Coco at the Ritz

by Gioia Diliberto

A riveting and prismatic novel of the eternally enigmatic Coco Chanel in the aftermath of World War II.

Though her name is synonymous with elegance and chic, the iconic Coco Chanel had a complicated dark side, and in late August 1944, as World War II drew to a close, she was arrested and interrogated on charges of treason to France.

Many of the facts are lost to history, partly through Chanel's own obfuscation, but this much is the charges grew out of her war-time romance with a German spy, and one morning two soldiers from the French Forces of the Interior—the loose band of Resistance fighters, soldiers and private citizens who took up arms in the wake of the Liberation of Paris—led Chanel from her suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to an undisclosed location for questioning.

What transpired during her interrogation, who was present, and why she was set free when so many other women who’d been involved with German men (willingly or otherwise) had their heads shaved or were imprisoned, remains a mystery.

In this brilliantly insightful and compulsively readable novel from the author of I am Madame X, Gioia Diliberto explores the motivations of this complex woman and portrays the gripping battle of wits that could have been her interrogation. Was Chanel truly a collaborator?

Though the Occupation of France offered a stark contrast between good and evil, few people are wholly heroes or villains in wartime. Most citizens, as the writer André Gide noted, were like old shoes floating in murky battered and torn, riding the turbulent flow, just trying to survive.

By turns raw and vulnerable, steely and flawed, Chanel emerges from these pages as a woman who owns her decisions, no matter the consequences. Rich with history and filled with emotional truths, Coco at the Ritz is a story about the choices one woman made when the stakes were the highest. In today’s world, it is a cautionary tale about the necessity of standing against evil when it stares you in the face.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Fashion, Historical, World War II, Literary Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

Gioia Diliberto is the author of eight books -- three historical novels and five nonfiction narratives -- and a play. Her writing, which focuses on women's lives, has been praised for combining rich storytelling and literary grace with deep research to bring alive worlds as varied as Jazz Age Paris, nineteenth century Chicago, Belle Epoque Paris, disco era Manhattan, and Prohibition New York. Her books have been translated into several languages, and her articles have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Town & Country, and Vanity Fair. She also teaches writing and has taught at DePaul and Northwestern Universities and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Gioia is the mother of a grown son and lives in Woodbury, Connecticut with her husband.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As many of you know by now, Coco Chanel is my remarkable person of the year. I am enjoying all these different "takes" on her, and am curious about how the authors are managing the question of her Nazi Involvement and potential collaboration. Clearly she had a four year relationship with a Nazi, even if her true love was her earliest with Boy Capel. Was she using him to keep afloat? To help free her imprisoned nephew? To spy for the Resistance? It was clear she had ties to the resistance as well as ties to the German occupiers. Was it for the business? To be able to stay at the beloved Ritz? This book brought up the question, what is collaboration, if one were just trying to survive. Were bystanders also responsible? Interesting that while she was questioned, she was released and never bothered again. Will we ever know what truly happened?

Either way, Coco Chanel has somethings to teach us about Reslience. Long before the war, she was helpless and abandoned. She vowed never to be in poverty and without power ever again. But did her rise from lowly standards affect how she saw others and their plights? Clearly she had Jewish friends, and really even cared for the Jewish partner who tried to steal her company out from underneath her. Was she blind to what was happening? A good actress to save her life? I supposed we will never know. But.... as I read on, I will absolutely keep you posted.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book promises to focus on Chanel’s interrogation at the end of WWII for suspected treason against France due to her affair with German spy Hans “Spatz” von Dincklage.

It does not. The interrogation concludes the 258 page book in the last chapter.

The book takes the reader through the 4-year affair between Coco and Spatz portraying a softer Coco who was starved for love and affection and initially became involved with Spatz hoping he would help to get her nephew released from prison. Her affair with Spatz lasted for the entirety of the war living at the Ritz in relative comfort.

Coco left no memos, notes or diaries so facts are scant. The author has taken little known facts and worked it into an entertaining read, keeping in mind at all times that I was reading mostly fiction.

