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laurarose7000's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was good, a cool pov of a ww2 story
lindsayaunderwood's review
5.0
I loved this one. Light historical fiction with some great stories about art. Highly recommend.
meganihauck's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mschrock8's review
5.0
This book really touched me. Maybe it is touching the artist in me.
I appreciate the timing of this read in the order of my books. Keeping with artists like "The LaCuna" and the hiding similar to "Underground Railroad."
I appreciate the timing of this read in the order of my books. Keeping with artists like "The LaCuna" and the hiding similar to "Underground Railroad."
isabellabaker's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
pipsy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
tigerknitting's review
5.0
I have been able to find a lot of good fiction on Overdrive lately. Recently I finished The Muralist (or here for the e-audio book) by B A Shapiro. It is another book in a long line of recent fiction that is set during World War II.
This book is set primarily in New York City and alternates between the early 1940s and current time. The main character in the 1940s is Alizee Benoit, an Jewish American painter with French family, working with the WPA on public murals. The main character in the current time is Alizee's grand niece Danielle Abrams, an artist working with Sotheby's. Danielle comes across some paintings hidden behind other works that she is sure are Alizee's work. No one believes her so she takes it upon herself to investigate. Part of her difficulty is that there are not very many of Alizee's works to compare them to because she disappeared in late 1940.
Alizee convinces Eleanor Roosevelt to encourage the WPA to include Abstract Impressionist art in some of the murals. She learns that her family in France is struggling with the growing Nazi threat and she trys to get visas for them. We learn about her difficulties as Danielle pieces things together.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was interesting to read about the events leading up to the US's entry into World War II and how different people viewed it-especially after reading a number of novels that took place in Europe during the same time period. The characters were very interesting and I learned a lot about Abstract Impressionism.
This book is set primarily in New York City and alternates between the early 1940s and current time. The main character in the 1940s is Alizee Benoit, an Jewish American painter with French family, working with the WPA on public murals. The main character in the current time is Alizee's grand niece Danielle Abrams, an artist working with Sotheby's. Danielle comes across some paintings hidden behind other works that she is sure are Alizee's work. No one believes her so she takes it upon herself to investigate. Part of her difficulty is that there are not very many of Alizee's works to compare them to because she disappeared in late 1940.
Alizee convinces Eleanor Roosevelt to encourage the WPA to include Abstract Impressionist art in some of the murals. She learns that her family in France is struggling with the growing Nazi threat and she trys to get visas for them. We learn about her difficulties as Danielle pieces things together.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was interesting to read about the events leading up to the US's entry into World War II and how different people viewed it-especially after reading a number of novels that took place in Europe during the same time period. The characters were very interesting and I learned a lot about Abstract Impressionism.
carolann331's review
2.0
This was an intriguing book that entwines the lives of historical figures with fictional charters in a cleverly crafted story. Rich in historic detail, it traces specific events in two lives; Danielle, an art assistant at Christie's Gallery NYC in 2015 and Alizee, Danielle's great-aunt that suddenly disappeared while working as a young artist for the Works Progress Administration at the brink of WWII in the late 1930's.
I learned a great deal from this book; mainly about Roosevelt's WPA program and the beginning of abstract impressionist art and artists, which I knew close to nothing about. I was inspired to seek out images of the art and artists and to bake some delightful, delicious Pain d'Amande for my book club friends. It took me a few chapters to really get into the book but once I did, I was eager to continue reading at any free moment. Even though I didn't love this book as much as I hoped to, I still enjoyed it.
My thoughts are often drawn back into the story as I ponder the desperation felt by families trying to bring their loved ones to America before the war broke out, and it sadly occurs to me, given current day political affairs, that some things never seem to change. I am reminded of the poem written by Martin Niemoller, who had lived in Nazi Germany, a copy of which Malala Yousafzai states that her father kept tucked in his pocket:
“First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak out because I was not a Catholic.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”
I learned a great deal from this book; mainly about Roosevelt's WPA program and the beginning of abstract impressionist art and artists, which I knew close to nothing about. I was inspired to seek out images of the art and artists and to bake some delightful, delicious Pain d'Amande for my book club friends. It took me a few chapters to really get into the book but once I did, I was eager to continue reading at any free moment. Even though I didn't love this book as much as I hoped to, I still enjoyed it.
My thoughts are often drawn back into the story as I ponder the desperation felt by families trying to bring their loved ones to America before the war broke out, and it sadly occurs to me, given current day political affairs, that some things never seem to change. I am reminded of the poem written by Martin Niemoller, who had lived in Nazi Germany, a copy of which Malala Yousafzai states that her father kept tucked in his pocket:
“First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak out because I was not a Catholic.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”
aoosterwyk's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It has many components that I usually find interesting: art, history, activism, but the main character's dialogue was distracting. She often repeated the last word spoken to her, as a question. It got to be like a tic that distracted from the story.
Also, I listened to it and found the narrator's voice sometimes too chirpy.
I did enjoy the segments with the Roosevelts and with the WPA artists.
Also, I listened to it and found the narrator's voice sometimes too chirpy.
I did enjoy the segments with the Roosevelts and with the WPA artists.