The chanel sisters - judithe little

A novel of survival, love, loss, triumph--and the sisters who changed fashion forever Antoinette and Gabrielle Coco Chanel know theyre destined for something better.

Abandoned by their family at a young age, theyve grown up under the guidance of nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers.

At night, their secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts beneath the floorboards are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive.

The walls of the convent cant shield them forever, and when theyre finally of age, the Chanel sisters 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 caf s of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy--and to a small hat shop on the rue Cambon in Paris, where a boutique business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns.

But the sisters lives are again thrown into turmoil when World War I breaks out, forcing them to make irrevocable choices, and theyll have to gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if apart from each other.

The Chanel Sisters explores with care the timeless need for belonging, purpose, and love, and the hearts relentless pursuit of these despite daunting odds.

Beautifully told to the last page.

--Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War A Globe and Mail bestseller A novel of survival, love, loss, triumph--and the sisters who changed fashion forever Antoinette and Gabrielle Coco Chanel know theyre destined for something better.

Abandoned by their family at a young age, theyve grown up under the guidance of nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers.

At night, their secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts beneath the floorboards are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive.

The walls of the convent cant shield them forever, and when theyre finally of age, the Chanel sisters 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 caf s of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy--and to a small hat shop on the rue Cambon in Paris, where a boutique business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns.

But the sisters live.