Coco was and remained an enigmatic creature to the end of her life so who is to say what is true and what is not.

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coco at the Ritz takes us back to France right after the end of World War II when France has been liberated, and those who cooperated with the Nazis are being interrogated. Coco Chanel, famed fashion icon, is summoned from her rooms at the Ritz Hotel to a police station, where she is asked to account for her relationship with a German officer. During the interrogation, we look back at Coco’s time at the Ritz during the war and her relationship with Baron Hans Guenther von Dincklage, also known as “Spatz,” a German intelligence officer. Sharp scissors stand at the ready, as women who slept with Nazi soldiers during the occupation are considered traitors and will have their hair cut off and heads shaved out of vengeance.

This fascinating book takes a closer look at Chanel, her powerful personality, and her activities during the occupation of France. Intriguing questions are raised in this fictional take on a true story. Did Chanel assist Spatz as a spy during the war? Was Spatz just an innocent man forced into military service by his country? Why did Chanel return to the Ritz when she knew it was occupied by German officers? Did she really stay in Paris to try and wrest control of Chanel No. 5 from the Jewish Wertheimers, directors of Parfums Chanel, who had fled? Did Winston Churchill save her from prosecution? Some of these questions may never publicly have answers. However, the author shows us that for Chanel, nothing existed except the world of fashion and her position as queen of that world. This compelling book shows us a side of Chanel’s personality we may not have known before, and we meet a complex woman who was talented and powerful, but also vain and manipulative. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Pegasus Books via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

[Темелина Трайкова · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Коко в хотел „Риц“ – роман за избора, когато залогът е висок, както и за последствията, които определят бъдещето.

„ Това беше смисълът на красотата – да лекува тъгата на света“


Джоя Дилиберто е автор на 7 книги – 3 исторически романа и 4 биографии. Тя е преподавател по Творческо писане в няколко американски университета. Работила е като журналист за най-авторитетните американски издания.

„Коко в хотел Риц“ е роман за една от най-интересните жени на ХХ век. Романът е съсредоточен върху най-малко познатия период от живота на модната икона и е изпълнен с любопитни исторически подробности. Джоя Дилиберто пише роман, който по нищо не отстъпва на останалите книги писани за Шанел.

Коко извървява дълъг път от бедното си детство в сиропиталище до прочута дизайнерка и става част от бляскавия свят на богатите и известните. И то във време, в което жените на практика са били лишени от статут и са разполагали с ограничени възможности да се издигнат по друг начин.

„ - Какво би станало с мечтите, ако хората бяха щастливи в реалния си живот?“

Романът „Коко в хотел Риц“ разказва за живота на Коко Шанел във Франция по време на Втората световна война и немската окупация на Париж.
Коко живее в апартамент в хотел „Риц“ през повечето време, защото е затворила е бутика си и няма какво друго да прави, освен да съзерцава разрушенията от войната.
По време на войната нейният апартамент е предоставен на немски офицери, а Коко е преместена в стаите за прислугата.
Тогава тя се запознава със Ханс Гюнтер (Шпац) фон Динклаге – красив, възпитан, по-млад от нея с тринайсет години, който говори перфектен френски. Коко е самотна, а сърцето й копнее за любов и топлина, след всички нещастни любови, които е преживяла. И все пак той е враг на Франция и член на нацистката партия. Но Коко се предава пред чара на Шпац. Повечето жени не биха пуснали врага в леглото си, но не и Коко – тя е силна, независима и отстояваща себе си.

„ Жена, която не е обичана, е изгубена.“

Несъмнено отношенията, които има с немски офицер са й предоставяли удобствата, от които повечето французи са били лишени. Връзката им е страстна, но и опасна. Шанел е разкъсвана между сърцето си и гласът на разума. Ами, ако той наистина е шпионин? Дали я обича?
Много от най-близките до Коко хора се отдръпват от нея след връзката й с фон Динклаге. Някои дори я обвиняват в предателство и шпионаж, но Коко не може да се откаже от Шпац, защото само с негова помощ може да освободи племенника си Андре.

