Sara Gay Forden’s juicy biography—the inspiration behind the controversial Ridley Scott movie—shines a spotlight on the dramatic, volatile, and enchanting Gucci family. The book chronicles the fashion house’s history, from the opening of their first store in Florence to Maurizio Gucci’s shocking assassination in broad daylight, a hit organized by his disgruntled wife, Patrizia Reggiani (played with gusto in the movie by Lady Gaga). Forden paints an opulent portrait of a competitive family slowly torn apart by jealousy, and every snapshot is gasp-worthy, from Maurizio forging the signature of his dying father to scandals involving the elite world of high fashion, mistresses, tax fraud, prison sentences, vicious lawsuits, and, of course, murder.
Narrator Fajer Al-Kaisi masters each character’s accent, from an old Sicilian getaway driver to ascending American designer Tom Ford. The House of Gucci is a deliciously thorough account of one of the 20th century’s most glamorous and diabolical dynasties.