Description: From the critically acclaimed author of "I Am Madame X" comes this compulsively readable novel set in Paris in 1919 about a young woman who discovers the glamor and ruthlessness of haute couture at Coco Chanel.
Brief description: Gioia Diliberto has written biographies of Jane Addams, Hadley Hemingway, and Brenda Frazier, as well as the critically acclaimed novels I Am Madame X and The Collection. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her family.
Review Quotes: "A fascinating look behind the public salons of haute couture into the workrooms of the imperious Coco Chanel herself, revealing the hierarchies, jealousies, fierce ambitions, and treacheries of an industry that trades on elegance. Seamstress Isabelle Varlet has our sympathy from the first stunning line to the bittersweet ending, and Gioia Diliberto pulls us along on a thread knotted with surprises. A thoroughly enjoyable read."
-- Susan Vreeland, author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Luncheon of the Boating Party