„ - Една малка заблуда понякога върши много работа.“

Следват много събития, които променят живота на Коко и на Франция, поставят се на изпитание множество съдби.
Докато един ден, в края на войната, Коко е задържана и разпитвана по обвинения в държавна измяна, породени от аферата ѝ с Шпац фон Динклаге.

Дали Коко Шанел наистина е била шпионка? Или е била част от френската съпротива? Това ще разберете, ако погостувате на „Коко в хотел Риц“ и се потопите в нейната историяисторията с чаша червено вино и няколко запалени свещи.

„ - Не съм добър човек. Жалко. Само че в живота си съм направила повече добро, отколкото зло. Така е.“

„Коко в хотел Риц“ е разказ за избора, който една жена е направила, когато залогът е бил най-голям, за причините зад този избор и за последиците понесени от околните.


„ Така забравяме. С всяка капка златист аромат. Златистият аромат на така скъпия ни живот. Златистият аромат, който прикрива безчестието на света.“

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coco at the Ritz by Gioia Diliberto is a great and fascinating historical fiction that gives the reader a peak inside a mysterious and dark part of the infamous history of Coco Chanel.

I have read a few bits and pieces of Ms. Chanel’s controversial past when she was staying at the Ritz during WWII, but I surprisingly had not heard of the specific episode where she was arrested by French Forces of the Interior, was brought in for questioning, and then subsequently released. This novel in part delves into what actions led up to this interview, what could have transpired during, and how she was released and not charged.

The author was beyond impressive in her ability to interweave actual details, facts, and events into her fictional story. I really felt that I was truly inside the mind of the character. She also was quite wonderful in her ability to portray this complicated and controversial woman. I have never been a fan of Coco’s by any means, and this novel really solidified my feelings. It was still incredibly fascinating to see her thought process, her prejudices, and some of the motivations for her actions, but does not excuse them by any means. She just presents these and lets the reader decide.

I also really enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end as it really gave some very important and interesting facts that added context to the narrative.

I highly recommend this HF.

5/5 stars

Thank you EW and Pegasus/Simon & Schuster for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always pictured Coco Chanel as a sophisticated, elegant women who made a name for herself with her dresses and perfume. What I found in this well researched book was a Coco who was cold and arrogant, a woman who had no regard for most people - unless she needed them for something. She didn't let anyone know about the poverty that she grew up in. When the Germans defeated France and moved into Paris, her main concern was for herself. She started an affair with a German officer and continued to live her life of extravagance while not caring at all about the people who had nothing.

This novel starts in 1944, after the Germans have been defeated in France, when Coco was arrested by French Forces of the Interior—Resistance fighters, soldiers and private citizens who took up arms in the wake of the Liberation of Paris—led Chanel from her suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to an undisclosed location for questioning. They accused her of being a traitor by spying to help her German lover. The book then goes back to 1941, when Coco is returning to her suite in the Ritz and found out that most of the rooms at the Ritz were being used by German officers. We see the beginning of her affair that lasted the entire war. And the main question at the end of the war was whether she was really a collaborator or was she using her German lover as much as he was using her? He helped get her nephew out of a labor camp and in her mind that was her main reason to help him - or was it really? Was it her need for the high life and the extravagance of steak and champagne or her desire to help her nephew that kept her with her lover?

This was a well written book about life in Paris during the war but even more it was a book about a selfish woman who though unlikable but was also shown as being a strong and brilliant. - a woman whose life was based on what other people thought about her more than the person she really was.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

[Mercedes Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll start this review by admitting I knew next to nothing about Coco Chanel before picking up this book, so I came with no preconceived notions. I assumed she was an arrogant socialite, and this pretty much held true. This book also shows her human side—her fallibility—and gives us a glimpse of when she wasn’t in control. The Nazis have moved into Paris and pushed her out of her apartment in the Ritz, so she is forced to move into the servants quarters. It’s better than nothing, and she is somewhat mollified by the attention given her by the gorgeous Spatz von Dincklage. His flirtation was guaranteed to flatter Coco who, at sixty years old, feels way past her prime. The mysterious Spatz becomes a her lover and they spend much of their time together in a very public way, which she tries to pretend does not hurt her reputation. It doesn’t help that his movements are secretive, his alleged job with the Nazis unconvincing, and her friends view him with condemnation. The more time she spends with Spatz, the more vulnerable she feels:

