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Toto & Coco
by Alan Frame
Toto Koopman and Coco Chanel were two women who embodied the glamour and extravagance of 1930s Paris and London high society. But as World War II loomed, their paths diverged dramatically.
In Toto & Coco, author Alan Frame presents a compelling account of these two women’s lives and how their choices during the war showcased the best and worst of the human spirit.
Toto Koopman, a beautiful Vogue cover girl, was the lover of the all-powerful press baron and wartime Cabinet minister Lord Beaverbrook. She chose to become a British spy, risking incarceration in a concentration camp, to fight against the Nazis. Her bravery and determination shine through as Frame tells the story of her time as a partisan in Italy and her eventual capture and imprisonment in Ravensbrueck concentration camp.
Coco Chanel, on the other hand, chose to collaborate with the Nazis and lived in luxury in occupied Paris with the help of her Gestapo lover. She did what she felt was right for herself and her business, even if it meant consorting with the enemy.
Toto and Coco were once friends, united by their status in high society, but their paths diverged as the war approached. The contrast between their choices is stark and highlights the stark reality of wartime choices.
Frame weaves both women’s stories together in a readable and fascinating manner, showcasing the best and worst of humanity in times of war. Toto & Coco is a must-read for anyone interested in the lives of women during World War II and the choices they faced.
Published by Kelvin House on 2020
Alan Frame is a journalist, broadcaster and author.
He began his career on the Belfast News Letter, one of the city’s two morning newspapers before joining the Daily Express in Manchester.
He moved to London after three years and worked on the Daily Sketch, the Observer, the Daily Mail and the London Evening News where he was an assistant editor before re-joining the Daily Express. He was executive editor from 1990 until 1995 during which time he was a frequent broadcaster on LBC and BBC radio and television.
He has reported from Northern Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, the Soviet Union and on the grim legacy of the Chernobyl nuclear explosion.
