The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me with an ARC of The Chanel Sisters in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
At times it’s very tough to get excited about anything, since the world turned upside down almost a year ago. I thought the story, The Chanel Sisters, could help me forget reality a little bit while I took a trip into the world of historical fiction.
For a while, it certainly looked that way, until… Well, until this 400-page book began to feel like an 800-page book.
Let me explain.
The Details
I have to say, the premise was intriguing, but I wasn’t sure what the point of the story was the longer I read it.
I found the protagonist flat and uninteresting. The story was told from her point of view, yet there was nothing personal in her recount of the events that shaped her life.
The other two sisters that made up these “Chanel Sisters” were glossed over. One did get a little more stage time, but the third sister was almost brushed under the rug.
The Chanel Sisters read like a play-by-play account of chronological facts. It was impossible to connect on an emotional level with any of the characters. Mostly because it only focused on the sisters and even then, it was nothing but a lukewarm bond.
There were a lot of details. A lot of details about stitching, hat making, ruffles, feathers, and dialogue. Dialogue that didn’t move the story forward. Actually, most of the details given felt irrelevant to the plot and character development.
I would have love to see a little less detail on the stitching and minute account of she-said-she-said and more attention to setting up the scene. Where are the characters? What do they see and feel? What does Paris in the early 1900’s look like?
I could kind of see where the story was heading, but it took so long to get there. I also didn’t understand why it wasn’t told from multiple points of view. The book is called The Chanel Sisters. So why not give us, the reader, insight into the minds of the other two sisters?
As I said before, The Chanel Sisters was too detailed in some places and not detailed enough in others. I kept reading and reading and felt I wasn’t really getting anywhere.
The Verdict
Overall, The Chanel Sisters started out rather promising. The first third of the book grabbed my attention and I read well past my bedtime. It just lost its way around the halfway mark.
I would suggest it.
About the Author
Judithe Little is the award-winning author of Wickwythe Hall. She earned a BA in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. She grew up in Virginia and now lives with her husband, three teenagers, and three dogs in Houston, Texas. Find her on Instagram, @judithelittle, and on Facebook, facebook.com/judithelittle.
