If you are at all familiar with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, you will enjoy the parts of this book that describe not only his buildings, but also what he was thinking about when he designed them. You can almost see the buildings taking shape. This is a work of fiction, based on actual events (mostly derived from newspapers of the time, and a few letters that survived). The book is about the affair that Wright had with Mamah (pronounced May-mah), Cherry, something that was a huge scandal at the time. The entire affair is told to the reader through Mamah’s eyes, leaving Frank to be somewhat of a mystery. Which he kind of was.

Mamah is married to Edwin, and, though they have two children, and the marriage isn’t a bad one, she is unhappy. In her eyes, she and Edwin just don’t really connect. Edwin, for the most part, is completely oblivious to Mamah’s growing restlessness.

Edwin and Mamah commission an up-and-coming architect to design and build one of his “Prairie Homes” for them. Mamah and Frank meet for the first time, and there is an instant attraction between the two. Frank is married as well, (with children), and his wife is part of the social circle that all of them are friends with. Both know they cannot be together, but, they also can’t seem to get enough of each other.

It starts small. Mamah invites Frank’s wife to social events, hoping to see Frank. Frank comes over to talk to Mamah about the house plans. They talk to each other more than either one talks to their own spouse, and find they have a lot in common, including a love of nature. Frank is also in an unhappy marriage, and has been feeling very distant from his wife for years before meeting Mamah. Both are so lonely, despite having large families.

Naturally, an affair starts.

Mamah finds herself making some incredibly difficult choices. Should she leave Edwin? Should they divorce? This was at a time when it wasn’t easy to get a divorce at all, but especially if the divorce was initiated by a woman. Mamah would risk everything if she tried to get divorced. She could lose her children forever. She would definately have a difficult time getting a job, because people at the time did not want to hire divorced women, and also because she would not have any job skills. Edwin could simply refuse to grant Mamah a divorce, and what would happen then? What about the children? Should Mamah take them with her if she leaves Edwin for Frank, or should she leave them behind, essentially abandoning them?

Frank doesn’t exactly have it easy either. His wife won’t sign the divorce papers. His money is running out, and he has a huge debt. His children won’t see him. Frank is losing a lot to be with Mamah, including his reputation. Once the newspapers find out about the affair, they do what newspapers do best : gossip about people in the public eye! Truth and lies become inseperable, and Frank loses some commissions because of this.

It becomes a question of desire. Is it better to stay in a life that is stable, but stale and lifeless, or, to risk losing everything for a chance at true passion?

This book is a work of historical fiction, that takes place in the late 1800s and very early 1900s. That’s about 100 years ago, but it feels very modern. I was very impressed at how detailed a story Horan was able to create, considering she had so little data to work with. Readers from the Midwestern United States will recognize Oak Park, (where it all started), as well as some of the other midwestern places this book is set in.

Naslund has written a captivating novel of historical fiction about the life of Marie Antoinette. Anyone who is familiar with history will know the main events that occurred, and, of course, what happened to this Queen of France at the end of her life. Even knowing that, however, it is still well worth it to read through the 520-some pages of this book, because it is so well written.

Naslund writes this story entirely from the viewpoint of Marie herself, giving the reader the treat of hearing the private thoughts of a Queen. Included are some letters Marie writes to friends and family, and also some letters written to her from her loved ones. At times, it almost feels like you are reading a private diary. This style successfully makes Marie into a real person, into a woman not so different from many of us, instead of just some Queen from a history textbook we had to read about in school.

The story starts with Marie, who is only fourteen years old, going through a ceremony to change both her name and her nationality. She is taken from her family, to a foreign country, to marry someone she has never even met before. Her husband is next in line to be King of France, and is about the same age as she is. Both are awkward and unprepared.

After that, no aspect of her life is private anymore. The whole of two nations want to know everything. Has she has sex with her husband yet? Did she get her period this month, or is she pregnant? When will she give them another heir to the throne? She doesn’t have her first child until many years after her marriage, because her husband doesn’t seem interested in sex. Even when she gives birth, she has an audience of many, watching the baby emerge. Imagine the pressure she must have been under!

Naslund has done a great job with all the little details of the story. I could easily picture each painting and sculpture described in the book. I could almost see the dresses and jewelry the women wore and how the styles of fashion changed as the years went by. Naslund makes the reader feel as though she is actually in the sumptuous rooms and colorful gardens Marie enjoyed.

From the time she was married, Marie has a court of nobles surrounding her. The group held dances, went on hunts, gambled, flirted, and spread rumors about each other. Some rather nasty rumors about Marie were published in newspapers and flyers, and sent around France. This sounds very similar to how many famous political figures and celebrities are treated by the media today. It must have been stressful.

