesting book, I didn’t know too much about them before reading this. I liked how they remained strong women throughout the entire book. I really enjoyed this book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy