Paperback, 384 pages
Published
September 6th 2016 by Berkley
From the New York Times bestselling author
of The Paris Keycomes the story of a mysterious work of art and the
woman inspired to uncover its history in the City of Light.
After surviving the accident that took her mother’s life, Claire Broussard worked hard to escape her small Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago, Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she unearths a beautiful sculpture that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II.
At her grandmother’s urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the centuries old mask-making atelier where the sculpture, known only as “L’inconnue”—or the Unknown Woman—was created. With the help of a passionate sculptor, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offer insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art.
As Claire uncovers the unknown woman’s tragic fate, she begins to discover secrets—and a new love—of her own.
After surviving the accident that took her mother’s life, Claire Broussard worked hard to escape her small Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago, Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she unearths a beautiful sculpture that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II.
At her grandmother’s urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the centuries old mask-making atelier where the sculpture, known only as “L’inconnue”—or the Unknown Woman—was created. With the help of a passionate sculptor, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offer insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art.
As Claire uncovers the unknown woman’s tragic fate, she begins to discover secrets—and a new love—of her own.
My Thoughts…
The location of
Chicago, a place close to my heart, Louisiana, and then Paris all set up this
book to be intriguing. What could these
places have in common? The answer is
Claire Broussard. She grew up in
Louisiana with her drunk father until she is taken in by her grandmother,
Mammaw. Her life was not easy; she
lost her mother in a horrific accident, and was very restless. Going to college in Chicago she thought she
had moved away yet always felt the pull to go home. Finally her Mammaw, on her death bed, makes
her promise to go to Paris promising her that there is adventure and secrets to
be found. Claire lived an adventurous
life. Some of those adventures were not
enjoyable for her but they were her life.
I was invested in Claire and her happiness. I knew she deserved it but she just
couldn’t seem to find the right place for it to be found.
I adored her
family in Louisiana and how they took her back into their lives when she moved
back home to say goodbye to her Mammaw.
They also supported her trip to Paris and kept in contact with her
during her travels. The letters she
sent back to her Uncle Remy were true to what was going on in her Paris life,
sometimes telling more than the actions of her life were showing. I felt these letters were showing her real
feelings even when Claire was doubting herself.
L’Inconnue de
la Seine’s, The Unknown Woman of the Seine, story was eerie. A young girl left with no one. She turned to modeling and became a muse to
the man who saved her from starving. I
felt like she was slave like. She
couldn’t leave without his permission, he abused her, and he thought he was
treating her well. The fear and
compassion I felt for her made her so real to me. I wanted her to escape, get away from the
artist, blaze her own path of happiness.
Letters from
Paris is a sad story with lots of love, family, and so many secrets. Juliet Blackwell did an amazing job
making the artist world along with Paris come to life for her readers. Upon finishing the book I just sat back and
thought about how wonderful it would be to visit such a beautiful city.
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