First Misia, then Helene Dessoffy had planted in her head the idea that Spatz was using her. He said he loved her, but she couldn’t be sure. What exactly did he want from her?
Still, she was too fearful to help Reverdy. In the Metro, she’d seen the posters with the names of Resisters who’d been caught and shot. “My feeling about your flyers hasn’t changed. You’ll have to find someone else to distribute them,” Coco said.
“That’s not why I needed to see you.” Reverdy released the mimeograph lever and rubbed his biceps. “You’re on an official blacklist of collaborators.”
“What?” Coco felt her breath catch.
“The Resistance is keeping track.”
“I’m not a collaborator!”

Of course, whether or not Coco is a collaborator is a matter of opinion. She does her best to stay out of trouble, but little by little Spatz drags her into his world and she finds herself cooperating in small ways. As far as she is concerned, her participation is mostly unwilling, so she’s not guilty of anything. She’s very good at fooling herself, but not the Resistance. Unfortunately, her unwillingness to stick out her neck to save her friends comes back to haunt her, and she finds herself totally powerless in face of the pitiless Germans—and then, once the war is over, the pitiless FFI (French Forces of the Interior). This is an interesting read, and Coco doesn’t come out a heroine—nor does she appear as a villain. She is a lonely, middle-aged woman put into a situation where all the rules have changed. I received a free copy of this book from Pegasus Books for my perusal.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and well researched historical fiction about Coco Chanel and her life and activities during the time of the German Occupation of France during WWII. Very little was known about her life during this time, and she spent years covering up, bribing people and hiding her tracks as a collaborator with the Germans. The information began to seep out with declassified materials used, most notably by Hal Vaughn in his book "Sleeping With the Enemy" and other materials which became available in 2011. Although it was mostly 'horizontal collaboration', nonetheless, secrets were passed and information given up. Coco is not a "likeable" character (and never was), but the author makes a good case for the 'why' of her involvement based on her personality and her life up to that point.
This is a highly readable story and would be of great interest to Francophiles, those interested in fashion and historical fiction fans of WWII.
Highly recommended.

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. But not great.

The author seemed to be confused on WHICH Coco Chanel she wanted to represent. Was she a stern and cold woman who needed no one to love her? Was she an older woman desperate for attention? Was she an smart and calculated woman who took opportunities? Was she a lackadaisical woman who fell into someone’s bed and it lost control?

We never really know what type of character she is. Maybe that was the point…

It was good. But not great.

[Liana Ajrapetova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy history based novels

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting piece of historical fiction. I was not aware of Chanel‘s involvement with a Nazi during the war. She obviously was very much about herself and protecting herself. I think as the author says in the notes at the end of the book especially during these times of extremism and increased antisemitism. We really need to wake up and stand for what’s right.

[Midge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. About Coco Chanel and her German lover during the Nazi takeover of Paris. Lot of name dropping of famous people and history.

[Lindsay Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty slim volume at 250 pages, but it was pretty dense. I hit my World War II book saturation point quite a while ago (why is every other book about WWII?), so it takes something different to get me to pick up a book that involves that particular period in history. And apparently Coco Chanel is what will do it. This covered Chanel's war years, which she spent living a fairly high life, comparatively, in Paris in a relationship with a Nazi officer, and probable spy. I am not one that is going to judge women living in such conditions, like the occupation of France, for doing what they gotta do to survive - which is a lot more than France actually did (French women who'd been in relationships with Germans had their heads shaved in shame). But still. Was Coco a Nazi? I don't know. In this book she wasn't particularly but she definitely did some morally gray things. It was interesting to read a take on a part of Chanel's life that we don't know that much about.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was poorly written and pedestrian, at best. Granted, Coco Chanel led a very private life which certainly presented a challenge to the author who had to ‘fill in the blanks’ in order to present a cogent story. Nonetheless, in my opinion, the author created small unnecessary details that, for me, spoiled the flow of the narrative. Coco’s character, however, as recreated by the author, was quite believable and her character was certainly brought to life for me. I also found it quite interesting, while I was reading, to research Coco’s various friends and acquaintances. I think that the book may have come to life more for me if some of these characters — Max, for example — had been more fully developed.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never listen to audiobooks in one day but this one was so good that I kept listening while cooking dinner and walking around the house.

