The most personal account of the life and work of legendary designer Coco Chanel ever told. Coco Chanel’s life and work have been recounted often in print and film-everything except the details of her most private self: her fondness for symbolism and poetry, the men she loved, her family, and in particular her nephew Andre Palasse, whom she raised like a son. His daughter Gabrielle Palasse-Labrunie--goddaughter to both Chanel and the Duke of Westminster and Chanel’s only direct descendant--enjoyed a close-knit relationship with the designer for more than forty years. In this biography, she opens her doors and shares personal memories of her great-aunt.This work--divided into five chronological parts, including Chanel’s dark periods--plunges the reader into the private world of Chanel, offering intimate insight. Photographs of Chanel’s personal effects, many of which have never before bee