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A review by literarylawgirl
The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau
5.0
What lengths would you pursue to possess the most coveted color in the world, Blue?
I saw the cover and title of this book in my Goodreads feed and immediately was drawn in. This story is based upon the actual history of two competing porcelain manufacturing companies that still exist today Royal Crown Derby in England and Sevres in France taking place at a time when porcelain is the most valued commodity. While the history of porcelain, the people involved in this trade, and the chemical challenge of producing the perfect new blue color is the basis for the story, the author keeps you engaged and on edge with elements of industrial espionage, secret government spy rings, the inequities in societal structures, and religious persecution, particularly that committed by the French towards the Huguenots. And what I loved most is that the main character, Genevieve, is a highly intelligent woman intent on challenging convention and traditional gender roles. This is certainly one of the best historical fiction novels that I’ve read this year.
“We see blue everywhere in the natural world, in the sky and the sea and lakes, even the little bubbling streams, but what do we really see? It’s ephemeral. A reflection of something else. The seeming abundance is a trick. It doesn’t exist in a tangible form that we can adapt, make into pigment for you and all your fellow artists to use over the centuries.”
I saw the cover and title of this book in my Goodreads feed and immediately was drawn in. This story is based upon the actual history of two competing porcelain manufacturing companies that still exist today Royal Crown Derby in England and Sevres in France taking place at a time when porcelain is the most valued commodity. While the history of porcelain, the people involved in this trade, and the chemical challenge of producing the perfect new blue color is the basis for the story, the author keeps you engaged and on edge with elements of industrial espionage, secret government spy rings, the inequities in societal structures, and religious persecution, particularly that committed by the French towards the Huguenots. And what I loved most is that the main character, Genevieve, is a highly intelligent woman intent on challenging convention and traditional gender roles. This is certainly one of the best historical fiction novels that I’ve read this year.
“We see blue everywhere in the natural world, in the sky and the sea and lakes, even the little bubbling streams, but what do we really see? It’s ephemeral. A reflection of something else. The seeming abundance is a trick. It doesn’t exist in a tangible form that we can adapt, make into pigment for you and all your fellow artists to use over the centuries.”