[that_bookish_bite · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖Controversata și mereu enigmatica Coco Chanel…Latura ei elegantă și prețioasă o cunoaștem cu toții, însă Partea întunecată a celebrei Coco Chanel o regăsim din plin în acest roman.
📖Mi se pare fascinant că această Arta a ei de A minți și de a manipula a reușit să îi susțină stilul opulent de viață chiar și în timpul ocupației germane, din perioada celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial, atunci când majoritatea erau jefuiți si puși la pământ de naziști.
🍸Extrem de inteligentă și foarte stăpână pe sine și pe eleganța sa, a reușit să se dea de partea dușmanului și totuși într-un final să scape basma curata.
💃Personal sunt fascinată de acest caracter extrem de puternic. Să reușești ca femeie în perioada aceea, să joci pe degete atâția bărbați puternici și să îi faci să îți cadă efectiv la picioare, mi se pare un țel greu de atins. Și totuși ea a reușit!
🎀Faptul că a avut o copilărie grea și plină de lipsuri, probabil că a determinat-o și mai mult să își dorească să devină ceea ce este și in ziua de astazi, chiar și după moartea sa, și anume o emblemă a eleganței și al bunului gust, al simplității prin eleganță și un nume răsunător în modă.
📖 Iar faptul că a trăit cu un nazist și că a fost spion în timpul ocupației germane din Franța(colaborând cu inamicul) și practic și-a trădat țara, precum și o parte dintre prieteni, cred că face să mai pălească din acest caracter prețios, însă cred că totul a fost cu un scop, iar scopul ei a fost ca numele să nu îi fie niciodată uitat, indiferent de miză.

[Starboookk Athina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Κοκό Σανέλ. Η γυναίκα που δημιούργησε μία αυτοκρατορία, η γυναίκα που το όνομα της ειναι συνώνυμο της φινέτσας και της καλαισθησίας, η γυναίκα που καθιέρωσε το διαχρονικό μικρό μαύρο φόρεμα. Η γυναίκα που κατηγορήθηκε ότι ήταν κατάσκοπος των Ναζί.

Κατά τη διάρκεια του Δευτέρου Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, η Σανέλ αποφασίζει να επιστρέψει στο λατρεμένο της Παρίσι και να μείνει στη σουίτα της στο διάσημο ξενοδοχείο Ριτζ το οποίο όμως είχε καταληφθεί σε μεγάλο ποσοστό από τους Ναζί. Έχει ήδη κλείσει τον Οίκο Σανέλ και κρατάει ανοιχτή μόνο τη μπουτίκ της οδού Καμπόν.

Τον Αύγουστος του 1944 η Σανέλ, κατηγορούμενη για κατασκοπεία, συλλαμβάνεται από δύο στρατιώτες των γαλλικών δυνάμεων εσωτερικού και ανακρίνεται. Αφορμή στάθηκε η ερωτική της σχέση με έναν πράκτορα των Ναζί, το όνομα του οποίου είναι Σπατς φον Ντινκλάγκε. Υπήρξε όντως κατάσκοπος των Γερμανών; Στρατολογήθηκε από τον Σπατς; Ποια ήταν τελικά η πραγματική της ιστορία;

