The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre book cover

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

Kindle Edition

Price
$13.99
Publisher
Forever
Publication Date

Description

“ The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre braids espionage, fashion, and a broken-but-unbowed heroine together into one fascinating tale. Natasha Lester weaves a triple-stranded delight!" —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye “Natasha Lester has done it again with this sumptuously written page-turner ! Alix St. Pierre is everything that makes an admirable heroine – independent, plucky, and clever as the story spans from the fashionable world of Dior in Paris to the fascinating intrigue of international espionage in neutral Switzerland. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a captivating novel that readers will absolutely adore. ” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London "Natasha Lester has expertly woven a brilliant heroine who is as brave in the fashion world as she is spying on the enemy. From page one, I was completely captivated by her daring and enamored with the glamour of Paris fashion. Unputdownable! ” —Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop “Natasha Lester weaves an intricate plot of espionage and revenge around fascinating true facts about the war and its aftermath. A thrilling read.” —Ruth Druart, author of While Paris Slept “An enthralling page turner! Luxuriant and opulent, just like Dior’s glorious gowns.” —Tania Blanchard, author of The Girl from Munich “Sparkling and complex, like vintage champagne. In The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre , Natasha Lester gives us a brilliant, fascinating and multi-layered heroine whose dangerous past as a spy in World War II comes to threaten her future in glamorous post-war Paris. Lester’s masterful storytelling held me enthralled from the first page! ” —Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance Beautifully written and intimately researched. Magnifique!-- "Hazel Gaynor, NYT bestselling author of When We Were Young & Brave"The novel kept me up at night, turning the pages faster and faster.-- "Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library"This meticulously researched novel is about the lengths people will go to protect one another, and a love that lasts a lifetime. The Paris Secret is a tear-jerker, so stock up on tissues, sit in a quiet corner and don't move until you've finished this extraordinary book.-- "Marie Claire"Will delight fans of Kate Morton or anyone in need of a gorgeously wrought . . . tale of love, loss, courage, and compassion.-- "Booklist, starred review, on The Paris Secret" --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Natasha Lester is the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress,u202fThe Paris Orphan and The Riviera House ,u202fand a former marketing executive for L’Oréal.xa0Her novels have been translated into many different languages and are published all around the world. When she’s not writing, she lovesu202fcollecting vintage fashion (Dior is a favorite!), practicing the art of fashion illustration, learning about fashion history—and traveling to Paris. Natasha lives with her husband and three children in Perth, Western Australia. --This text refers to the hardcover edition. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • A
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author delivers a lavish, unforgettable story of an orphan turned WWII spy turned fashion icon in Paris.
  • 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 lands a publicity job to recruit women into the workforce. Her skills—persuasion, daring, 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(414)
★★★★
25%
(345)
★★★
15%
(207)
★★
7%
(97)
23%
(316)

Most Helpful Reviews

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What a ride!

Part thriller, part fashion history and love story. Very Parisian……This is a very enjoyable book without being to heavy. Loved it.
3 people found this helpful
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Great

What a great story of WWII and postwar Paris! Couldn’t put it down! Love, spying, fashion, this book has it all.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazing!

I love Natasha Lester’s books, and this one is no exception. This one is different from her other most recent books, as it doesn’t have a dual narrative. Even though there is two different timelines, we stay with the main character, Alix. Her story is amazing, and it was great reading about a different geographic location than many other books I’ve read and what was going on there during WWII. It definitely makes me want to read up more about it.
3 people found this helpful
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Loved reading about The House of Dior

What a treat to read about a time when women wore beautiful dresses that embraced their femininity; a time when creative and gifted designers made magic with lovely fabrics.

Christian Dior’s New Look was such a hit after WW2, inspiring women’s fashions in ready-to-wear and sewing patterns for years to come! It’s fascinating to get a glimpse into the House of Dior gowns and employees of that time. I was happy to read in the author’s notes that while Alix was a fictional character, the info about the Dior House was true.

Alix was an intriguing character with much courage. She was clever and rarely at a loss for words. However, her repeated conversations and thoughts about not wanting to be a wife sitting at home just waiting for her husband to get home so she could serve him a drink irritated me. That may have been the role of wives in the world of wealthy elites, but in most of the world during the depression, women and men alike were working side by side just to scrape out a living on farms and homesteads, villages and factories. Women took in extra work just to survive and feed their families. They were a vital part of life. Alix’s character should have known that, since she was friends with many working class people.

Overall, a great read, though, with a perspective of WW2 from Switzerland.
2 people found this helpful
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Opposite Worlds

The elegance of high fashion entwined with the horrors of war give the characters such depth. This story keeps you turning pages at a fast clip. Highly recommended.
Nancy L. Gagne
2 people found this helpful
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Excellent,Intriguing, Can't put down

One of my new favorite historical fiction novels. This story kept me up at night, even after I closed the book. Thinking of the young people of OSS doing such brave things at such a young age; the Partisans of Italy; the brutality of the Nazis; women who post-war were put back in a box, losing the independence they had gained. The story had so many twists & turns, it was hard to put down. In the end, as with any great novel, I was sorry to say goodbye to the characters. If you are a historical fiction fan, you will want to make this your next read.
2 people found this helpful
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I deserve an award for making it through this

This was very hard to keep up with, confusing with too many characters a la game of thrones. I read the first 50 pages, came back to it a few days later and was totally lost. I started over to be able to keep things straight. The writing style is very ambiguous and uses weird expressions and so many big words that I had to stop and look words up regularly.

The story was ok, I think I kept reading because the chemistry between Alix and Anthony was good. Overall would not recommend.
1 people found this helpful
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Actually, 2.5 stars! Had a Great Potential but Fell Flat!

Alix St. Pierre was a spy during WWII. After the war, Alix worked for Christian Dior. Alix advised Christian Dior to make a dress for Rita Hayworth to help launch his new product. Thus, her memories of the war seemed to be behind, and she could begin her life anew. However, Alix learned that a Nazi war criminal, who was involved in the death of her fiancé, is hiding in Paris. Alix is determined to find the criminal and also hopes to find peace after her traumatic past.

I did not like Alix. I did find her to be a strong and intelligent woman. She was a woman who experienced much trauma and loss. However, I could not connect with her. She seemed very distant and cold. Most of her emotions seemed to be very forced. This may be because the book relied heavily on telling and not showing. Thus, I was not invested in Alix, and I found myself more interested in the characters around her.

Overall, this novel is about trauma, choices, and recovery. The message of the novel is to forgive yourself. The supporting characters, especially Christian Dior were fascinating. I did not like how the book was formatted. It often switched between Alix’s past and present. I think the story would have flowed better if it was told in a more chronological format. I also thought that the book was very drawn out and repetitive. I also thought the romance overshadowed the main storyline. The novel’s best feature was the setting. I loved the settings of Switzerland, Italy, Paris, and New York. I also liked the mystery aspect of the novel. Thus, The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre had potential, but it fell flat. Still, I recommend this for fans of Invisible Woman, A Most Clever Girl, and The Alice Network!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
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Historical fiction with a bit of a love story

I couldn’t put the book down. The story hit on so many aspects of the 30s and 40s. The heroine is a fiery red head that just makes you love her from the start.I can’t wait to read other Natasha Lester books.
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Fabulous book!

The combination of thriller and high fashion couture was magical. I couldn't resist googling Dior and all those fabulous dresses as I was reading. What a fabulous book, didn't want it to end.