Author: Natasha Lester
Publisher: 1st September 2021 by Hachette Australia
Pages: 434 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, women’s fiction, World War II, romance
My Rating: 5 cups
Synopsis:
Paris, 1939: The Nazis think Éliane can't understand German. They’re wrong. They think she’s merely cataloging art in a Louvre museum and unaware they’re stealing national treasures for their private collections. They have no idea she’s carefully decoding their notes and smuggling information to the Resistance. But Éliane is playing a dangerous game. Does she dare trust the man she once loved with her secrets, or will he only betray her once again? She has no way to know for certain . . . until a trip to a stunning home on the French Riviera brings a whole new level of peril.
Present Day: Wanting to forget the tragedy that has left her life in shambles, Remy Lang heads to a home she’s mysteriously inherited on the Riviera. While working on her vintage fashion business, she discovers a catalog of the artworks stolen during World War II and is shocked to see a painting that hung on her childhood bedroom wall. Who is her family, really? And does the Riviera house hold more secrets than Remy is ready to face?
My Thoughts
‘Without art, we’re not truly alive. Take away all the musical instruments and the songs and the sculptures and the books and the sketches and the paintings and it's like taking away food. Nobody would survive.’
Natasha Lester continues to produce spellbinding tale after spellbinding tale. Here again she delivers with another historical showstopper - a dual time narrative that will have you on the edge of your seat until you finally, and regrettably, turn the last page. If you have never read a Natasha Lester book (historical fiction fan or not) then I am here to tell you, you are missing out. I have loved everything she has written and her latest, ‘The Riviera House’ is no exception.
For her latest lavish escapade, Natasha transports her readers back to when the Nazis were categorically undertaking major art theft during WWII and where brave Resistance fighters risked much to try and preserve and keep safe remarkable works of art. I cannot even begin to imagine the ENORMOUS amount of research that Natasha so obviously undertook in the writing of this book. The details are incredible as once again her artistic weaving of both facts curated around a fictional tale is sublime and leaves the reader in no doubt … no doubt whatsoever … that Natasha is a phenomenal writer of historical fiction.
To be treated to a dual time narrative is exciting and with each of her novels I continue to be gobsmacked at how cleverly Natasha lays the foundation for both tales knowing that, eventually, they will intertwine and leave her readers in awe. Her storytelling ability is next level, whether you are in war-torn Paris or basking in the sun on the French Riviera, you get all the ‘feels’ through Natasha’s writing. To open a page of Natasha’s book is to be transported back in time or stepping into the shoes of the internal struggles Remy faces in the present day. There are moments where Natasha has you feeling the depths of hunger or the pain from chilblains, where characters are cutting up clothes for repurposing or laying in front of the fireplace in a vintage gown, Natasha takes you there.
If it were at all possible I would give this book more than five stars as it is so heartbreakingly beautiful. I have to hold myself back from rushing to consume it all in one sit, devouring prose as one would refreshment on a hot day. Natasha will always spoil her readers through her love of fashion and vintage clothing which is once again on display. This time, of course, there is focus on some incredible works of art and any story that has you rushing to visually see for yourself through Google is well done. I am not referring here to not only the likes of the Mona Lisa, but also The Astronomer by Vermeer or the enchanting village of Eze on the French Riviera.
‘Art is the daughter of freedom … When we stood together watching the Winged Victory we were all connected by something beyond ourselves. Art is all we have when words fail us, when mankind fails us and when we each fail each other. If we don’t save these works, we can’t save ourselves.’
This novel is so powerful and beautifully written, each and every character brings something to the story. Through pain and loss, sacrifice and sorrow Natasha takes you on a journey where seemingly impossible decisions will have to be made with the ramifications transcending through the years to come.
Do yourself a favour, walk the streets of Paris with Eliane in war torn France, then start putting all the pieces together with Remy in the present day. I challenge you not to be shocked as secrets are revealed at just the right points throughout the story, or feel triumphant when your heartfelt hopes are realised. This is historical fiction, indeed storytelling, at its finest. I simply cannot wait to see what Natasha will come up with next as she is now an author one buys without even turning to read the book blurb - she is that good.
‘Love is watching me go and saying nothing, doing nothing.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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