THE CHANEL SISTERS

The Chanel Sisters, written by Judithe Little, is a historical fiction novel written from the perspective of the youngest Chanel sister, Antoinette. The novel begins in the sisters’ youth, when they lose their mother and are sent away to the orphanage where they learned how to sew. The bond between Antoinette and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was portrayed and described throughout. Their life did not start out easy, but was a struggle to survive in a century where women were told who they should be, who to marry, how to act from social status, and being raised in a strict Catholic school convent. Antionette and Gabrielle were very strong willed women who did not give up on each other and supported each other through-out their lives. These two women lived their life the way they wanted, despite what others wanted for them. They wanted more for themselves, their determination, and passion to have a life they could be proud of and to leave a legacy better than they were given.The author’s telling of the sister’s adventures through their lives was beautifully told. Her use of imagery brought me directly into Antoinette’s life. I felt the love, passion, anger, hopes, dreams, and despair that the two sisters shared with each other and with the other characters in the book. The description of the era’s rules and society’s ethics was movingly depicted by the author. This novel was not about a fashion building industry but how two sisters beat the odds in overcoming society’s expectations of them.It is a romantic novel that will capture your attention till the end.

I loved this book & had a lot of empathy for Antoinette. It was really interesting to learn more about Coco's beloved sister, thank heavens they had each other during their difficult childhood.

Saw this book in a bookshop, so searched and downloaded on my Kindle. I was hooked from the end of the first chapter and the rest of the book did not disappoint.An excellent portrayal of how Gabrielle Chanel came be the infamous Coco Chanel. It details the hardships, the loves and loses along the way through the eyes of her sister.It is sad the book only goes up to 1921, just as the famous Chanel perfume was being developed, but the rest is history so to speak.I would recommend this book.

Carino ma non superlativo. Troppo incentrato sulle disgrazie di famiglia e poco su come hanno costruito un impero.

I found this book to be interesting in parts but very slow and drawn out.