The Last Fashion House in Paris
By (Author) Renee Ryan
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
HQ Fiction
1st January 2025
Australia
Paperback
336
Width 152mm, Height 234mm, Spine 24mm
409g
Renee Ryan, the award-winning author of The Secret Society of Salzburg and The Widows of Champagne, returns with a brand-new WWII story of survival, female friendships, and second chances set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Paris, and the fashion houses that refused to be destroyed by the enemy.
France, 1942
Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping and drawing elegant dresses in her sketch pad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother's arrest by the gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard.
But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters -- including Paulette's coworker and friend Nicolle Cadieux -- who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety.
Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-and-death decisions about who to trust, who to love and who to leave behind...
Renee Ryan grew up in a Florida beach town outside Jacksonville, FL. Armed with a degree in Economics and Religion from Florida State University, she explored various career opportunities, including stints ataFlorida theme park and a modeling agency.She currently lives in Savannah, Georgia with her husband and a large, fluffy cat many have mistaken for a small bear. Renee can be contacted through her website at www.reneeryan.com