Glorious Ruins by Judithe Little is a compelling historical fiction novel about power, love, fame, and greed.
Set in 1920s Paris based on the friendship between Coco Chanel and world-famous muse Misia Sert.

A fascinating and well written historical fiction story that captivated me from the very beginning.
Glorious Ruins is a vivid portrait of early 20th century France and is an enveloping, satisfying read.

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Judithe Little, the Author of “Glorious Ruins” has written a captivating, intriguing and cultural novel. . The Genres for this unique and creative novel are Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Friendship Fiction. In this well researched and well written novel, I appreciate how Judithe Little describes the various arts, visual and musical, and mentions such celebrities as Coco Chanel, Misia Sert, Roussadana Mdivani and “Jojo” Sert. The author vividly describes the artistic, dramatic, complex and complicated characters The story is set in 1920 in Paris, and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the characters and events.

Misia Sert is independent and is a patron and muse of the arts. She can play the piano with amazing skill. She loves and marries “Jojo” Sert, a famous muralist. She becomes friends and a confidante with Coco Chanel, the fashion designer . Roussadana Mdivani, is a Russian sculptress, and has her future and eyes set on “Jojo”. There are betrayals, twists and turns, creative endeavors, heartbreak and greed. The author describes the importance of sisterhood, friendship, loyalty, communication, love and hope. This was an enlightening novel that I highly recommend.

This book takes you into the 20's and 30'2 of Paris. The story is based on a friendship between Coco Chanel, Misia Sert, Jpjp Sert and a Russian princess, Rousi Mdiviani. The book takes you into their friendships along with a host of other famous people at that time. Misia is known as the Queen of Paris more so because she is a patron of the arts, She promoted those with talent and they too became famous. We meet Coco at the beginning of her talent as couturier. And then there is the Russian princess, who immigrates to Paris fleeing the Russian Revolution. While reading this you will come across scandals, love triangles and friendship. Set during the jazz age it made for an interesting and informative story. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Atmospheric historical fiction based on the real life of Misia Sert, an artist and friend of Coco Chanel. Know that there are many other real people who make appearances. I found myself down the wiki rabbit hole checking the who's who which is good because I learned about individuals who were not familiar to me and not good because it took me out of the flow of the story. Recommend other readers just move along and turn the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An interesting read.

I absolutely fell in love with this novel. The way it captures the roaring 1920s Paris scene feels alive and intoxicating. What grabbed me the most was the raw emotional depth between the two women and how fiercely they fight to own their identities and dreams. The writing flows so beautifully, full of vivid imagery that pulls you right into their world. I adored the way the story explores love in many forms, not just the romantic kind but also the bonds of friendship and loyalty that shape us. It reminded me why I love stories about complex women who refuse to be confined by society’s expectations. It’s a passionate, rich read that fills my heart and leaves me craving more.

The untold story of Misia Sert and how she lost her husband to a pretend Russian princess. Her friendship with Coco Chanel is also explored. I found the book interesting as I didn’t know about either before. However if I was purely looking for historical fiction, rather then fact based, I may have been disappointed.

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

Set in Paris during the 1920's this a wonderous read.

Coco Chanel is the darling of the fashion world and her muse Misia Sert is considered a dear friend.

I adore books such as this. It is a beautifully told tale, well written and has enough drama and galmour to satisfy any fan if this genre.

Highly recommended

I was a bit disappointed by this book and wish I had known that it was about a real person before I started reading it. I couldn't understand why a story set in such a fascinating place and time was written at such a remove. Names are dropped like a tabloid round up but there is no immediacy. In the end it was like reading someone's book report about a distant relative. You can tell the author is interested in Misia, the Queen of Paris, but is afraid to put words in her mouth. It gets more frustrating when Coco Channel joins the 'story' because I've read and seen so much about Channel's life, so it just reminded me how this type of work can be done so much better.

Instead, we go from researched moment to researched moment as if working from a checklist, or reading a very long wiki entry. I gave this 3 stars, mainly because I enjoyed googling the names of some of the personages that I was less familiar with, like Jose Sert and the Mdiviani family (though I did recognize them from the Barbara Hutton bios and movies). I kept hoping something would happen that would draw me in but instead I found it easy to put down and walk away from.

I was fortunate enough to get an early read of this phenomenal book, and I can confidently say that Judithe Little is at the pinnacle of her craft. With masterful storytelling, she transports us into the extraordinary life of Misia Sert, a woman of immense talent, passion, and complexity.

We're drawn into Misia's unconventional marriage, her enduring friendship with the iconic Coco Chanel, and her profound impact on the worlds of art and fashion. The characters are richly nuanced, the settings meticulously researched, and the narrative utterly immersive.

This is historical fiction at its finest, shedding light on a previously overlooked figure and her remarkable contributions. Misia Sert's story is a testament to the power of creativity, perseverance, and female friendship. A truly unforgettable read!