When two young women steal the purse of Esther, the Head Seamstress at Dior, she decides to teach one of them, Jade, her trade. Although they are of different generations and religions—Esther is Jewish, Jade is Muslim—the two find in one another what is missing in their lives: a sense of purpose in Jade’s case, and human connection in Esther’s.

Virtual Guest Speaker: Gioia Diliberto, author of "Coco at the Ritz."

Co-sponsor: Alliance Française de San Francisco.

Gioia Diliberto

Gioia is the author of three historical novels, four biographies, and a play. Her writing, which focuses on women's lives, has been praised for combining rich storytelling and literary grace with deep research to bring alive worlds as varied as Jazz Age Paris and nineteenth century Chicago, Belle Epoque Paris and disco era Manhattan. As a journalist, Gioia has written for many publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Town & Country, and Vanity Fair. She also teaches writing and has taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design and DePaul and Northwestern Universities.