book review the paris secret

Theresa Smith Writes

Delighting in all things bookish, book review: the paris secret by natasha lester, the paris secret…, about the book:.

A wardrobe of Dior gowns, a secret kept for sixty-five years, and the three women bound forever by war… from the New York Times bestselling author of THE FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER.

England, 1939: Talented pilot Skye Penrose joins the British war effort where she encounters her estranged sister, Liberty, and childhood soulmate Nicholas Crawford, now engaged to enigmatic Frenchwoman Margaux Jourdan.

Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his extravagant first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance, Miss Dior, in tribute to his sister, Catherine, who worked for the French Resistance.

Present day: Australian fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a secret wardrobe filled with priceless Dior gowns in her grandmother’s vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.

An unspeakable betrayal will entwine all of their fates.

THE PARIS SECRET is an unforgettable story about the lengths people go to protect one another, and a love that, despite everything, lasts a lifetime.

My Thoughts:

There is a quote in this novel that had me chuckling as soon as I read it and I want to share it up front as it really does set the stage for what I want to say about Natasha Lester after having read her latest release, The Paris Secret.

‘He took historical events people thought they knew about and retold them from the perspective of someone unexpected or overlooked.’

One of the characters in this book is an author and this is a description of his writing. But honestly, this is exactly what Natasha does! In her case, she’s been writing about WWII, and in particular with her last two novels, The French Photographer and The Paris Secret, her unexpected and overlooked perspectives are those of women and the extraordinary ways in which they contributed to the fight to save humanity. The Paris Secret takes us into the world of female pilots in England during WWII, and goodness, what a world it was. The astonishing bravery of these women, the hideous manner in which they were used and discriminated against; it truly beggars’ belief.

‘She supposed they couldn’t have known it would be the worst winter England had seen for decades. But the RAF did coordinate the ferrying movements and so could dictate what the women flew and where. And they flew those Tiger Moths right the way through the record-breaking winter to Scotland. Two thousand planes. Two thousand arctic journeys in all.’

Natasha Lester’s work has evolved into a more feminist outlook with her last two novels. Her research is deeply focused, sadly, I think it has to be in order to uncover the atrocious manner in which women were so casually treated across the board in the many and varied roles they fulfilled throughout WWII – hidden histories, so to speak, and no doubt difficult to recover facts on. Even so, there is a meticulous attention to detail that gives her work credibility. There is, quite literally, no stone left unturned. A read through the author note at the end of this novel proves the lengths of her commitment to portraying her story with accuracy. On account of the many cases of injustice and misogyny she has no doubt uncovered over the course of her research across all of her novels set within this era, Natasha’s focus seems to have narrowed, and is consequently sharpened onto portraying these injustices, minus the sugar coating. She has a distinct talent when it comes to characterisation, crafting strong women who are not brash and crass, but rather strong-willed, intelligent, fiercely brave and loyal, while still retaining their femininity. In short, she doesn’t see the need for having her women constantly swear out of context or act in distasteful ways, mimicking the violence of men and exacerbating casual sexism, as is sadly, a common trend in novels that feature ‘strong’ women, particularly in military settings. There is a grace to Natasha’s characters that instantly ignites empathy.

‘Every one of her worst experiences at the ATA scudded across her vision: the test flight she’d had to undergo to prove she could fly, despite her logbooks; the medical examiner asking her to remove her clothes; the freezing flights to Scotland in open cockpit planes; the ten circuits she’d had to do in her Halifax just because she was a woman.’

