Reviews

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre, by Natasha Lester

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fiendeclippel's review

dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

Interesting historical book that tells the story of Alix before, during and after World War 2. It has different timelines and these tell the story of how Alix became a spy in WW 2 and how she began working for Dior after the war. The switching of different timelines kept the story fascinating because the reader always learns a little bit of the bigger story. The aspect of fashion and the launching of house Dior is a very fun touch. The beginning is a bit slow and I had a hard time getting into the book. But once the pace picked up, I loved the story.

kcherry's review against another edition

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informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I loved the combination of the 3 timelines the story is told in: before, during & after WWII. The scenes at Christian Dior were so descriptive at times that I felt like I could see the dresses.

Loved this book on audio! If you read this book, I highly recommend the audio version because Barrie Kreinik did a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life.

cassie5489's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lonnahernandez's review

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emotional informative mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I enjoyed this book as is gave different perspectives into roles that women played in WWII, especially in northern Italy. The stories behind Christian Dior’s fashion debut in Paris had me combing the internet looking for images of the gowns described. The ending was very Hollywood-ish in the best way and I think this would be an excellent big screen movie.

exercise_read_repeat's review

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4.0

4.5 stars

Plot: This story centers around Alix St. Pierre, a young woman who desperately tries to escape her previous involvement in the war by becoming a publicist at the House of Dior in Paris. Told through timelines of before, during, and after the war, we learn of Alix’s recruitment to be a spy, her time serving in Europe, as well as her role in launching the Christian Dior brand. She wants nothing more than to leave her past behind, but when a person from the war threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes this is her chance to right her wrongs and maybe even find some justice.

Thoughts: It is clear how much research went into this book. Lester crafted the perfect blend of intrigue and glam by bringing together a WWII storyline with the glitz of Dior. This is certainly different from most WWII stories, but how can you go wrong with a story that involves a female spy, fashion, and journalism? There is really something for everyone in this book, and I look forward to checking out some of Lester’s previous works. It is clear that she values strong female protagonists within the historical fiction genre, which I always enjoy reading about (great for fans of Kate Quinn's books!).

The audiobook was great-- I did a combo of reading and listening. Listening was particularly useful on this one given the integration of French (and a little Italian) in the text.