Legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel is revered for her sophisticated style—the iconic little black dress—and famed for her intoxicating perfume Chanel No. 5. Yet behind the public persona is a complicated woman of intrigue, shadowed by mysterious rumors. The Queen of Paris, the new novel from award-winning author Pamela Binnings Ewen, vividly imagines the hidden life of Chanel during the four … during the four years of Nazi occupation in Paris in the midst of WWII—as discovered in recently unearthed wartime files.
Coco Chanel could be cheerful, lighthearted, and generous; she also could be ruthless, manipulative, even cruel. Against the winds of war, with the Wehrmacht marching down the Champs-Élysées, Chanel finds herself residing alongside the Reich’s High Command in the Hotel Ritz. Surrounded by the enemy, Chanel wages a private war of her own to wrestle full control of her perfume company from the hands of her Jewish business partner, Pierre Wertheimer. With anti-Semitism on the rise, he has escaped to the United States with the confidential formula for Chanel No. 5. Distrustful of his intentions to set up production on the outskirts of New York City, Chanel fights to seize ownership. The House of Chanel shall not fall.
While Chanel struggles to keep her livelihood intact, Paris sinks under the iron fist of German rule. Chanel—a woman made of sparkling granite—will do anything to survive. She will even agree to collaborate with the Nazis in order to protect her darkest secrets. When she is covertly recruited by Germany to spy for the Reich, she becomes Agent F-7124, code name: Westminster. But why? And to what lengths will she go to keep her stormy past from haunting her future?
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I love historical novels and this book exceeded my expectations. I loved learning all about Coco Chanel and how she made it through WWII and the occupation of France. This was a cannot put down, page-turner of a book.
Very informative!
Coco Chanel,the immensely talented fashion icon and the magician behind Chanel no. 5, is the subject of The Queen Of Paris. How much is known about her during WW II? Was she really a nazi collaborator and if so was it because she believed in their cause or did circumstances force her to it. In a series of flashbacks to her childhood and young adult years this novel presents a very plausible motivation and a possible answer. A question remains what would I or anyone else do in her situation?
To avoid giving too much away, I will not go into a summary of the book. Other reviews have done this and better then I could. Suffice it to say the book covers Coco during the years of WW II with the above mentioned flashbacks covering her earlier years.
Coco is a difficult protagonist to like. She was a driven self made woman at a time when this was exceedingly rare. She was egotistical and often very selfish. She chose men in her life that were socially unavailable to her. She was mistress material not wife material in the upper class European circles she found herself in. Her reliance on these men often led to disastrous personal choices. I believe the results of these choices and the abandonment she perceived from a young age. Informed her choices during the war years.
This book was well written. The characters are fully fleshed out. The plot moves forward at a fast pace building tension throughout. I feel the book would have been better if it included both an epilogue and an authors note. I would have liked to know what happened to some of the main characters and how much of what happened during the war years was true.
Chanel, an iconic name that refers to Glamour, Elegance, Fashion and Chanel No.5.
THE QUEEN OF PARIS, beautifully written by Pamela Binnings Ewen , chronicles the life of icon Coco Chanel during the Nazi occupied France. This novel revealed an epic story behind the hidden life, character, mystery and dark secrets of Chanel. Combining history, fiction and biography, this audiobook will devour you. It’s so intriguing, it’s hard to stop listening. And the dazzling narration of Gabrielle de Cuir brought back Coco Chanel to life as she delivered a flawless, compelling performance. You’re transported instantly into the story. This is a first-rate historical fiction. A. MUST. LISTEN.
This book made me understand Coco Chanel and the reasons behind her decisions even though I didn’t like all her decisions.
Coco Chanel, what a great success story about a poor girl in France who made it on her own, became wealthy and world famous. Very inspirational.
This gave me a totally different insight into the life of Coco Chanel. She was born poor and sent to a nunnery having to do hard work. She invented Chanel No.5 but an American investor tried to reap all the awards. All this while Paris became occupied by Germans during WWII. She also had a son which she had to give up and suffered from that and loved him dearly. To him she was just an aunt.
Informative story about a real-live legend – Chanel
Interesting reading about Madam Chanel
Learned new facts about Coco Chanel ‘s history which was new to me . Character’s are familiar if you have read WWII books .
I enjoyed learning about Coco’s life, although since it was written as a novel, I don’t know how much poetic license was taken by the author. As portrayed. Coco was talented, hard working and a survivor, but, in the end, not a very likable person.
I learned a lot about her life. Fast read
Insight into the nazi invasion and occupation of France
Love her or hate her, Coco Chanel became an icon through history due to her success with her perfume and the creation of the little black dress. I knew nothing about the woman herself before diving into The Queen of Paris. This beautifully written novel enlightened me to Mademoiselle Chanel’s choices during the difficult time of the Paris occupation throughout WWII. Pamela Binnings Ewen does a marvelous job of depicting Coco through history leaving the reader to ponder how the real Coco Chanel might have viewed her own judgements, or lack thereof, during the later years of her life. Some novels offer us heavy but important topics, educating us while asking us to consider what we might have done in a character’s place. The Queen of Paris does just that.
Inspirational!
Great historical read!
Loved this story of Chanel and all she endured during WWII Paris.
History lesson
I enjoyed this book and seeing a side of Coco Chanel I don’t think I realized about her. Actually a tragic life in many ways.
Other than her chic suits and perfume, I knew nothing about Coco Chanel. I was very surprised to find out what her life was really like! I highly recommend this book