There are so many layers to this novel, the story laced as tightly as a web, spun out in the telling over three eras. Whilst most of the story unfolds during the war, there are several vignettes set just after the war and these were particularly sad, weighted with all of the horrors that had not long passed, but were not yet tempered with the passage of time. I did very much enjoy the present-day sections, both the story and the characterisation. This is a somewhat ambitious novel, huge in scope, and many layered in its story, but it works. Natasha Lester has, in my opinion, demonstrated once again, that she can not only build incredible worlds and people them with a magnificent cast, but she has the ability to execute it all with well-timed precision and historical authenticity. Throughout the entire novel, she consistently achieves the right balance of heartache and hope, whilst still retaining a real-world impression. As we approach the ending, the story takes a very grim and distressing turn, and while much is conveyed about the characters situation, it is never done in a gratuitous manner. Sensitivity to what hundreds of thousands of women went through remained paramount throughout this entire part of the story.

‘Le dernier convoi that train was later called: the last train out of Paris. It arrived at Ravensbruck concentration camp on the twenty-first of August 1944. Paris fell to the Allies just four days later.’

So, what about the fashion? Where does that fit in? The fashion angle, particularly the sixty-five gowns, offers an ode to friendship and survival. I really liked what Natasha did here, especially the symbolism of those two brilliant blue dresses, it was very moving. Kat’s career was fascinating, the science of it and the way in which history can be conveyed through the fashions of the time – and not just in terms of how people looked, but also about society and its values. I’ve always had a keen interest in this area and this novel allowed some indulgence in that without minimising the gravity of everything else that was going on.

‘The dresses in her grandmother’s mysterious cottage were not just a random selection: there was one gown for every year from 1947, when the House of Dior opened, through to the present. Sixty-five gowns in all, chosen carefully to represent the best and most timeless pieces.’

I don’t cry much over books anymore. A tear here and there maybe, sometimes a welling in my throat that forces me to hold the tears back until it passes. Honestly, when you have to wear glasses to see, crying becomes a pain. I can count on one hand the books I’ve properly cried in and still have fingers to spare. But this one, I had to stop reading because I couldn’t see for the tears and the wet glasses and I couldn’t breathe for the blocked nose. It made me ugly cry and that is a very rare thing! This book, it’s exceptional. I can’t even possibly articulate the exquisite mix of beauty and sorrow that is evident throughout. I’m not sure how Natasha Lester plans to top this one, but as always, I will be at the head of the line when the time comes to find out.

Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a review copy of The Paris Secret.

Read more about The Paris Secret over at Author Talks with Natasha Lester .

About the Author:

Natasha Lester worked as a marketing executive before returning to university to study creative writing. She completed a Master of Creative Arts as well as her first novel, What Is Left Over, After, which won the T.A.G. Hungerford Award for Fiction. Her second novel, If I Should Lose You, was published in 2012, followed by A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald in 2016, Her Mother’s Secret in 2017 and the Top 10 Australian and international bestsellers The Paris Seamstress in 2018 and The French Photographer in 2019. The Age described Natasha as ‘a remarkable Australian talent’ and her work has been published in numerous anthologies and journals. In her spare time Natasha loves to teach writing, is a sought after public speaker and can often be found playing dress-ups with her three children. She lives in Perth. For all the latest news from Natasha, visit http://www.natashalester.com.au , follow her on Twitter @Natasha_Lester, or Instagram (natashalesterauthor), or join the readers who have become Natasha’s friend on Facebook.

The Paris Secret Published by Hachette Australia Released 31st March 2020

Book review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester

All of Natasha Lester’s novels have featured ground-breaking women. Those ahead of their time – battling society’s norms and often weighed down by the expectations of those they love.

Her books I’ve enjoyed most have probably featured women with more virtuous pursuits (and I don’t mean to imply beauty products/make-up or designing fashion aren’t lofty life goals). Her first book, A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald featured a woman battling to get into medical school in the early 1920s; her last, The French Photographer a female war photographer.

Her books unfold in multiple timeframes, usually the past and present(ish). Her latest, The Paris Secret is no different and is probably my favourite since her first. Not only did I enjoy the characters and their stories, but Lester’s writing is quite exquisite.