Marie Antoinette became a very devoted wife and mother. The people of France loved her, as did her many close friends among the nobles. Naslund makes the reader like Marie as a person. This makes things that much more dramatic when things start to go badly. The American Revolution happens, which sparks the revolution in France. Suddenly, it seems, the people of France hate the King and Queen. Marie, and everyone she loves the most, are in danger, and many tense decisions and bold actions are taken. I found I couldn’t put the book down, even though I knew what the final outcome would be.

It cannot be easy to write a work of fiction about a historical figure who is so well known. Naslund does an impressive job with this book.

It helps to know, before you pick up this book, that there really is a tapestry called “The Lady and the Unicorn”. It belongs to a series, all of which have a lady and a unicorn, all of which were created in the late fifteenth century, and all of which are now located in the Cluny Museum in Paris. This book is a work of fiction based around those tapestries.

Alex Pellier works for the Cluny, and part of her job is to acquire more medieval art for the museum. She spends lots of time searching. One day, she comes across hints that there might be a seventh tapestry belonging to the series already hanging in the museum. It becomes her dream to bring this new, never before seen, work of art together with the rest of the series it belongs to. Most of the book is a treasure hunt, as Alex picks up clues and hints in her quest for the tapestry. It was exciting.

So, Alex spends her days, and many nights, working on getting this tapestry, becoming more and more interested in the story behind its creation. What was going on with the woman who designed it? Did she become a nun? Why was this tapestry hidden away for so long? She is also scheming about how to manage to obtain this tapestry for the Cluny. Alex finds herself feeling very connected to the woman who designed the tapestry. At times, she feels like the woman is communicating directly to her, sometimes guiding her. She spends her off time with her young daughter, Sunny, and Sunny’s grandmothers. Alex was married when she was young, and is now a widow. Sunny is extremely intelligent, and working on becoming an artist herself. Sunny is attracted to the tapestries, and trying to draw the ladies she sees in them.

Out of nowhere, Jake appears in Paris. Alex and Jake dated when they were in college, and there is clearly something unfinished between them. Jake has come to Paris to see if he can start painting again, and also to escape his engagement to a woman who he does not seem well matched with. The lives of Alex and Jake become more and more entwined, as he helps her on her quest. Will Jake and Alex ever get together? This question hangs in the air over most of the events in the book.

At first, this book was interesting to me. Some parts are very exciting, especially the parts where Alex learns more about the mysterious tapestry. After a while, however, I began to lose interest. I stopped caring about who ended up with the tapestry, or if Alex and Jake finally hit it off. I guess I wanted more of the story to be about the woman who designed the tapestry in the first place, and more about her life. Jones did cover a little bit about that in the very beginning of the book, and a little more after the story of Alex and Jake resolves. I would have liked to see more of that part of the story.

Here we have a book that is filled with interesting contradictions and relationships! It is a work of Historical Fiction, which, at least to me, makes the story that much more compelling.

The main story takes place between around 1884 and 1917 in a small village in France. Marie and her family, (her parents, foster sister, and younger brother) move into this small village due to some misfortune, and are not greeted very warmly at all. Marie is sixteen years old at the time. Soon, a friend of her mother’s comes to live with the family. Berenger Sauniere is good looking and charismatic, and catches the attention and affection of young Marie. Unfortunately for both of them, the reason he has moved to the village is because he was assigned there. He is the new priest. These two people really did exist, and while Hassinger has used some known facts about the two people and how they lived, she also has imagined a great story to fill in the gaps, creating a wonderful tale of Historical Fiction.
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Here is a wonderful work of Historical Fiction! Its a large book, (661 pages), but doesn’t seem to take that long to read, because the story stays interesting from start to finish. It allows the reader to complete lose one’s self in England of the 1500’s.

Its based on the lives of two sisters from the Boleyn family. Mary is 12, and already married to a man named William Carey when the book starts. (The young age is not considered to be too young to be married by anyone who lived at that time.) Her slightly older sister, Anne, is just returning from France, where she was part of the French King’s Court. Both girls, and their older brother George, are going to be part of the English King Henry’s Court.

The entire story is told from the point of view of Mary. She starts out very innocent, but gets drawn deeper and deeper into her families devious plans, despite her wishes to do what she wants, and to follow her heart. The story is full of political intrigue, something that seems to be a part of all Royal Courts. These people seem to have had nothing more to do than to gossip, flirt, and attempt to gain the most favor with the King! Its better than most Soap Operas!

