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Miss Dior
- A Story of Courage and Couture
- Narrated by: Justine Picardie
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
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Miss Dior
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Summary
Miss Dior is a story of freedom and fascism, beauty and betrayal, roses and repression, and how the polished surface of fashion conceals hidden depths.
This is the story of a ghost who walked into my life on a sunlit morning and would not let go of me. She is a woman of courage, a devoted sister, a constant gardener and a resistance heroine who lived life on her own terms. Her name is Catherine Dior.
Miss Dior paints a portrait of the enigmatic woman behind the designer Christian Dior: his beloved younger sister, Catherine, who inspired his most famous perfume and shaped his vision of femininity. Justine Picardie's journey takes her to Occupied Paris, where Christian honed his couture skills while Catherine dedicated herself to the French Resistance, until she was captured by the Gestapo and deported to the German concentration camp of Ravensbrück.
With unparalleled access to the Dior family homes and archives, Picardie's research into Catherine's courageous life shines a new light on Christian Dior's legendary work and reveals how his enchanting 'New Look' emerged out of the shadows of his sister's suffering.
Tracing the wartime paths of the Dior siblings leads Picardie deep into other hidden histories, and different forms of resistance and sisterhood. She explores what it means to believe in beauty and hope, despite our knowledge of darkness and despair, and discovers the timeless solace of the natural world in the aftermath of devastation and destruction. The result is an exquisite and unforgettably moving book.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Miss Dior
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paula Caven-Lewis
- 09-02-22
Catherine Dior, Warrior Woman 💪 Magnifique!
What a treat! Wonderful account of French Fashion and life during WW2 and post war. At times incredibly moving and frustration that some evil people were not brought to justice.
Loved the whirlwind of post war fashion shows, balls and celebration of celebrity life in general.
So entertaining and informative, Will definitely listen again. I could smell the roses, lavender and Lily of the valley, heard the birdsong. Miss Dior❤️❤️❤️
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pips
- 05-06-23
A story worth a listen!
An interesting story explaining the relationship between fashion and the Second World War through the world of Dior. Such bravery under German brutality.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cvetok
- 09-12-23
Not what I expected
Brilliantly written book. Not what I had expected at all. A tragic, courageous and powerful story of lesser known sister of Dior, Catherine and her life’s journey. Some historical accounts are hard to take in. A must read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 01-10-22
Beautiful
Not always an easy listen but always inspiring. Read truly and compassionately by the author.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Felicity Maddison
- 01-01-22
Misleading Cover and Title but okay
The title of this book is VERY misleading. I'm not a fashion buff, but I do like Dior and history and I thought this would be a book that delved into Christian Dior's lesser-known sibling and her heroics during WWII. Sadly 'a story of courage and Dior' is not that.
Picardie spends a lot of time talking about the fashion house history, its founder and everyone else who knew or were believed to have come across Catherine (a.k.a Miss Dior) during the war but we learn next to nothing about Catherine. After all, she did not write a memoir or leave any trace of her thoughts and feelings about what happened to her as a member of the French Resistance, caught and imprisoned at Ravensbruck.
However, having said that, this book does delve into the history of the French and women's involvement in WWII and female POW's. As women, we tend not to hear about the female heroics of WWII. Therefore, I would recommend this book if you want to start reading more about this side of history - intriguing and horrifying, but these women were courageous, fearless and true heroines.
I gave this book three stars, not because I thought it was not good but because it doesn't deliver what it says on the cover.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Bryony Lawson
- 18-09-21
Highly recommend
I recommend anyone and everyone to listen to this book. Hugely important with a depth of description that is breathtaking. Perfection. I loved every minute.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- isabel
- 08-10-21
navel gazing drivel
sycophantic clap trap interspersed with a few interesting facts about her life and that of her brother. not worth wasting a credit
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Clare Connell
- 30-03-24
Catherine Dior is barely mentioned in this book
Confusingly this book is entitled Miss Dior, but Catherine Dior is barely mentioned. This is a shame as she was clearly a remarkable and very brave woman I would like to know more about. The coverage of her work for the resistance would fit on a postcard. The author talks more about herself and her travels than the subject of the book. It covers a lot of adjacent and barely relevant history everyone knows. Bizarre.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- ZoZoZo
- 06-05-22
Disappointing. Not about Catherine
This is such a boring book. I was so disappointed as I love Dior and the history of fashion and I even really love WW2 fashion but this book isn’t about any of those things!!! This book talks a lot about random people in the Gustapo and occasionally name drops Catherine. Don’t be fooled by the introduction. This book is so dull
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1 person found this helpful