Lisette's List: A Novel

Lisette's List: A Novel

From Susan Vreeland, bestselling author of such acclaimed novels as Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Luncheon of the Boating Party, and Clara and Mr. Tiffany, comes a richly imagined story of a womanâ€™s awakening in the south of Vichy Franceâ€”to the power of art, to the beauty of provincial life, and to love in the midst of war.
Â
In 1937, young Lisette Roux and her husband, AndrÃ©, move from Paris to a village in Provence to care for AndrÃ©â€™s grandfather Pascal. Lisette regrets having to give up her dream of becoming a gallery apprentice and longs for the comforts and sophistication of Paris. But as she soon discovers, the hilltop town is rich with unexpected pleasures.
Â
Pascal once worked in the nearby ochre mines and later became a pigment salesman and frame maker; while selling his pigments in Paris, he befriended Pissarro and CÃ©zanne, some of whose paintings he received in trade for his frames. Pascal begins to tutor Lisette in both art and life, allowing her to see his small collection of paintings and the ProvenÃ§al landscape itself in a new light. Inspired by Pascalâ€™s advice to â€œDo the important things first,â€ Lisette begins a list of vows to herself (#4. Learn what makes a painting great). When war breaks out, AndrÃ© goes off to the front, but not before hiding Pascalâ€™s paintings to keep them from the Nazisâ€™ reach.
Â
With German forces spreading across Europe, the sudden fall of Paris, and the rise of Vichy France, Lisette sets out to locate the paintings (#11. Find the paintings in my lifetime). Her search takes her through the stunning French countryside, where she befriends Marc and Bella Chagall, who are in hiding before their flight to America, and acquaints her with the land, her neighbors, and even herself in ways she never dreamed possible. Through joy and tragedy, occupation and liberation, small acts of kindness and great acts of courage, Lisette learns to forgive the past, to live robustly, and to love again.

Praise for Lisetteâ€™s List
Â
â€œVreelandâ€™s love of painters and painting, her meticulous research and pitch-perfect descriptive talents . . . are abundantly evident in her new novel.â€â€”The Washington Post
Â
â€œThis historical novelâ€™s . . . great strength is its lovingly detailed setting. . . . Readers will enjoy lingering in the sun-dappled, fruit-scented ProvenÃ§al landscape that Vreeland brings to life.â€â€”The Boston Globe
Â
â€œA pleasurable opportunity to learn something about art, history . . . and to enjoy a plucky heroine who grows in ways she never thought possible.â€â€”St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Â
â€œMesmerizing . . . Vreelandâ€™s passionate writing is as good as a private showing at the Louvre.â€â€”Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Â
â€œAn entrancing novel of joy and heartache . . . Vreeland provides the reader with a broad spectrum of emotions.â€â€”The Free Lance-Star
Country USA
Manufacturer Random House
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2014-08-26
UnitCount 1
Format Deckle Edge
EANs 9781400068173

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Random House
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2014-08-26
UnitCount	1
Format	Deckle Edge
EANs	9781400068173

Lisette's List: A Novel

You might also like...