No telegram would be needed, if something had happened to them; they were a local telephone call away. Open it, I ordered myself. I sat on a packing crate and tore at the paper with my chipped fingernails, reminding myself that sometimes telegrams carried good news. It's possible.

The message was brief. Come to Paris. Need to see you. Signed, Schiap. Elsa Schiaparelli. Of course she would send a telegram instead of making a transatlantic phone call. It wasn't the expense of the call but one of her many phobias and superstitions: she hated telephones.

All the noise of the Madison Avenue gallery, the hammering, the whir of measuring tapes, the scraping of ladders being pushed across the floor, fell away. New York dissolved, and I was in Paris again.

I closed my eyes and remembered the accordion player on the corner of rue Saint-Honoré playing "Parlez-moi d'Amour," the throaty laugh of Schiap as she shared a bit of gossip with her assistant, Bettina. Usually, it had been gossip about Coco Chanel, her archrival. Charlie, handsome in his tuxedo, blond bombshell Ania turning heads in the Ritz bar.

The taste of strong café , the smell of yeasty bread, the colors, the gleam of the Eiffel Tower, the medieval miracles of rose windows in the churches. How long had it been? I'd been twenty-five when I met Schiap in Paris. She'd been forty-eight, only nine years older than I was now.

And I had thought of her as old, though she never had. It is not, not in fashion. Of course, there is no going back. Time is an arrow that flies forward, not back. I'd learned that particular lesson well.

Too much looking over the shoulder turns you to salt, like Lot's wife, salt which burns blue. Excerpted from The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin.

Copyright © by Jeanne Mackin. Excerpted by permission of Berkley Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. An enthralling novel about a small town struggling to survive, and a bitter vendetta between two rivals.

An engrossing exploration of the vows we make to one another and what we owe to others and ourselves.

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We are proud to announce that BookBrowse has won Platinum in the Modern Library Awards. The Last Collection A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne Mackin. Write a Review. About this Book Summary Excerpt Reading Guide.

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Read an Excerpt from Blackbirds Singing: Audre Lorde on Race, Sex, and Class. In Blackbirds Singing , renowned author Janet Dewart Bell has curated an incredible collection highlighting influential Black women who fought and continue to fight for liberation. Featuring the inspirational vision of women across the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, Bell celebrates accomplished poets, activists, leaders, and more.

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Collection of All the Fake Book Excerpts at The Start of the Chapters? Does one exist? I've always meant to go back and read them all in Book excerpts are a terrific way to get a feel for a new book and determine whether or not you might be interested in buying the book. Many book excerpts Missing

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Book excerpt collection - See an archive of all book excerpt stories published on The Cut Collection of All the Fake Book Excerpts at The Start of the Chapters? Does one exist? I've always meant to go back and read them all in Book excerpts are a terrific way to get a feel for a new book and determine whether or not you might be interested in buying the book. Many book excerpts Missing

The story focuses on Siân Richards and Charles Callahan, who fell hard for one another when they met at summer camp at the tender age of Though the couple went their separate ways at the end of the summer, the intensity of their first love remained unmatched.

By Sott Jeffrey Miller. Scott Jeffrey Miller, a student of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People author Stephen R. Covey, has some advice for you. The Long Flight Home draws on the historical importance of carrier pigeons to craft a masterful novel about strength and hope in the midst of wartime crisis.

The story focuses on Susan Shepherd, a young British woman who was orphaned as a child. Susan was raised by her grandfather Bertie, who taught her the art of raising homing pigeons.

When a popular student at the Goode School is found hanging from the school gates halfway through the fall semester, rumors swirl around her untimely death.

Was it truly a suicide—or was it murder? By Kaira Rouda. Exactly one year ago, Jane's daughter Mary died in a tragic accident. By John Brooks. Written over half a century ago, Business Adventures remains relevant in its examination of the pitfalls and successes of the world of Wall Street.

As a financial journalist and longtime contributor to The New Yorker , Brooks excelled at writing insightful commentary about complicated business phenomenon in a way that was accessible to the everyday reader.

By Kaytie Norman Published Jun 5, I also want to get The Reader newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. A Stunning Memoir. Behind the Scenes By Elizabeth Keckley Born into slavery in February , Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley was the daughter of her owner, Armistead Burwell, and his house slave, Agnes.

Meet Our Authors. Reading Group Guides. Reading Lists. The New Press Remembers. Read an Excerpt from Blackbirds Singing: Audre Lorde on Race, Sex, and Class. In Blackbirds Singing , renowned author Janet Dewart Bell has curated an incredible collection highlighting influential Black women who fought and continue to fight for liberation.

Featuring the inspirational vision of women across the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, Bell celebrates accomplished poets, activists, leaders, and more. Read more. Raja Shehadeh Is a Finalist for the National Book Award.

Read an Excerpt from Side by Side. Read an Excerpt from Except for Palestine. Read an Excerpt from Charisma's Turn. Book excerpts are a terrific way to get a feel for a new book and determine whether or not you might be interested in buying the book.

Many book excerpts are from the first chapter but sometimes excerpts will be shared from interior chapters usually in nonfiction books. Here we have gathered some interesting sources for book excerpts on the Internet.

You might also be interested in our free ebooks page which has links to where you can download ebooks for free. Checking the website of your favorite author is another good place to find excerpts from books.