Over a century after Coco and Antoinette Chanel opened their first hat shop in Paris, Chanel is without a doubt still the most iconic fashion brand in the world. Award winning author Judithe Little has crafted a stunning historical novel that traces the struggle of the sisters as they rise from orphan hood and poverty, always knowing they were destined for something more. THE CHANEL SISTERS is told from the point of view of younger sister, Antoinette, a particularly authentic narrator who knew Coco in the intimate way only a sister can. Set from 1897 to 1921, Antoinette takes readers though the humble beginnings and ambitious rise of the sisters against the backdrop of Parisian life, as they come to create what we know today as the timeless and endlessly elegant international fashion label.
Abandoned by their family years before, Antoinette and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel grow up in a convent under the guidance of pious nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. Beneath their floorboards lives a secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts that they devour by night and are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive.
When they're finally of age, Antoinette and Coco 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 business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns. But when World War I breaks out, their lives are irrevocably changed, and the sisters must gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if apart from each other.
A sweeping story of women challenging social conventions, of the longing for love and recognition, of survival, loss, and triumph, THE CHANEL SISTERS explores the genesis of what we know today as the ubiquitous brand, the enduring illusion: Chanel.
Perfect for fans of Therese Anne Fowler, Marie Benedict’s The Only Woman in the Room, and Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife, this beguiling work of historical fiction is a feminist tale for the ages.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JUDITHE LITTLE is the award-winning author of Wickwythe Hall. She earned a BA in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. She grew up in Virginia and now lives with her husband, three teenagers, and three dogs in Houston, Texas. Find her on Instagram, @judithelittle, and on Facebook, facebook.com/judithelittle.
