A review by mbkarapcik
Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin

4.0

A book about a complex marriage that becomes even more complex due to the start of World War II and the Nazi occupation of the glamorous and famed hotel where Claude Auzello resides as the hotel manager with his wife Blanche. I found the book to be interesting but depressing at times and frustrating because of the secrets the couple keeps from each other. It really examines their marriage, for better or worse, and fills in the blanks left by history with plausible fiction. Famous personalities make appearances, but they do not detract from the central story. The author points out how unbelievable it is that no one really thought to put the story out since it is, in her words, a "great big fat juicy story." The story is surprising and tragic yet worth reading. As always, the author writes in succinct prose yet provides enough description and creates an effective mood of the time and the many characters which include the Ritz itself. Not exactly a beach book but packs a lot of stories into one book, all true with some embellishment and well-researched background to fill in the blanks.