As I was reading this novel I had a sneaking suspicion that I had read it before or saw a movie based on it. It seemed familiar. A search of my blogger posts did not find anything so I continued to read. It has an interesting plot but because it was so familiar I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have if the storyline was new to me. I guess I have read too many Nazi art theft novels.
The publisher's summary:
As the German's advance on Paris in 1940, a young Jewish girl, Sylvie Vasseur, is sent by her father to rural Ireland to live with the Courtney family. He also sends his valuable art collection - including a portrait of Sylvie by the renowned Mateus, Girl on a Swing. Sylvie is education by the narcissistic elder son Nicholas Courtney when she is eighteen, but he abandons her when he discovers she is pregnant. To avoid the inevitable social stigma, Sylvie marries his brother Peter. In Dublin, she becomes involved in the art scene, achieving critical acclaim as a painter. But, trapped in a loveless marriage, she continues to be obsessed with Nicholas. Until, unexpectantly, secrets from her father's past emerge, leading her to question everything she once believed. Shortly after, she is found drowned on a Wexford beach.
Seventeen years later, Claire Howard, struggling art historian, is hired by the Courtney family to record Sylvie's lifeworks. Fascinated by the artist and working with Sylvie's son Sam, Claire travels between Dublin and Paris, eventually unravelling a labyrinth of deceit and lies that threaten to endanger her life.
The books is advertised as an historical thriller. It is not a thriller but rather an historical mystery. I don't think that the writing style meets the thriller formula. That said, the plot is intricate and sophisticated. A plot twist at the halfway point moves the direction of the expected outcome toward a different path. I was not expecting this twist and it added to my enjoyment of the novel.
The Irish setting interested me because I have never read a book that was set in Ireland. When the story alternates between Ireland and Paris, the Paris setting is familiar to me as I have read many books that were set in France. I have always loved reading about Paris. The writing about Ireland, on the other hand, could have been more descriptive. I was expecting to read more about the weather and the topography of the island. What we read read about is the societal norms of the country, which I believe most readers already know about for this war era.
The characters could have been more developed, particularly Peter. We don't really know what makes him tick. Why did he put up with so much shunning from Sylvie? What is his personality like? We know more about Nicholas than Sylvie's husband. Nicholas is the usual male cad and we women know exactly what to expect from him. Sylvie was a compelling character. She grew from being a shy, fearful girl into a confident woman but only after discovering her artistic talents. As an artist myself I can feel exactly what she feels when she is painting. There is an ecstasy to the process of creating something on a canvas.
This was a good book but as I stated earlier, the familiarity of the story to other books that I have read affected my enjoyment of it. 3 out of 5 stars.
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