Σίγουρα κάθε βιογραφία έχει να μας δώσει και κάτι καινούργιο. Σε αυτό το βιβλίο η συγγραφέας εστιάζει κυρίως στη σχέση της Σανέλ με τον Σπατς, στην προσπάθεια της να απελευθερώσει τον ανιψιό της, Αντρέ, από τα χέρια των Ναζί αλλά και στο κατά πόσο υπήρξε συνεργός τους. Η συγγραφέας προσπαθεί να ρίξει φως στο χαρακτήρα και τις επιλογές της. Ένα είναι το σίγουρο: η ζωή της Σανέλ εξακολουθεί να αποτελεί ένα μ��στήριο γιατί ακόμα και σήμερα υπάρχουν κρυφά σημεία.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Gioia Diliberto ends the book with her Author's Note, saying, "In today's world, at a time when anti-Semitism, right-wing extremism, anti-immigrant violence, and hatred in general have exploded anew, I hope my novel can be read as a cautionary tale about the necessity of standing against evil when it stares you--seductively--in the face" (258).

The key word is "seductively" in this novel about French fashion designer Coco Chanel and the ethical compromises (some called it treason) to win and keep the attention of an attractive German who happened to be a Nazi spy during the Second World War. Chanel sleeps between clean, white satin sheets, eats steak and potatoes, and consumes champagne and wine for the duration of the war. While she helped her friends in some ways, she undermined them in others.

Diliberto's novel takes you inside Chanel's heart and mind as she navigates the excuses she makes for her evasive lover and the plain and brutal facts of war, as she works to free her nephew from German detention, and as she undermines the Resistance in her own backyard. Coco at the Ritz will introduce you to a real and powerful woman, as flawed as she is passionate.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the German occupation of Paris, most of the city’s citizens either fled or lived a life of deprivation. But not Coco Chanel, the country’s most famous fashion designer. Ever the opportunist, she kept a suite at the Ritz and shacked up with her Nazi lover, Baron Hans Guenther von Dincklage (aka Spatz). As a piece of historical fiction, it was a solid book in its depiction of war-time Paris. And Coco’s perspective as a member of the elite during this time is interesting, though she’s not very sympathetic. She was already an entitled, wealthy diva when the Germans moved in, but her relationship with the much younger Spatz made her even more of snob.

Coco’s friends include artists, poets, and entertainers, but none of them entrenched themselves with the enemy. “Deep in her heart, she knew she’d made the wrong choice. But everything in her biology, her background, and her environment pushed her to align herself with those in power.” She even had the audacity to megalomaniacally think she could singlehandedly negotiate peace between the Germans and Churchill. When Paris is finally liberated and Spatz hightails it out of town, she’s arrested. When faced with accusations of collaboration by her countrymen, she’s arrogant and unreasonable despite the evidence of her guilt. Though she wasn’t an outright spy, she continued to live a life of privilege, drank the finest wines, ate the best meals at the most popular restaurants, and socialized as if a war wasn’t raging around her. Coco would be generous to her friends one moment, then betray them the next, that’s how petty she was. She wasn’t a likeable character, but Diliberto did a great job portraying a complex, brilliant, woman.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Couldn't put it down. Every book that I've read about Coco fascinates me. This one was no different in that respect.

The woman was a survivor. She made her own luck. She never wanted for a man in her life, that's for certain! Have to say, though, while she pushed the envelope in her relationships with men many times, the one with Spatz could have cost her not only her business but also her life.

Coco was quite generous with her money. Her friends, seemingly, could always count on her for help one way or another, but sometimes--as the reader sees in this book--she did have her limits. Self preservation topped her list.

Living through occupied France undoutedly was horrific for the average person but Coco and her friends were anything but average. They shockingly always seemed to have plenty in comparison yet still felt put upon. It's all relative, I suppose?!

[Gilion Dumas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coco Chanel is remembered today as a fashion icon and strong businesswoman, who redefined feminine chic and built a world-famous design brand. But Chanel was a complex character with a darker side.