Book review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester

England, 1939 Talented pilot Skye Penrose joins the British war effort where she encounters her estranged sister, Liberty, and childhood soulmate Nicholas Crawford, now engaged to enigmatic Frenchwoman Margaux Jourdan. Paris, 1947 Designer Christian Dior unveils his extravagant first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance, Miss Dior, in tribute to his sister, Catherine, who worked for the French Resistance. Present day Australian fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a secret wardrobe filled with priceless Dior gowns in her grandmother's vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.

The book opens with a prequel and I was immediately enchanted. We’re introduced to Margaux, a model for the burgeoning talent that is Christian Dior in 1947, during a runway show. Lester’s appreciation for fashion is evident here as well as her beautifully descriptive prose and ability to place us firmly in the book’s setting.

The salon wears its muted palette of pearl grey and white as subtly as a concealed zipper. The Louis XVI medallion chairs, the gilt picture frames topped with fontages bows and the Belle Epoque chandeliers all seem to declare that time has stopped and it would be best to pay attention. Unfurled fans rustle like premature applause, and the air is scented with perfume and Gauloises and anticipation. Everywhere, skins are atingle. p viii

“… declare that time has stopped and it would be best to pay attention”…. *swoon* Like I said – I was smitten.

There’s a weightiness to the opening though. Margaux is mourning lost loved ones and seems strangely distant from the events unfolding around her.

We initially meet Skye in 1928. She’s 10 and her sister Liberty is 9. Nicholas, who’s 11yrs of age, has just arrived in Cornwall from New York with his mother and aunt. We spend some time with the children and it gives readers insight into the relationship between Skye and Nicholas, who are essentially inseparable for the next four years.

They lay on their backs in the darkest, deepest part, where nothing could be seen. They were silent for only a moment before they began to tell stories that couldn’t be told out in the light. p 10

Then we fast forward to the prelude to war. I don’t make any secret of my dislike of historical fiction. Indeed I’d shout it from my rooftop if I could clamour up there safely. However… Lester never fails to enthral me with stuff I had no idea was interesting. Last book it was war correspondents and photographers. Here it’s the Air Transport Auxiliary and their support role for the RAF.

When we hear of women’s roles in previous wars they seemed to be very much behind the scenes in caring professions – nurses and the like, or stepping up in factories while the blokes are off defending the country. So I was quite fascinated to read about the small group of women transporting planes around the UK during the war.

Skye is a delightful character. She’s estranged from her sister Liberty by the time the war starts and (quite frankly) Liberty seems a little sociopathic, so it’s kind-of a good thing. Though she reappears of course.

And finally there’s Kat (who we meet in 2012). She’s a 39yr old Australian mum to two young girls she co-parents with her ex and she’s devoted to her grandmother Margaux who raised her.

Coming across the Dior collection at her grandmother’s cottage in Cornwall is timely as she’s contacted by a historian and author (Elliot) around the same time who’s researching Margaux and the Penrose sisters.

I read this in a sitting and really had no idea where Lester was going to take us as she unpicks the history and relationships of Skye, Nicholas and their contemporaries. We learn some of it from Skye (in the past) and some via Elliot.

Lester does perhaps gloss over some of the key elements towards the end, offering a kind-of a recap and I probably would have liked a little more time spent here because the events are quite pivotal. Having said that of course, there’s value in surprising readers with a change of pace. It can be shocking and devastating and doesn’t allow us to mourn until we’re done.

I adored our key characters – namely Skye and Kat (and Nicholas, though to a lesser degree). They felt very real and I was along with them for the ride.

The early part of this novel however—probably before I became enchanted with the story—was all about Lester’s writing. It’s glorious. I wanted to mark phrase after phrase. Some because they’re beautifully written and others because of the insight and commentary they offer. This – for example – from Skye and Liberty’s fortune-teller (and aviator) mother:

I can’t tell you anything you don’t already have inside you. The future isn’t a promise yet to be kept. It’s an act waiting to begin. Perhaps it’s already begun. p 22

I know Lester does a lot of research and it always shows. Here she plants us on the coast in Cornwall, at RAF bases and wartime London, into the dire life of those in concentration camps and to the glamour of post-war Paris. The settings all felt very real and despite my disinterest in all-things-historical, I was transported. This is such a beautiful novel.

