Synopsis:

Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her siblings are sent to orphanage after their mother’s death. The sisters nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel the willful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood.

Transforming herself into Coco—a seamstress and sometime torch singer—the petite brunette burns with ambition, an incandescence that draws a wealthy gentleman who will become the love of her life. She immerses herself in his world of money and luxury, discovering a freedom that sparks her creativity. But it is only when her lover takes her to Paris that Coco discovers her destiny.

Rejecting the frilly, corseted silhouette of the past, her sleek, minimalist styles reflect the youthful ease and confidence of the 1920s modern woman. As Coco’s reputation spreads, her couturier business explodes, taking her into rarefied society circles and bohemian salons. But her fame and fortune cannot save her from heartbreak as the years pass. And when Paris falls to the Nazis, Coco is forced to make choices that will haunt her.

My Review:

“Simplicity,” I said, “is true elegance. A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed. Her clothing should be seen only after she herself is.”

I absolutely love C.W. Gortner and was so excited to read his novel about Coco Chanel. I have always been intrigued with Chanel and now know so much more about her story. Carefully moving through the facts of the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Gortner creates scene after scene of compelling drama to reveal a complex woman.

Coco starts as Gabrielle, the daughter of a poor man who eventually leaves the family to struggle on their own. When her mother dies, Coco and her sisters end up at a local convent where they are raised in security and taught a skill, with the aim of being able to support themselves. Gabrielle turned her despair and loneliness into application and effort when she learned the sewing at the convent and where the sisters helped turn her passion into a successful work venture.

At the age of 18 Chanel was sent to live at the boarding school in Moulins. While in Moulins she both pursued sewing and stage performing, which is when she became “Coco” and met the ex-military officer, aristocrat Etienne Balsan, and where she became his mistress. In this relationship, Coco realizes that her freedom as a woman would come from making her own money. That her fate was to put her entire being into her work.

So seeking and yearning for love followed by rejection seems to be a pattern that Gabrielle will follow until she meets the true love of her life Arthur “Boy” Capel, one of Balsan’s friends. A relationship that is cherished because it comes to respect and treatment as an equal, competent professional woman. It also proved to be one of business, which made Chanel’s talent together with Capel’s wealth to open her first boutique. She was genuinely in love with him, so when he passed away she immortalized their relationship with her logo of interlocking Capel and Chanel. In most novel's Coco was seemed like she used people, but here it wasn't the fact. So I was glad for it.

Cocoa often stated that women should dress elegantly, simply, with some low-keyed jewelry or scarf accessories. These were memorialized in the Chanel black suit, the simple black dress, and the famous Chanel No. 5 perfume (which is still the most iconic perfume on the market). It was fascinating watching her business sense and her reactions and relationships with others regarding her business.

I really enjoyed this historical novel written in the first person. It is well researched about the humble beginnings of Coco Chanel and her rise in the fashion world. She was a unique and courageous woman in a time when only the privileged were permitted opportunity and respect. A great story of a very interesting woman, whose legacy still lives on, from her signature fragrance to her little black dress and beyond.