The Queen of Paris

A Novel of Coco Chanel

By: Pamela Binnings Ewen

Narrated by: Gabrielle de Cuir

Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

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 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?

©2020 Pamela Binnings Ewen (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Coco is not very nice

The author and the narrator did a commendable job of describing the snobbish Coco Channel’s fictional life through two world wars. Through the voice of the narrator the vapor of haughtiness permeates the voice of the formerly abandoned child raised as an orphan in a convent that changed her circumstances through hard work, charm and good luck. Channel’s seductive ways offended my feminist sensibilities although I had to remind myself of the times.

Intriguing

I enjoyed this book. i felt like it was a different perspective on life in WWII in Paris. It also gave insight into what it was like to be Coco Channel. I knew she was a German collaborator but this book dealt with why she made the choices she made. The narrator felt a little formal but that fit with the character of Coco. Overall a good listen.

So Glad I decided on this read

A few weeks ago, I was trolling through the Target kids books and I was curious what material I would find. I picked up a read-to-me book of bed time stories for children. It was a beautiful book recently released into the “WOKE” world. I happened to open up to a one page story “Coco Chanel”. It was a lovely synopsis of the life of Coco. The story should have ended on a good note. There was a one sentence paragraph at the end. “Isn’t it a shame that she was a Nazi sympathizer?”
I was shocked in disbelief at the thought of a 4-5 year old hearing this ending. I realized that this was the art of a CRT radical left author. Chanel is known to the entire world and little girls want to be Coco Chanel. My daughter dreams of having one or 2 things, even if only sunglasses. History books and Google are not kind with their remarks.
I am so glad that I know a true version of her life and that I was left with overwhelming respect for her and her fight to survive. She never seemed to grasp how she gave so much and how she lit up peoples lives.
The novelized version an the narration drew me right in. 12/9/21. So glad I went further in my search for the truth at a time when truth is in short supply.

Strength

Coco Chanel was very much a survivor; however, much of her life was sad and her loves unrequited.

Best book of 2020:)

Loved the narration, the writing and the overall story. That was everything I could want in a book!

Thoroughly engrossing

I enjoyed every minute of this audiobook. The performance of the reader brought the story to life.

Excellent

To say I enjoyed this book does not do proper justice to the author or narrator. The book was well done from all accounts.

Loved this so much

A great book read by an amazing performer. It’s so hard to find books that a read to me better than I could have done in my imagination.

A most interesting view of Coco Chanel

I was inspired to read this as I have over the last few months bumped into Coco Chanel in other books. Rhys Bowen, in her Royal Spyness series, features Chanel her latest “Peril in Paris” ( i am a huge fan of Rhys Bowen’s Mysteries). More recently, I read ( and loved) “ Mistress of the Ritz” by Melanie Benjamin. Mademoiselle Chanel slides in and out if this book. My interest was piqued. The reviews for “ The Queen of Paris” were very good. I can say I was not disappointed. The detail of Chanel’s story interwoven with Nazi occupation of Paris, her creation of her various lines of perfume, and her early struggles provide a fascinating view and glimpse into this iconic woman. There is much to be discussed about choices made which adds to the excellence of the book. A final note: the narrator was superb.

Makes Coco live and breathe again

I loved this book it made Coco more real than some biographies I have read. I cried over her heart breaks and wondered what I would if I were in the same fix,