If you love WWII historical fiction and the fashion world, this book blends both very well. A very good read!
Book Details:
Title: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester
Category: Adult Fiction, 432 pages
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction
Publisher: Forever
Release date: January10, 2023
Content rating: PG-13
Book Description:
An unforgettable and “fascinating tale” of an orphan turned WWII spy turned fashion icon in Paris (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye).
Alix St. Pierre. An unforgettable name for an unforgettable woman. She grew up surrounded by Hollywood glamor, but, as an orphan, never truly felt part of that world. In 1943, with WWII raging and men headed overseas to fight, she landed a publicity job to recruit women into the workforce. Her skills—persuasion, daring, and quick-witted under pressure—catch the attention of the U.S. government and she finds herself with an even bigger assignment: sent to Switzerland as a spy. Soon Alix is on the precipice of something big, very big. But how far can she trust her German informant…?
After an Allied victory that didn’t come nearly soon enough, Alix moves to Paris, ready to immerse herself in a new position as director of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. In the glamorous halls of the French fashion house, she can nearly forget everything she lost and the dangerous secret she carries. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past …and finally find justice.
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
I've been wanting to read a novel by Natasha Lester and I'm happy to have read The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre. It was immersive, atmospheric, thought-provoking, and at times heartbreaking. Alix St. Pierre with the perfect name for the fashion world, but practically penniless, arrives in Paris ready to lead a new life. With her quick wit and determination, she works for the new House of Dior and helps launch it with her brilliant marketing strategies. But Alix is haunted by her past as a WWII spy.
The novel goes back and forth through several time periods which at times I found confusing because I read this as an ebook, which for me, made it cumbersome to quickly go back and forth in the book. However, despite this, and the length of the book, I found this novel captivating because it was not at all predictable. Alix is a feminist at heart, a survivor, fiercely proud but broken, at the cusp of an era when women who had stepped up to help with the war effort (many as spies) are now forgotten and expected to go back to housewife roles. It opened my eyes to what women lived through in the late 1930s into 1940s.
If you love WWII historical fiction and the fashion world, this book blends both very well. Best of all, we get to see the aftermath of the war through one woman's many transformations, hence the title. This was a very good read.
Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher for sending me this book for review via NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.
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About the Author:
Natasha Lester was a marketing executive for L'Oréal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing. She completed a Master of Creative Arts and has written several novels including A Kiss From Mr. Fitzgerald, Her Mother's Secret, and The Paris Seamstress. Her sixth novel, The French Photographer, will be published in April 2019.
In her spare time, Natasha loves to teach writing, is a sought-after public speaker, and can often be found playing dress-up with her three children. She lives in Perth.
For all the latest news from Natasha visit:
www.natashalester.com.au
Twitter: @Natasha_Lester
Instagram: natashalester
Facebook: NatashaLesterAuthor
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