Gioia Diliberto’s new novel is based on the true story of Chanel's war-time romance with a German spy and how that affair led to her arrest for treason following the Liberation of Paris. The story is fascinating in how it neither glorifies nor demonizes Chanel, but portrays her honestly, as a 60-year-old woman desperate to preserve a semblance of her pre-war life even if it meant deceiving herself and lying to her friends – and her interrogators.

Coco at the Ritz is historical fiction at its page-turning best.

[Kim Armstrong Silcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coco Chanel was arguably the most famous woman in France leading up to WWII. She and her sisters were abandoned by their father at an orphanage, and she grew up believing that money was the only path to happiness. Hard, driven and accustomed to luxury, she spent the years from 1940-1944 at the Ritz where she had a long term love affair with Spatz von Dincklage, a handsome German spy. Should she have done more to oppose the Nazi regime in Paris? Undoubtedly. Did she collaborate? In some ways, likely.But this book shows Coco as she was, unapologetic and always with her head held high. Interesting and provocative.

[Mischa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5*

Na knize asi nebylo nic tak úplně špatně – autorka chtěla na Coco Chanel ukázat jakousi spirálu destrukce, což se do určité míry daří. Navzdory tomu mě kniha ale dvakrát nebavila – začátek dobrý, konec taky, ale uprostřed jsem se celkem dost nudila. Nejedná se o zrovna dlouhou knihu, ale měla jsem pocit, jako by byla skoro nekonečná. Prostě mi vůbec neseděl styl psaní ani vystavení příběhu. Ačkoliv objektivně alespoň nějaké ty přednosti knihy najdu, subjektivně to pro mě prostě byl skok úplně mimo, a to mám knihy podobného typu (tedy historické fikce o určité osobě) často hodně ráda.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this very interesting. What a selfish person she seemed to be. But quite strong. I knew little about her, she was pretty lucky after the WWII based on the life she lead during it. I know the dialogue of interrogation was fiction but I was curious how she ended up alive and not in prison. It added some authenticity since most of the characters were actual people and “friends” of hers. Never having lived through a war, you never know how you’ll act, but she survived from her money and fame and using a lot of people.

I would read more by this author

[Alexis (hookedtobooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Pegasus Books for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: WW2 France
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This book looks at Coco Chanel and her experience in Paris during the Second World War. I didn't know much about her experience during the war or that she had a German lover, so it was interesting to read about. It is hard to understand if she knew what was really going on with her German lover or if she believed him innocent.
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While the content was interesting, I found the plot to be slow and it took me a while to get into. Not a lot of action it felt like, and it was hard to find sympathy for Chanel. Overall though an interesting read.
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CW: Nazism, WW2, imprisonment, violence, xenophobia, anti-Semitism.

[Karen Hough · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t decide if my dissatisfaction was with the book or Coco Chanel. The book was very slow and repetitive. Chanel comes across as unlikeable. The final interrogation scene was somewhat ridiculous. I’ve read quite a bit about WWII and I didn’t find this added much to my appreciation of the times. Perhaps I need to read more about Chanel, so I have a better idea about her personality and character.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoys this book. Only 250ish pages and read in under 24 hours. It's fiction based on the minimal facts which exist related to Coco's life during the Nazi occupation of France. Unfortunately I guess we will never really know the extent to which she was a Nazi sympathizer. If you're interested in historic fiction based on real people I highly recommend this book.

[Karyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book provided little-known or discussed background on Coco Chanel’s luxurious lifestyle during the time France was occupied by Germany. There is no information as to how she managed to emerge unscathed when so many other women suffered greatly after the war. The book didn’t change my admiration of how she built her brand, but it did change my mind about her.

[Peggy Holtman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about Coco during the German occupation in Paris during WWII. Great descriptions of the ambiguity and difficult choices one must make in wartime. The last few pages describing the interrogation are riveting. The author does not make a complete saint or sinner of Chanel but renders a balanced look at a complex person during more than difficult times.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an accomplished historical novel about an event in Coco Chanel's life that remains a mystery. Gioia Diliberto and I spoke about it for Chicago's periodical Newcity Lit - accessible here:
https://lit.newcity.com/2021/12/06/co...