From the international bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Garden of Letters, comes a story—inspired by true events—of two women pursuing freedom and independence in Paris during WWII.As Paris teeters on the edge of the German occupation, a young French woman closes the door to her late grandmother’s treasure-filled apartment, unsure if she’ll ever return. An elusive courtesan, Marthe de … return.
An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian cultivated a life of art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her impoverished childhood in the dark alleys of Montmartre. With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with her granddaughter Solange Beaugiron, using her prized possessions to reveal her innermost secrets. Most striking of all are a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent portrait of Marthe painted by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. As Marthe’s tale unfolds, like velvet itself, stitched with its own shadow and light, it helps to guide Solange on her own path.
Inspired by the true account of an abandoned Parisian apartment, Alyson Richman brings to life Solange, the young woman forced to leave her fabled grandmother’s legacy behind to save all that she loved.
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The Velvet Hours captivated me immediately. It’s the second novel I’ve read based on this subject, and the manner in which this author artfully blends fact with fiction is like a graceful dance. It’s a beautiful tale from little that is known or reported about Marthe de Florian, a Parisian Belle Epoque courtesan, whose treasures were left undisturbed inside her apartment for 70 years after it was vacated. We find the almost larger than life Marthe de Florian, now a grand maman, sharing her story with her granddaughter. I can only imagine being that granddaughter, wide-eyed as I savor every word being spoken. There’s so much richness and depth to the book – the Paris setting, the historic value, the fascinating characters. Marthe’s story has moments as sensual as the brush strokes on the portrait.