I am a Paris-born, award-winning artist and author. Although I have lived on four continents, France is in my blood and draws me back time and again. It’s no surprise that countless novels are set in France – and Paris in particular. My debut historical fiction L’Origine: The secret life of the world’s most erotic masterpiece marries my three passions – History (I majored in French history), Art, and Literature. I'm the recipient of six literary honors and my freelance articles and blog posts can be found on platforms such as HuffPost, France Magazine, DailyArt Magazine, Bonjour Paris, The Book Commentary, and BookBrunch. I hope you enjoy the eclectic range of books on my recommended list!
I wrote...
L'Origine: The Secret Life of the World's Most Erotic Masterpiece
By
Lilianne Milgrom
What is my book about?
L’Origine is an award-winning historical fiction that traces the remarkable odyssey of a 19th century painting so scandalous it was kept hidden for a century and a half, passing clandestinely from hand to hand across centuries and continents. It is a story of survival, replete with Turkish pashas, French revolutionaries, and nefarious Nazi captains. Today, Gustave Courbet’s notorious painting hangs in the world-renowned Orsay Museum in Paris.
As the first artist authorized by the Orsay Museum to re-create Courbet's L'Origine du monde (The Origin of the World), I was thrust into the painting's intimate orbit. The experience inspired me to share my story and the painting's riveting adventures with readers beyond the confines of the art world.
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The Books I Picked & Why
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
By
Sonia Purnell
Why this book?
How is it that I never heard of Virginia Hall! Do heroines like her even exist anymore? That’s what kept going through my mind as I read this creative nonfiction novel about a courageous American spy who operated in France during the Nazi occupation. What a woman! With barely any training and almost no command of French, she succeeded in building a resistance network despite her debilitating physical disability – not to mention having to prove her worth to men unused to taking orders from a woman!
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The Vanished Collection
By
Pauline Baer de Perignon,
Natasha Lehrer
Why this book?
Pauline Baer de Perignon doesn’t hold anything back – she puts her ego aside as she shares her secret ambitions, doubts and insecurities, triumphs and frustrations on her mission to uncover a distressing chapter in her family’s history. The rhythm and pace are indicative of a book translated from the French - a slow-moving train rather than a speeding locomotive, but that just enhanced the feeling of accompanying the author on her passionate yet painful quest in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
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The Paris Library
By
Janet Skeslien Charles
Why this book?
I loved this book as much for its story as its turn of phrase. The Paris Library is set during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Although the book does not avoid addressing the privations and terror experienced by those living through that devastating period, it is the role the library played in people’s lives that is central to the story – it provided a precarious haven and a refuge of sanity. The novel is an important reminder that books are far more than words on paper – they have the power to sustain us through the darkest times.
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Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne
By
Linda Lappin
Why this book?
Loving Modigliani is no ordinary historical fiction novel. I was initially hesitant to read a book that required me to take a leap of faith and accept that the main narrator was a ghost, but I’m glad I did! So much has been written about Modigliani, but very few books give us insight into his surprisingly gifted and tragic young paramour, Jeanne Hébuterne. Despite the twists and turns and fantastical premise, I found myself totally engrossed in Lappin’s masterful storytelling.
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Love Among the Recipes
By
Carol M. Cram
Why this book?
Even though this book has an element of girl-meets-guy-in-Paris, I included it under the title of ‘books set in France that go beyond the rom com’ because it was so refreshing to read about a woman of a ‘certain age’ who comes into her own during a stay in Paris. The protagonist struggles with real-life issues, not the usual Emily-in-Paris dilemmas. Cram knows Paris like the back of her hand and deftly titillates all the senses with her food-inspired passages.
