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A Novel of Perfume and Passion
by Jan Moran
Perfume is the essence of beauty, the heart of illusion, the soul of desire. It is my past, my present, my future. —from the journal of Danielle Bretancourt
When French perfumer and aristocrat Danielle Bretancourt steps aboard a luxury ocean liner, leaving her son behind in Poland with his grandmother, she has no idea that her life is about to change forever. The year is 1939, and the declaration of war on the European continent soon threatens her beloved family, scattered across many countries. Traveling through London and Paris into occupied Poland, Danielle searches desperately for the remains of her family, relying on the strength of Jonathan Newell-Grey, a British shipping heir and Royal Navy officer. Finally, in the wake of unspeakable tragedy, she is forced to gather the fragments of her impoverished family and flee to America. There she vows to begin life anew, in 1940s Los Angeles.
Amid the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age, Danielle works her way up from meager jobs to perfumer and fashion designer. Still, personal happiness eludes her. Can her sheer force of will attract the elusive love she desires, or will it only come at the ultimate cost?
You can see the full discussion in our legacy forum here. This discussion will contain spoilers!
Some of the recent comments posted about Scent of Triumph:
As an entrepreneur, what were Danielle's challenges and keys to success? Do you have entrepreneurial ambitions, or have you ever started a new venture?
I think that Danielle's talent and knowledge in the perfume business was an excellent choice to start a business. I don't think it was possible for her to get the money and clients as easily as the book makes it out to be. She bounce back from ... - kathleenb
Did you find Danielle's character inconsistent in the story?
Considering the time when Danielle lived, I didn't find it strange that she married Cameron. She was limited as a woman in what she could do. It seemed like a decision she thought about and decided it was the best thing to do in her position. She's ... - mariannes
Do you think parents have a sixth sense about the well-being of their children?
Absolutely. Women especially have insight. Never doubt intuition. In my life experience, when I feel something in my soul, it is almost always correct. - beelergirl
How do you think Danielle's keen sense of smell add to setting and characterization?
i do not like perfume smells especially the strong ones that linger on after someone lives the room. To be in the perfume making business, I would think someone would have to have a keen sense of smell. I liked the way the story flows as she does ... - JAKL1
How would today's modern communications such as mobile phones and email have changed this story? How have these technologies changed the way you communicate over the past decade?
The major difference in Danielle's life would have been keeping in touch with her family. Her love affair with Jon keeping in touch would have changed her life. - kathleenb
"A haunting, multilayered historical romance...It is a book to savor, like the most beautiful of perfumes. Inhale. Exhale. I was riveted from start to finish...and I'm only just now finding my breath." - Samantha Vérant, author of Seven Letters from Paris; A Memoir
"Utterly inescapable once you pick it up...a tale that rivals Danielle Steel at her romantic best while also providing a primer in the art of perfume!" - Allegra Jordan, author of The End of Innocence
"A well-spun and sweeping debut novel about a fearless, headstrong woman...a thoroughly engaging tale, rich in all five senses." - Michelle Gable, Author of A Paris Apartment
"Hard to put down...captivating. The tragedies of war, conflicts in family, love, and passion for perfumery paint a realistic, historical portrait of some of the fragrance industry's most famous women who created today's top cosmetic firms. A 'must read'..."
- Marvel Fields, Chairman of the American Society of Perfumers
"From war-torn Europe to the sunny climes of Southern California, Scent of Triumph is a captivating tale of love, loss, determination and reinvention. A page-turner." - Karen Marin, Givenchy Paris
This information about Scent of Triumph was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jan Moran is the author of Fabulous Fragrances I and II, which earned spots on the Rizzoli Bookstore bestseller list, and other novels. A fragrance and beauty industry expert, she has been featured on CNN, Instyle, and O Magazine, and has spoken before prestigious organizations, including The American Society of Perfumers. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and attended the University of California at Los Angeles Extension Writers' Program.
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