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester is published today by Hachette Australia .

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

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#BookReview The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester @Natasha_Lester @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #NatashaLester #TheParisSecret

England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn’t be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn. Even if women aren’t allowed in the Royal Air Force, Skye is determined to help the war effort. She’s thrilled when it reunites her with her childhood soulmate, Nicholas. She’s less thrilled to learn Nicholas is now engaged to an enigmatic Frenchwoman named Margaux Jourdan.

Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance.

Evocative, rich, and absorbing!

The Paris Secret is an alluring, highly affecting tale predominantly set in England during WWII, as well as 2012, that takes you into the lives of two main characters; Skye Penrose, a young flier who through grit and determination becomes one of the first woman pilots for the Air Transport Auxillary during the war; and Kat Jourdan, a young fashion conservator who unwittingly unravels a family history littered with secrets, heartbreak, and heroism when she stumbles across a closet full of vintage Dior dresses in her mother’s Cornwall cottage.

The prose is charged and emotive. The characters are courageous, multilayered, and strong. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into a sublime saga of life, loss, family, tragedy, expectations, sacrifice, secrets, self-discovery, friendship, enduring love, fashion, and an insightful look at the important roles and contributions that women had and made during the war.

Overall, The Paris Secret is an exceptionally atmospheric, beautifully written, impactful novel that sweeps you away to another time and place and immerses you into the lives of such enticing characters you can’t help but be thoroughly moved and engrossed. It is no surprise that Natasha Lester has quickly become one of my all-time favourite authors with The Paris Orphan being one of my must-read novels for 2019 and now The Paris Secret being on the top of that list for 2020.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Natasha Lester

Natasha Lester is a USA Today, internationally best-selling author. Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.

Her first historical novel, the bestselling A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, was published in 2016. This was followed by Her Mother’s Secret in 2017 and The Paris Seamstress in 2018. The French Photographer is her latest book (note: this will be published as The Paris Orphan in North America in September 2019).

Natasha's books have been published in the US, the UK, Australia and throughout Europe. She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves travelling, Paris, vintage fashion and, of course, books.

Photograph courtesy of Goodreads Author Page.

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The Paris Secret

Written by Natasha Lester Review by Gail M. Murray

Lester’s passion for fashion drew her to Catherine Dior, fashion icon Christian Dior’s sister, a little-known heroine of the French Resistance. Lester weaves manifold themes: love, men and women’s roles in WWII, daring female pilots, post-war fashion, friendship, and survival. She deftly intersperses historical characters with richly developed fictional ones over multiple timelines.

Lester’s prologue opens with Dior’s 1947 glamorous debut: Margaux Jourdan modelling his New Look subtly foreshadows the horrors and heartache to come. We jump to 1928 and idyllic Cornwall, England. It’s a slow burn, like a Dickens novel that explodes into a suspenseful, character-driven, can’t-put-down read.

In Cornwall, we meet free-spirited ten-year-old Skye Penrose and eleven-year-old American Nicholas Crawford. Though level-headed, Skye entices him to explore coves, tide pools, and moors and engage in flying lessons in canvas biplanes. After adventurous Skye cartwheels into his life, they become inseparable for four years. Younger sister Liberty sulks, punches, and kicks. Despite her tantrums, Skye takes care of her until adulthood, when they become estranged. Skye, recruited by Pauline Gower for the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary), flies planes (from Spitfires to Lancasters) from factories to RAF bases, facing prejudice, chauvinism and constant danger. She reconnects with Nicholas, now an RAF pilot.

