The Artful Reader's Club

THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS

by PAM JENOFF

February 23, 2019

Finally...a book worthy of reviewing. It's another Pam Jenoff book. This is what historical fiction is meant to be! Vivid. Inspirational. Poignant. The plot is intriguing. It tells the story of fierce women who served as British secret agents during WWII... members of the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.,) a shocking and largely unknown piece of wartime history, bringing to light the immense bravery and determination these women had to venture into unknown territory, plant themselves as everyday French citizens, becoming part of Nazi-occupied French society. Putting their lives at risk, they connect with the local resistance members and, as radio operators and couriers, send back critical information and complete various goals of sabotage to undermine Germany's quest to conquer Europe.

The story drew me in from the start. It begins in 1946 Manhattan, when Grace Healey discovers a seemingly abandoned suitcase in Grand Central Station, containing photographs of 12 young women. She soon learns that the suitcase belongs to Eleanor Trigg, the leader of a group of  female secret agents in London who were sent out on missions during WWII. Twelve of the women never returned home and what happened to them is a mystery until Grace decides to go looking for answers, armed with only the name of each woman, as written on the back of each photograph.

Based on true events, Pam Jenoff has created a mesmerizing story...one in which these young women become a beacon of strength, resilience and bravery beyond compare. This book is a tribute to all those unsung heroes who risked everything in order to build a society where we can live in freedom. Their sacrifices should always be remembered!

A memorable, beautifully written, suspense-filled book...highly recommended!

ARTFUL READERS CLUB

THE TUSCAN CHILD by Rhys Bowen 

THE TUSCAN CHILD, by Rhys Bowen, is a blend of romance, mystery and engaging fiction. The tale is told through a dual timeline...half the story takes place during WWII: Hugo Langley, an English pilot, crashes in the Nazi-held hills of a fictional town in Tuscany, Italy. (How does he remain hidden and how does he survive?) The other half is about Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, who, thirty years later, finds some puzzling papers among her father's belongings following his recent death in England. These papers are so compelling that she's driven to journey to Tuscany to solve the enigma. We travel with Joanna from Surrey, England, in the early 1970s into the lush, rolling hills of Tuscany and the small village of San Salvatore, as she searches for clues to her father's past.

A mix of historical fiction, romance, mystery and murder, the book is well written and absorbing as were the colorful characters. THE TUSCAN CHILD was a good marriage of past and present...it's a heartwarming story filled with descriptions of delicious Italian foods and pleasant, welcoming villagers.

Definitely worth a read...

Thanks for checking in...
Big Hugs,
abbyj

ARTFUL READERS REVIEW 

"THE PARIS ARCHITECT" by Charles Belfoure 

September 23, 2016 

Hello Dear Ones,

I've been so negligent in keeping up my blog entries...I've missed the time to create some art for different challenges, but I DO keep reading. Building a new house takes lots of time, meetings and decisions but we're nearing the end...or should I say, a new beginning? I'm hoping you're all OK.

What an interesting and fast-moving book this is... Lucien is a young architect in 1942 Paris, France. He's struggling, along with so many others, during his city's Nazi occupation. His marriage is childless and crumbling, when into his life walks a wealthy French industrialist (who's sympathetic to the plight of the Jews.) He's got a profitable offer for this out-of-work architect who's anxious to advance his career. He commissions Lucien to build huge, important factories to help France with its war effort...(and help the German army as a byproduct!) Driven by his need to make a living as well as to prove himself a clever architect and gain a successful reputation, he additionally agrees to help the industrialist by designing expertly concealed hiding places in apartments for persecuted Jews... behind a painting in a wall, within a support column, inside a drainpipe, under some enclosed stairs...places invisible to the average eye. Some of these Jews are friends of the industrialist, some are not. Taking life-threatening risks, at first it was to challenge his design imagination and outwit the unrelenting Nazis. But after one of his hiding places fails, he becomes personally involved in the effort to do all he can to help these suffering, hunted people.

"THE PARIS ARCHITECT " is a powerful portrayal of a people under occupation. Many of the French people struggled to save themselves while others added saving the hunted to their personal struggle. There's much darkness in this book as in any book written about this horror-filled period of history, but Belfoure balances it with a sense of hope and salvation. If you're a fan of historical fiction, this book presents an unusual twist on a familiar WWII theme. Highly recommended!!

Wishing you the best days and a peaceful, happy heart...

Big Hugs,

abbyj

ARTFUL READER'S CLUB

June 25, 2013

 

Welcome...happy to be posting a review of my June reading adventure...THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE by Julie Orringer.

A breakout novel for the author who's been known as a writer of short stories, this 600+ page historical novel is totally engrossing and brilliant. Based on the author's own family story, THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE begins in 1937...pre-war Hungary. It's the story of three brothers: the eldest studying medicine in  Italy, the second studying architecture in Paris and the youngest still at home with their parents in Konyar, Hungary. Slowly, Hitler's vice closes on Europe; student visas are cancelled and ultimately, all young Jewish Hungarian men are forced to work far from their families, toiling in labor camps where conditions are increasingly desperate.

At the same time, these brothers Levi are falling in love, marrying and agonizing over their lost careers and their imagined fates. Orringer introduces us to many other compelling characters as well... characters who allow us to be eavesdroppers, in a sense. Many of the emotional and physical problems aren't seen directly, but are revealed when two characters who have been separated, reconnect with each other. I found this an interesting way to communicate what was happening everywhere in Hungary. But, it also lets the reader sense the horror of not being in control either one's own destiny or the harrowing circumstances of loved ones.

