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Book Summary and Reviews of Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell

Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell

Letters from Paris

by Juliet Blackwell

  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2016, 384 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Key comes the story of a mysterious work of art and the woman inspired to uncover its history in the City of Light.

After surviving the accident that took her mother's life, Claire Broussard has worked hard to escape her small Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something is lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago, Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she unearths a beautiful piece of artwork that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II. 

At her grandmother's urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the century-old mask-making atelier where the object, known only as "L'Inconnue" - or The Unknown Woman - was created. Under the watchful eye of a surly mask-maker, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offers insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art. As Claire explores the unknown woman's tragic fate, she begins to unravel deeply buried secrets in her own life.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[Blackwell] stuns in the aftermath of the main story by unleashing a twist that is both a complete surprise and a point that expertly ties everything together." - Publishers Weekly

"[T]his romantic and picturesque novel shows us that even the most broken people can find what makes them whole again." - Booklist

"Blackwell has woven a great tale of mystery, artistry, history, and a little romance. With plenty of backstory and tidbits about Parisian life in the 19th century, there's something for everyone in this recommended read." - Library Journal

"A compelling story of Paris, art, and love throughout history." - Kirkus

This information about Letters from Paris 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.

Reader Reviews

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Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews
I fell in love with LETTERS FROM PARIS the minute Claire walked into the warmth of her childhood home as she returned to take care of her dying grandmother.

Claire had left Louisiana right after college for a high-paying job in Chicago, but returned because her grandmother needed her. While Claire was in Louisiana, she found a treasure in the attic that she remembered from her youth and a treasure that her grandmother suggested had a secret that Claire may find the answer to if she went to Paris.

Claire wasn't sure what she would find but complied with her dying grandmother's wishes and left for Paris.

Claire found more than the secret of the mask when she arrived. What else is there an abundance of in Paris? Love, of course.

As for her mission, Claire found a mask creator in Paris who made copies of “L’Inconnue” - The Unknown Woman, obtained a temporary job there, and learned how to sculpt while learning the ?mask's story and about the family legacy behind the mask.

Meanwhile LETTERS FROM PARIS takes us back to the life of the model for the mask and her tragic, difficult life. The tragedy and story of "L'Inconue" was well known in France and was part of many French households.

Ms. Blackwell did another marvelous job of taking you to Paris and experiencing the life there. I enjoyed Claire's adventures and loved the description of the market and the delicious, mouth-watering meals made by the French people.

Being taken to Paris and its countryside through Ms. Blackwell's descriptions was a marvelous treat. I would have loved to join in the fun at the gorgeous family estate. A family anyone would love to be a part of.

LETTERS FROM PARIS left me with a warm, cozy feeling because it was filled with history, family, Paris, love, and was simply a lovely read.

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Author Information

Juliet Blackwell

Juliet Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the youngest child of a jet pilot and an editor. She graduated with a degree in Latin American studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and went on to earn master's degrees in anthropology and social work. While in graduate school, she published several articles based on her research with immigrant families from Mexico and Vietnam, as well as one full-length translation: Miguel León-Portilla's seminal work, Endangered Cultures.

Juliet taught medical anthropology at SUNY–Albany, was producer for a BBC documentary, and worked as an elementary school social worker. Upon her return to California, she became a professional artist and ran her own decorative painting and design studio for more than a decade. In addition to mainstream novels, Juliet pens the New York Times bestselling Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind she wrote the Agatha Award–nominated Art Lover's Mysteries series. She makes her home in northern California, but spends as much time as possible in Europe and Latin America.

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