Author Jean-Noël Liaut
on Tour
September 2-6, 2013
with his biography of Toto Koopman (1908 – 1991):
The Many Lives of Miss K.:
Toto Koopman – Model, Muse, Spy
Release date: September 3, 2013
Rizzoli ExLibris (an imprint of Rizzoli New York)
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SYNOPSIS
She is the most fascinating woman you’ve probably never heard of. Toto Koopman (1908 – 1991) was the world’s first celebrated bi-racial model, who was known for her work with Vogue and Chanel; acted as a spy for the Resistance, served time in WWII concentration camps; and played a pivotal role in launching the career of Francis Bacon. She was fluent in five languages, led a jet set life in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, associated with royalty, politicians, artists and other bon vivants. She was openly bisexual and beholden to no one, vowing never to marry.
She was affectionately known as Miss K and here is her story.
THE MANY LIVES OF MISS K: Toto Koopman – Model, Muse, Spy explores the allure of a freethinking and courageous woman who, fiercely protective of her independence, was sought after by many but truly known by very few. Author Jean-Noël Liaut chases his enigmatic subject through the many roles and lives she inhabited, both happy and tragic. Though her beauty, charisma, and taste for the extraordinary made her an exuberant fixture of Paris fashion and café society, her intelligence and steely sense of self drove her toward bigger things, culminating in espionage during WWII, for which she was imprisoned by the Nazis in Ravensbrück. After the horrors of the camp, she found solace in Erica Brausen, the German art dealer who launched the career of Francis Bacon, and the two women lived out their lives together surrounded by cultural luminaries like Edmonde Charles-Roux and Luchino Visconti. But even in her later decades, Toto remained impossible for anyone to truly possess.
Toto Koopman is a new addition to the pantheon of iconoclastic women whose biographies intrigue and inspire modern-day readers. Like her contemporaries Lee Miller or Vita Sackville-West, Toto lived with an independent spirit more typical of the men of her generation, moving in the worlds of fashion, society, art, and politics with an insouciant ease that would stir both admiration and envy even today. Sphinx-like and tantalizing, Toto conducted her life as a game, and each page of her biography conveys audacity and style.[provided by the publisher]
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VIRTUAL TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, September 2
Review + Giveaway at
Musings of a Writer and Unabashed Francophile
Tuesday, September 3
Review + Giveaway at I Am, Indeed
Wednesday, September 4
Review + Giveaway at Boxes Of Paper
Thursday, September 5
Review + Giveaway at Comp Lit And Mediaphilia
Friday, September 6
Review + Giveaway at Enchanted By Josephine
2 responses to “Jean-Noël Liaut on Tour: The Many Lives of Miss K.”
Pamela Kember
June 29th, 2015 at 14:40
Hello, I wold like to get in touch with the author Mr Liaut, to see if he would come to London to talk about his book and the life of Toto Koopman. I would be most grateful if you could forward my email address to him. Merci, Pamela.
WordsAndPeace
June 30th, 2015 at 08:31
sent you an email yesterday
4 Trackbacks / Pingbacks
The Many Lives of Miss K Review October 6th, 2014 at 12:43
[…] Today I have a great book about a relatively unknown yet highly unusual woman, Toto Koopman. There is something about those women who were living their lives in the early 1900’s that epitomizes strength and determination, and Miss K is no different. Additionally, the publisher has graciously offered the opportunity for one lucky reader to win a print copy of the book , just look for the giveaway option to enter! And don’t forget to check out the other Tour Stops! […]
the blog tour of miss k | comp lit and mediaphilia September 6th, 2013 at 00:27
[…] here for the Rafflecopter. And then check out the other stops on the […]
Blog Tour and Giveaway!: The Many Lives of Miss K. by Jean-Noël Liaut | Boxes of Paper September 4th, 2013 at 08:12
[…] Wednesday, September 4 Review + Giveaway at Boxes Of Paper […]
The Many Lives of Miss K Review September 3rd, 2013 at 00:01
[…] Today I have a great book about a relatively unknown yet highly unusual woman, Toto Koopman. There is something about those women who were living their lives in the early 1900′s that epitomizes strength and determination, and Miss K is no different. Additionally, the publisher has graciously offered the opportunity for one lucky reader to win a print copy of the book , just look for the giveaway option to enter! And don’t forget to check out the other Tour Stops! […]