Mary and Anne soon discover that they are nothing more than pawns for their family to use to gain wealth, favor, and power. King Henry takes a liking to Mary, and her family pushes her to flirt with the King, even though she is already married! Mary objects, but has to do it anyway. Things get deeper and deeper. As the story goes on, its unclear if Henry favors Mary the most, or her sister Anne, or his wife, Queen Katherine. I cannot begin to explain here all the twists and turns this story goes through and do it any justice. You will have to read it for yourself.

Anyone who knows a little about history can accurately guess what happens to Anne, George, and Queen Katherine. Even with that knowledge, it’s a great story. Gregory did quite a bit of homework to write this one. She details some of that work at the end of the book, after the story is done, and I found that to be interesting as well.

Readers who enjoyed Birth Of Venus by Dunnant, or Leonardo’s Swans by Essex, both of which I consider to be a form of Historical Fiction, will enjoy The Other Boleyn Girl by Gregory. One major difference is that this book takes place in England, and the other two are set in Italy. All are hard to put down.

This is the best book I have read in a long time! If you enjoyed Birth of Venus by Dunnant (I think), you will enjoy Leonardo’s Swans by Essex. Its what I would call “historical fiction”, and based on the lives of two sisters, Isabella and Beatrice, who actually existed. Both were alive in Italy around the time of the Rennaisance. Both were born to a very rich family, and both were bethrothed to men they had not met, when each girl was 5 or 6 years old. The entire story is from the viewpoints of one or the other of the sisters.

Isabella, blond, thin, intelligent and refined, is to marry a Marquis, when she turns 15. Francesco is handsome, despite being short, and having bulging eyes. He is also very charismatic, and young (about 25 or so). He pays a lot of attention to Isabella, “courting her” before the two are married. Beatrice, on the other hand, who is shorter, plumper, less educated, but much more adept with horses, is to be wed to a 40 year old Duke, who ignores her, and continually pushes off the wedding date. Everyone knows the Duke has a mistress, who he has been treating as a wife, and who might be pregnant. At first glance, it seems that Isabella has the better match, by nothing more than a twist of fate. As the story goes on, things change around, until by the end, its impossible to say which of the two sisters really had a better life.

The book is much more than just a report of the two sisters romances, though! It is filled with vivid descriptions. Of the different parts of Italy, of the clothing the women are wearing, the horses they ride, the homes they live in, and, much more importantly, of the art they commission. The Duke has an employed an artist to create sculptures and painting for him, and its none other than the Great Leonardo Da Vinci! If you are at all familiar with his work, you will be delighted by the descriptions in this story. The actual history about who appears in his paintings is woven into the story masterfully. Its a treat to view the paintings through Isabella’s eyes, who sees them all as brand new and miraculous.

As if that were not enough for one book, Essex adds more. The book is filled with political intrigue! Many small and large power struggles are going on in the years the book takes place, and Essex has described them as they occured in a very interesting way! Some of it is like watching a chess match, some is like watching a soap opera.

I think this book should be available soon. I got to read an advanced copy because I work at a bookstore. Whenever it is available, rush out and get it! You won’t be disapointed!

I wanted to like this book. All I knew about it was that it had something to do with a woman who worked in the Hermitage Museum in Russia, and that the book described much of the artwork. Something about the woman menorizing the paintings. Art museums are very interesting to me, and I thought this book would be too.

I didn’t like this book much at all, however. It was just too sad! It is fiction, but is about the Siege of Leningrad, something that actually took place. German planes continuously bombed the city, and the people slowly either starved or froze to death. Marina was a young woman who worked for the museum at that time. She becomes part of a crew of workers who are desperately trying to remove the artwork from the museum, and hide it in the basement, so it won’t get destroyed in the war. Her lover is sent off to be a soldier, and she hardly hears from him until years after the war is over. She lives in the cold, damp basement of the museum with her uncle, aunt, and all the rest of the workers and their families.

Her suffering is described in bits and pieces. The story jumps between the war in the past to the present, where Marina is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Sometimes she doesn’t recognise her family, which makes them sad and confused, and most of the time she doesn’t know where in time she is. Its awful! My grandmother had Alzheimers before she died, and this book describes what its like to watch a family member go through that all too clearly. All Marina has left to her by the end is her memory of the paintings she suffered to save.

I find that I can get depressed just fine on my own, without needing sad stories to help that along. Therefore, this isn’t a book I intend to ever read again. If you like sad stories, maybe this one will interest you. The artwork is described rather well, but, that, too, is sad. How depressing to watch a character see these paintings in her head, knowing that they are all packed up for no one to see! How sad to hear her think about the paintings of still lifes filled with fruits, nuts, and meats that are real enough to smell, while she and everyone around her is starving to death! This book is more than I can take.