Books by Justine Picardie

THE TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERAN IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR'A gripping story in which Justine Picardie brilliantly contrasts the cruel Old World of wartime France with the hopeful New World epitomised by Christian Dior's New Look.'ANTONIA FRASER'An incredible story of courage, endurance and passion.'MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI, Creative Director of Dior'An extraordinary biography.'SUNDAY TIMES'Exceptional . . . Miss Dior is so much more than a biography.'DAILY TELEGRAPHMiss Dior is a story of freedom and fascism, beauty and betrayal, roses and repression, and how the polished surface of fashion conceals hidden depths. It 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 Ravensbruck.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.*A beautiful, full colour illustrated book featuring exclusive images from the Dior archives*'Catherine's story is beautifully, hauntingly told in spare and elegant prose by Picardie . . . moving and evocative.'THE TIMES'The juxtaposition of the terrible shadows and dazzling light is one of the great strengths of this book . . . A very personal, very passionate book.'ARTEMIS COOPER, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'Picardie writes: 'The vestiges of Catherine's presence remain as a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom, and why it is worth fighting for.' There are few truer words.'THE SPECTATOR'Picardie's book is of the moment, celebrating an unsung hero at a time when female influences are earning new acclaim.'VOGUE'Miss Dior ensures the bravery of the women at Ravensbruck is not merely a distant echo.'i'Beautiful.' OBSERVER'Moving and beautifully illustrated.' NEW STATESMAN'Stunning.' RED'Not just beautifully written, this is also a stunningly beautiful book.' NOON

A love story and a literary mystery - a true story of Daphne du Maurier

Kate Linden is a 35 year old single mother, who dreams of a rosy future with a dream man - one who will love both her and her son Sam. But while she's waiting for the arrival of that unknown saviour, she finds herself entangled with her handsome, domineering cousin Julian, the son of her dead mother's twin sister. As she returns to Julian's childhood home in Norfolk for a family weekend, Kate is drawn back into the mysteries that haunt her. What was the truth of the relationship between her mother and Julian's father? Who was responsible for her mother's death in a car crash? How will the patterns of that dark past repeat themselves, or can she escape them? Justine Picardie writes with a clear, beautiful voice about family intrigues and intricacies. Wish I May is a story about the shadows cast by the past, but also of a sustaining hope for the future, and the magical transformations of love.

An outstanding collection of recollections of childhood from international bestselling authors.

With an introduction by Andrew O'HaganWhen I think about her now, which is most of the time, it's like rewinding a silent film in my head: I see the crucial scenes in our lives together. But what I can't hear is her voice in my head, and that silence is driving me crazy.After her sister Ruth's death from breast cancer in September 1997, Justine Picardie was desperate to speak to her again, to hear her voice, to find something - anything - that might fill the space she had left behind. Over the course of the next year, Justine's search for Ruth lead her into the underworld of spiritualism, through a series of encounters with mediums and psychics who believe that we can communicate with those we have lost.If the Spirit Moves You is Justine's remarkable story about her search for the afterlife in an age of reason, scepticism and science. Powerfully moving, both heart-breaking and funny, it is an extraordinary classic about the exhausting journey of grief and the enduring power of love.

Justine Picardie spent years puzzling over the truth about Coco Chanel, peeling away the accretions of romance and lies. Since its publication in 2010, hers has become the definitive Chanel biography. With a new foreword and previously unseen images, this new edition delves even deeper into the life and legacy of this eternally alluring woman.

In this absolutely unique treasure trove of fashion, family memoir and literature, Justine Picardie tells a sequence of stories that reveal the fabric of the past, and how a family has fashioned itself through the clothes that they have worn: from her mother's black wedding dress to her first party frock, a translucent winged fairy outfit that provided an early lesson in what we uncover, and what we cover up. She also tells of her encounters with fashion designers - Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace, among others; conversations with supermodels, and her search for Charlotte Bronte's ring. My Mother's Wedding Dress unravels why we care so much about clothes - the white satin and feathers and little black dresses with which we armour ourselves; the material of our lives. Above all, it is Justine Picardie's inimitable voice and thought-provoking quest for answers to her own past that make this book so special. 'An enticing combination of autobiography, biography, memoir, discourse, interviews, fashion notes, and dreams... a sparky and original book' Daily Mail 'Highly stylish and unusual, a selection of swatches that works as a whole' Sunday Telegraph