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

Ive been reading this book on and off the past week when I wasn’t trying to finish my latest design, wishing I could have devoured it in one sitting. I finally sat outside enjoying the warm sun and finished off this novel today. It was phenomenal!

I love fashion and design, so that part of the book was a huge plus for me. The main character, Alix St. Pierre works for Christian Dior in Paris in the late 1940s shortly after the ending of WW2. The story starts out post war and then switches between segments from the war and after.

The main theme of the story is Alix trying to track down an informant during the war, who led her to give orders that resulted in the deaths of nine men. As she’s riding to fame with Christian Dior, she’s working alongside some unlikely companions, making an effort to settle her heart from the misfortunes of war.

I honestly spent the book wishing I was more like Alix. She is cool headed, brilliant, glamorous, determined, and witty. She speaks her mind, shows up when the tough gets tougher, and keeps going. Nobody and nothing will stop her. She smokes cigarettes, enjoys chocolate pastries, wears fabulous gowns, and carries a service pistol. Don’t be surprised if I start ordering dresses instead of shorts and tees!

This book has espionage, love, friendships, and gives an insight on what marriages and women were supposed to do at the time. It’s seriously crazy. I never enjoyed history in school, but reading it this way is so much more interesting. I learned more from this book than I probably did in my entire high school years!

One of the things I love about these kinds of stories is everyone seems so meaningful and unique. They have drive, they have purpose. They’ve dealt with hard times and it shows, but it makes them a better person. The characters in this book saw horrific things, lost many loved ones, and still came out of it with their hearts intact. Their ability to still love and find humor in the world is inspiring.

This book was so good, I didn’t want it to end. It was the first I’ve read of Natasha Lester, but I’ll definitely be adding her to my favorites list.

5/5 stars! You need to read this one!