In 2010, a collection of bold, curious paintings by an anonymous artist appears at London's Southwark Picture Gallery. The paintings depict intimate scenes from the early 20th century in Paris: a life-drawing class in progress, a close-up view of the swirling waters of the Seine, a languid, beautiful upper-class woman absorbed in her opium pipe.
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 life on the posh Rue de Seine with her employers, the delicate Sylvie Morel and her brother, Christian, Maud begins to flourish artistically and personally, coming into contact with the rich American Madame de Civray and other aristocrats. 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, 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; Anatomy of Murder) 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.
The dark story twists and turns as Maud, Tanya and Yvette are drawn deeper into the Morels' web of thievery and deception. Instead of centering on a conventional love story like similar historical works, the novel is held together by the tensile strength of the women's friendship. Occasional catalogue notes from the 2010 art exhibition appear throughout the story, their meaning made clear only in the brief epilogue. Dramatic and teeming with intrigue, The Paris Winter is a richly detailed historical novel that both thrills and satisfies. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: A young artist is swept into intrigue and treachery amid the glitter and shadows of Belle Époque Paris.