The Queen of Paris
A Novel of Coco Chanel
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The Queen of Paris
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Narrated by:
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Gabrielle de Cuir
About this listen
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 PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Queen of Paris
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-03-24
Superb!!!
Such an interesting story about the inner struggles of Coco Chanel, her insecurities but also her inner strength. It would be easy to brand her as a collaborator and she easily justified her behaviour but I think she was a very clever complex person.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Eala
- 27-08-23
Well written, with excellent narration.
Really enjoyed this novel. The characters, who were all prominent historical persons, were richly described and well researched. The prose was so beautifully written, with evocative descriptive prose. The frivolous nature of the characters were beautifully presented and so true to the characters luxurious lives during the war. Additionally, the narration was perfect! So often a great book can be spoiled by dreadful narration, but Gabrielle de Cuir is such good narrator and my absolute favourite. She can fill the words with such emotion and meaning. Totally recommend this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Janette Budge
- 22-11-23
Entertaining and Interesting
After seeing the Chanel exhibition in London at the V&A museum, I was interested to know more about Chanel's life. This was an interesting story, at times too wordy but overall I enjoyed it. The narrator was particularly good I thought. I wonder how true a representation it the story is to Chanel's character and life but we will never know for sure. Definitely worth a listen
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rosie
- 03-07-23
Born to survive
Many would say that this is perhaps not the most sophisticated of novels, however, it creates a rich atmosphere of tension and fear in occupied Paris. And of the frivolous, luxurious and exciting lives lived by the wealthy prior to the war. The most important aspect of the novel is the awareness of the powerlessness women, and a what it takes to survive in a man’s world. When born without the advantages of money, conventional morality is sometimes a luxury stolen by necessity.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aly J
- 09-09-23
Great narration. Very interesting story.
Gripped by the story.
Interesting story line. Glimpse into other people’s worlds. Deprivation, war, want and plenty. Reality.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- gille
- 28-09-23
A Self Absorbed Woman
If this is an accurate portrayal of Coco Chanel, she comes across as highly self absorbed woman who sees herself as a victim. This attitude leads her to co-operate and collaborate with the Nazis, apparently unconscious of the horrors they perpetuated. I found it difficult to find any sympathy for her or her situation even though various betrayals run throughout the narrative.
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1 person found this helpful