In the winter of 1909, Maud Heighton, a genteel Englishwoman, struggles to make ends meet while studying at the Académie Lafond in Paris, one of the few studios where drawing classes are open to women. When one of Maud's classmates, a generous Russian socialite named Tanya, secures her a job as live-in companion to a charming Frenchwoman, Maud believes her financial troubles are over. Enjoying her new posh life with her employers, siblings Sylvie and Christian Morel, Maud begins to flourish artistically and personally. But amid the glitter of lavish holiday celebrations, Maud's comfortable routine is shattered by a devastating betrayal and she barely escapes with her life.
Finding herself in a Montmartre artist's garret, Maud recovers slowly, with the help of Tanya and Yvette, a former model from their art class. The three young women navigate the complex world of Belle Époque Paris, dealing with romantic and economic difficulties while plotting their revenge on the Morels. Meanwhile, rich American aristocrat Madame de Civray, who played an unwitting part in Maud's downfall, becomes a key participant in both the young woman's plan for retribution and her future career.
Imogen Robertson (Circle of Shadows) paints a dark, evocative portrait of the turbulent era, highlighting the limits placed on women through the three distinct protagonists. Strong-willed and resourceful, all three women must struggle against the financial and social constraints placed on them to build rich and satisfying--if unconventional--lives. Instead of centering on a conventional love story like similar historical works, the dramatic, intriguing, richly detailed historical novel is held together by the tensile strength of the women's friendship. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams