Alyson Richman

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. Inspired by the true account of an abandoned Parisian apartment, Alyson Richman brings to life the stories of courtesan Marthe de Florian, her granddaughter Solange Beaugiron, and the unlikely relationship between two women who pursue freedom and independence during uncertain times.

The Velvet Hours

Erin 

My mom is one of the worst offenders for judging a book by its cover - but instead of thinking a book is bad because of a bad cover, if she thinks the cover is pretty she'll assume I'll like it. Even if she doesn't read the summary. It feels like everytime she sees a historical cover, she'll think I'll like it. And she buys them for me and they sit on my shelf, waiting, usually in vain, to be read.

This time, for once, she was spot on. I really, really enjoyed this. For me, a lot of books about WWII feel the same. For me to like one, it has to have some sort of difference to it, rather than just about surviving the war. It has two perspectives and two storylines, which isn't uncommon either, especially for historical novels. The difference here is that instead of a past/present parallel, we get a past/past parallel. The Velvet Hours is based upon the real discovery of an apartment that had been sealed for decades, almost perfectly preserved. It is beautifully written and it reads like a romantic moment between the reader and the city of Paris and the idea of love and a life well-lived. Everything from the story behind the pearl necklace to Solange's mother's books felt genuine and real. The two storylines fit together perfectly, as if they happened along parallel lines in separate universes. I wouldn't be able to choose between the two. I love books that don't reveal the whole plot in the summary, so that when you get near the end, you are taken on a journey that is unexpected and if you're lucky, worth the ride and surprise. That's how this one ends, and I couldn't be more pleased. Even writing this review, two and a half months after finishing it, this book still brings a smile to my face. I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

The Velvet Hours

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