The events described provide insight into the little known aspects of what transpired in Hungary during that time in a very real way! Many  historical novels describe this era, but rarely from the viewpoint of Hungarian Jews. This beautifully written novel pays tribute  not only to this population but also to familial ties and relationships. It's a metaphor for love and war, yearning and loss, strength and survival under the most adverse conditions. It reminds us of the scale of what was lost and cherishes all that survived.

Admittedly, since my return from last Christmas' trip to Krakow, Poland (where my husband and I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau, both Nazi concentration camps,) I've been obsessed with novels about the Holocaust and WWII. Julie Orringer's INVISIBLE BRIDGE is as much a study of relationships and family love as it is about the horrors of the time. It deals with the war, discrimination, poverty, criminal activity...and it's full of twists and turns! It's definitely a book worth reading. My art reflects a bit about this amazing book, with the brothers Levi front and center!!

 

Will post my July book review the last Friday of the month...I'll be taking a few weeks off from blogging until then. Thanks for checking in! To see other book reviews from this group, check out Darcy's Art and Sole Artful Reader's Club.

 

Hugs,

abbyj





CHRISTMAS IN KRAKOW, POLAND

January 3, 2013

Ten days in the 2nd largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland, KRAKOW...that's where we were for Christmas. Situated on the Vistula River, the city dates back to the 7th century...medieval times. In fact, it's a walled city that has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural, economic and artistic life. 

Staying at a small, conventional Bed and Breakfast with a definite flavor of Poland, (called TANGO HOUSE) we climbed 55 steps up a winding stairway to our cozy room. 

We were right around the corner from the heart of Krakow's ancient Main Market Square (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site,)

at the center of the action in this busy city all the time. Centrally located, the sights, sounds and smells  of the Christmas season enveloped us as we walked the cobbled streets and hidden alleyways,

peeked in the gaily decorated shops and eateries...

and enjoyed the Christmas Market stalls and entertainment.

The pungent taste of sausages, sauerkraut and hot, spicy mulled wine are memorable pleasures as was the traditional hourly trumpet signal, heard around the clock...LIVE...since the 13th century... from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers.

The plaintive tune breaks off, incomplete, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city.  It's a lovely tradition, though somewhat gruesome in its history. Another lovely happening, (not gruesome at all,) that may BECOME a tradition, was held in the Main Market Square. It was a Christmas tree giveaway.  A local radio station gave a fresh cut tree to all who were patient and cold-resistant enough to wait in the exceptionally long lines. Nice...and there was music playing and lots of seasonal good will going around at the same time!! We wanted to find out more about it, but couldn't find anyone who spoke English!!

A very walkable, beautiful city, untouched by the ravages of WWII, Krakow was the country's first capital (before it was determined that Warsaw should have that distinction...politics!!)  A legend attributes the founding of the city to the mythical ruler, King Krakus, who built it atop a cave inhabited by the Wawel Dragon. The dreaded dragon's lair was at the foot of Wawel Hill on the bank of the Vistula River. 

Wawel Castle can be seen above the dragon's lair today.

Boasting many ancient churches (note the 12 Apostles welcoming worshippers and visitors alike,)

the home of a Pope,

and a few synagogues for the less than 200 Jews left in Krakow,

WWII's Nazi Reign of Terror is still very much in evidence. A visit to the concentration/death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau was a sobering reminder of humanity's lowest point. It's one thing to read about the horrors of the Holocaust, but quite another to walk on its grounds and see the remnants of these camps: sprawling and desolate places, partially destroyed by the Germans when they realized that they were losing the war. There was enough for us to get a chilling picture...an inkling...of the terror that these people lived through with each borrowed day. We say "Never Again,"  but like atrocities are still happening in pockets all over the world today. 

One of the most unnerving aspects of this visit was to see the young people posing for their friends' cameras, while standing next to assorted horrors, with big grins on their faces. Have sufficient years gone by that Auschwitz is just another museum?

The once Jewish section of Krakow, called Kazimierz, is now an up and coming neighborhood for fashion, night life, restaurants, bars and art. A stone's throw away, we found Oskar Schindler's factory (of "Schindler's List" fame.) A German businessman who came to Poland to profit from WWII, he ended up saving the lives of more than 1200 Jews by employing them...often at great risk to his own life!

On a brighter note, a visit to an extraordinary mall (one of two in Krakow) was a pleasant surprise. It had many high end shops, the usual assortment of chain stores (both Polish and American,) the ONLY Starbucks in the city...it even had a shop that launders, cleans and irons your clothes. Have you ever seen that kind of shop in a mall in the USA or Canada? I haven't! In addition, it had an enormous play/activity/crafts area for children.

I was in Krakow in 1981 doing a documentary for television with Project Hope at the Polish-American Children's Hospital. The country had just emerged from Communist rule and was carefully, cautiously stretching  its arms toward freedom. It was the first time there were colorful fruits and vegetables in the markets. The steel mills were still going strong and when it snowed, it was actually GRAY, not white!! When we were out walking, the air pollution made breathing difficult...many wore masks. Today, the city of Krakow is unrecognizable. It has opened its arms to tourists and created a strong infrastructure that has made a visit to this medieval city a wonderful experience. People were warm and welcoming, returning our smiles and greetings. Seeing remnants of the walled, medieval city that Krakow was...it's ancient buildings (like the Renaissance style Cloth Hall, the world's arguably oldest shopping mall and hub of the city since the 13th century,) 

and stepping aside for the passing horse and carriage, visiting Krakow was a treat that will remain in our thoughts and bring us smiles for a long time to come!

Thanks for traveling with me... I'm taking the month off from blogging. There may be a quick posting here and there, but I hope to see you in February, when I'll be blogging regularly once again.

Thanks, family and friends...Once again, Happy 2013!!

Big Hugs and love,
abbyj