From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. In a funny, whip-smart essay sure to be a sensation among Vogue and W devotees, erstwhile hair and makeup artisan Tonello (now a columnist for HuffingtonPost.com) chronicles a surprising (even to him!) trans-Atlantic move from Provincetown, R.I. to a city he’d fallen in love with on a short trip: Barcelona, where he knows no one and doesn’t speak the language. Tonello’s original euphoria dissolves when his new occupation fails to materialize. To stay afloat, Tonello starts marketing items on Ebay with startling results: his first, heart-racing success, a year-old $99 Polo scarf he sold for $430 to a Midwesterner (“I guess he in truth liked plaid”) makes Tonello an instant believer in the resale capablenesses of high-end luxuriousness items. Thus his new trade, and his quest for the Birkin, the “it bag” of all time, widely known and esteemed for it is impenetrable waiting list (“What do you mean the waiting list is closed? It’s a waiting list. So I can’t wait?”). After a lot of failed attempts, Tonello plans a weekend drive to Madrid in search of the haute couture holy grail; the result is a both a hilarious raid on fashion’s strongholds and a essay that satisfies like a novel. Fashion die-hards, and a good deal of others, will be delighted from beginning to end.
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From BooklistLives there a (female) soul so lacking in knowledge that heart and head do not flutter at the word Birkin? This luxe handbag, lovingly crafted by the artisans of Hermès, is reportedly sporting at least a two-year waiting list for would-be purchasers until Tonello, eBay reseller and gadabout hair stylist and makeup artist, in a literal sense stumbles all over a method of Birkin acquisition. In this shopaholic-like memoir, the author begins his across-the-world searches from a modest base in Provincetown, Massachusetts; acquiesces to a Barcelona gig; falls in love with the city and a man; and moves—permanently. With the promise of a real occupation dissolving in one phone call, Tonello resorts to syndication his own significant wardrobe—and a few initial editions—on the Web. Buoyed by success, his focus soon lingers on Hermès scarves—and, eventually, on the prize bag. In search of crocodile treasures, he (and we) meets each reputation in and out of high-end merchandising land, from buyers Ellen and Sarah to petty thief Luc and bedecked and bedazzled architect Lakis Gavalas. Chuckleworthy, with a few personal and sorrowful reminders that life merely happens … so enjoy! –Barbara Jacobs
Review” [Tonello] reveals the key to scoring that Holy Grail of handbags in a clever memoir.” — Boston Herald
“Fascinating. . . . The sassy and resourceful Tonello built a very remunerative eBay resale business from his apartment, specializing in Hermès scarves and the French lavishness purveyors highly desired Birkin bag. Its hard not to be swept up in his delightful one-man Birkin Brigades.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Funny, whip-smart. . . . Both a hilarious raid on fashions strongholds and a essay that satisfies like a novel. Fashion die-hards, and some others, will be delighted from beginning to end.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“In his peppy, addictive essay . . . [Tonello] details the comical lengths to which hes gone to snag hundreds of Birkins that he then sells (with a steep mark-up) on eBay.” — moderntonic.com
“The perfect, fluffy and fun beach read.” — glamour.com
“This summers most endearing chick-lit book. . . . Its smart. Its fizzy. Its amusingly snarky, with attitude to burn. ” — New York Times
“Tonello recounts the strange and serendipitous tale of how he went from cleaning out his closet to being one of the busiest Internet resellers of Birkin bags in the world.” — The Globe and Mail
“[A] essay of . . . madcap travels, triumphs and humiliations. [Tonello] peels back the layers of pretension at the eminent design house. . . . Anyone whos ever stepped into a lavishness boutique and felt the sting of the doormans disapproval will find a hero in Tonello.” — Miami Herald
“[A] sunny memoir. . . . The prose is vivid, the tone lighthearted. Mr. Tonello comes off as the fantasy gay best friend immortalized in contemporary womens fiction: sassy, plucky, optimisticoh, and he may get you a Birkin.” — Wall Street Journal
Boston Globe bestseller (No Source )
Boston Globe bestseller — No Source
“ [Tonello] reveals the key to scoring that Holy Grail of handbags in a clever memoir.” (Boston Herald )
“A deliciously addictive unfeigned tale of continent-hopping, celebrity-schmoozing, and a crazy-like-a-fox quest for that Hermès “it” bag, the Birkin. Haute read, indeed.” (straight.com )
“A deliciously quick nonfiction read.” (Charlotte Observer )
“A witty and engaging retrospective on [Tonello’s] long career traipsing the globe as a purveyor of the Birkin bag.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette )
“Fascinating. . . . The sassy and resourceful Tonello built a very remunerative eBay resale business from his apartment, specializing in Hermès scarves and the French lavishness purveyor’s highly desired Birkin bag. It’s hard not to be swept up in his delightful one-man Birkin Brigades.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune )
“Funny, thrilling, chock-full of great cocktail-party stories told with the flair of a natural raconteur.” (“The Year in Books 2008,” Chicago Center for Literature and Photography )
“Funny, whip-smart. . . . Both a hilarious raid on fashion’s strongholds and a essay that satisfies like a novel. Fashion die-hards, and galore others, will be delighted from beginning to end.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )
“Hermès’ worst nightmare.” (New York Daily News )
“I devoured, and adored Bringing Home the Birkin, the story of how one man turned the fashionable set’s obsession with Hermès’ signature handbag into a handsome, globe-trotting career.” (Jennifer Weiner, Author of Good in Bed and In Her Shoes )
“In his peppy, addictive essay . . . [Tonello] details the comical lengths to which he’s gone to snag hundreds of Birkins that he then sells (with a steep mark-up) on eBay.” (moderntonic.com )
“Part comedy, part history, percentage treasure hunt, Michael Tonello’s essay is a romping sociological inquiry. If you’re like me, you’ll be transfixed and wanting more!” (Tim Gunn )
“The fashion world is regarding to be handed it is own Da Vinci Code with Bringing Home the Birkin.” (Maclean’s )
“The one-step, one-stop shop guide to buying a Birkin.” (Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post )
“The one-step, one-stop shop guide to buying a Birkin.” (Huffington Post )
“The perfect, fluffy and fun beach read.” (glamour.com )
“This summer’s most endearing chick-lit book. . . . It’s smart. It’s fizzy. It’s amusingly snarky, with attitude to burn. ” (New York Times )
“Tonello recounts the strange and serendipitous tale of how he went from cleaning out his closet to being one of the busiest Internet resellers of Birkin bags in the world.” (The Globe and Mail )
“[A] essay of . . . madcap travels, triumphs and humiliations. [Tonello] peels back the layers of pretension at the eminent design house. . . . Anyone who’s ever stepped into a luxuriousness boutique and felt the sting of the doorman’s disapproval will find a hero in Tonello.” (Miami Herald )
“[A] sunny memoir. . . . The prose is vivid, the tone lighthearted. Mr. Tonello comes off as the fantasy gay best friend immortalized in contemporary women’s fiction: sassy, plucky, optimistic—oh, and he may get you a Birkin.” (Wall Street Journal )
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