When Edgar Degas visits his French Creole relatives in New Orleans from 1872 to ’73, Estelle, his cousin and sister-in-law, encourages the artist—who has not yet achieved recognition and struggles to find inspiration—to paint portraits of their family members. In 1970, Anne Gautier, a young artist, finds connections between her ancestors and Degas while renovating the New Orleans house she has … she has inherited. When Anne finds two identical portraits of Estelle, she discover disturbing truths that change her life as she searches for meaningful artistic expression—just as Degas did one hundred years earlier.
A gripping historical novel told by two women living a century apart, Estelle combines mystery, family saga, art, and romance in its exploration of the man Degas was before he became the artist famous around the world today.
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This superb debut novel expertly weaves back and forth two New Orleans stories filled with color and warmth. Henley expertly depicts early 1870s flora, cuisine and customs from walking the streets, a Mardi Gras ball as well as etiquette. Edgar Degas brief but important five month stay there, from 1872 – 1873, inspired his work to a new level. Through interesting descriptions of his paintings and conversations, his family members are vividly brought to life. Anne’s 1970s story intersects nicely with her art museum job and renovation of a dilapidated home on the same street where Degas stayed. The family trees and epilogue are added bonuses to help the reader understand fact from fiction.
Henley clearly did her research to write this novel spanning two time periods in New Orleans. I read this in a weekend, so taken by the characters, the social issues, and how the plot is woven together so seamlessly. Engaging, informative and well worth your time!
This historical fiction tale has it all–a rich setting, fascinating characters, a polished blending of plot and subplot, careful research, beautiful language, and an overall transporting of the reader into the world of artists and art. The fact that the most famous character is the world-famous Edgar Degas, but the plot revolves around the lives of women, adds an additional layer of resonance to the finely-drawn portraits.
Linda Stewart Henley treats us to a look at Edgar Degas’s visit to his family in New Orleans in 1872. Henley has clearly done her research, so that we feel we are really observing Degas and his interactions with his family. We are hearing how he feels about art and his own career at that point. We also get a view of New Orleans in 1970, along with some of the urgent social issues of the time, all in the context of the story of Anne, a young woman trying to figure out her family’s connection to Degas, as well as what she wants to do in her personal and professional life. The details about the art of painting, and a look at the city’s elegant homes in the city in 1872, and what their fate was by 1970, add texture and interest. A novel that is hard to resist for lovers of art, history, and New Orleans.
I love Impressionist painters and Edgar Degas is one of my faves. But I’ve always been more familiar with his paintings of dancers. I didn’t know he had an extended stay with relatives in New Orleans that marked a turning point in his art career. Henley’s novel is a fascinating look at the relationship between Degas and his family and how that might have impacted his art. The author expertly weaves in a “present day” story set in the 1970s that features a fictional descendant and adds tension to the plot. An enjoyable read!
If you love New Orleans, then you’ll enjoy the rich setting of Estelle by Linda Henley. The novel’s dual timeline will appeal to fans of historical fiction. The more historical storyline involves Degas’s trip to New Orleans and included an interesting depiction of life for the wealthy class in New Orleans after the Civil War. I loved learning a bit about the history behind some of Degas’s paintings. The later timeline is in the 1970s and includes romance, intrigue, and the fun of a house renovation. Estelle has something for everyone.