Saturday, April 9, 2011

13 rue Therese / Review

Author: Elena Mauli Shapiro
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books; 1 edition (February 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316083283

Book Description:
American academic Trevor Stratton discovers a box full of artifacts from World War I as he settles into his new office in Paris. The pictures, letters, and objects in the box relate to the life of Louise Brunet, a feisty, charming Frenchwoman who lived through both World Wars.

As Trevor examines and documents the relics the box offers up, he begins to imagine the story of Louise Brunet's life: her love for a cousin who died in the war, her marriage to a man who works for her father, and her attraction to a neighbor in her building at 13 rue Thérèse. The more time he spends with the objects though, the truer his imaginings of Louise's life become, and the more he notices another alluring Frenchwoman: Josianne, his clerk, who planted the box in his office in the first place, and with whom he finds he is falling in love.
 
My Thoughts:
I love the cover art for this book. It is as captivating as the story it represents. The art doesn't stop with the cover; it is also carried throughout the novel, along with old photographs.
 
The story itself is a romantic fantasy which the author tells with breathtaking skill. It is surprising, mysterious, heart-breaking at times, romantic, and definitely unique. 4 stars****
 
(Thank you to Hachette Books for my review copy.)
 
 

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