Fast-forward to 2012: Kat Jourdan, fashion conservator, discovers Dior gowns in her grandmother’s Cornwall cottage. You can view these gowns on Lester’s website. Historian and author Elliot Beaufort contacts Kat. The reader joins in their search for the real Margaux Jourdan – a spy for the Special Operations Executive. This mystery, along with two passionate love stories and a horrendous imprisonment in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, keeps the reader riveted. As seemingly unlinked stories come together, Lester pays tribute to the brave souls of the resistance and the triumph of the human spirit.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester

Hachette Australia March 2020 Paperback, $32.99 Reviewed by Natalie Salvo

Fiction / Historical Fiction

90% Rocking

Natasha Lester certainly knows how to dress her stories for success. The historic fiction writer has published half a dozen books which blend romance with great storytelling. The Paris Secret brings together some engaging characters and crafts them into her most complex and mysterious narrative to date.

A group of friends by the seaside. So normal. Nothing at all out of the ordinary. Except that the mist had lifted and Skye could see it now, the large and shining thing: she was wholly and overwhelmingly and undeniably in love with Nicholas Crawford. Which was just about the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

There are three main settings to this story. The first is at a fashion show where Christian Dior is showcasing his wares for the first time outside of his homeland. It’s glamorous and fun but not really delved into in any great detail. In fact if we’re really nit-picky, this probably could have been left out without really detracting from the other main story arcs.

The first few pages of Nicholas Crawford’s diary were lovely: recollections of a childhood spent locked in the kind of ferocious friendship only children are capable of; sigma bonds, unbreakable… This was not manipulation or a plea for forgiveness. This was a story of love. Love shattered by war.

In the present day, Kat Jourdan is a fashion conservator and Mum. Kat’s grandmother invites her to visit a cottage in rural Cornwell. Whilst there, she stumbles across a wardrobe filled with haute-couture Dior gowns. She is intrigued, as these are considered a veritable goldmine in fashion circles. But the key question is, where did they come from?

Impulse made Kat hold the dress up against her body as if she were contemplating buying it from a store. She turned to face the mirror and was stunned. Even though she hadn’t yet stepped inside the dress, she was no longer Kat. She was the woman she had always meant to be, the woman she’d forgotten to become beneath the demands of working full-time and having two children and divorcing one husband.

The other major setting in this story involves two sisters, Skye and Liberty Penrose. The former is a strong-willed aviatrix who flies planes to RAF bases during World War II. She is like many of Lester’s other main heroines, determined to forge ahead in her chosen career, despite living in a man’s world. Liberty meanwhile, is a bit more flighty and hedonistic.

‘If you read Wing Commander Crawford’s report, you’ll know that I can hardly be blamed for anything – except being an unarmed woman. I know the RAF tries to make my gender into an offence, but as far as I’m aware it hasn’t yet succeeded.’ Wylde sat heavily in a chair. ‘Deference is not part of your makeup, is it?’ ‘Sorry I should have appended “Air Marshall Wylde” onto my sentence.’ Skye pressed her lips together. She’d gone too far. How was it possible for her to have such impeccable control of herself in the sky and to have none whatsoever on the ground?

Skye falls in love with her childhood friend, Nicholas Crawford. But he is engaged to Margeaux Jordan, an enigmatic French woman. What ensues are some emotional twists and turns through love, lies, and betrayal. Lester once again has completed meticulous research and this attention to detail shines through in her rich and detailed prose.

She opened the door of one and a blaze of bright red caught her eye, followed by a shimmer of pink, a beam of sunflower-yellow. Slowly, she reached in. Her hand touched fabric. Expensive fabric: a froth of tulle, a glittering of sequins, the purr of velvet.

Lester’s latest novel is a more grandiose adventure than her other works. Her fans will ultimately find this a highly satisfying read. Once again, strong female characters are front and centre. She also pays tribute to some overlooked individuals from history. This includes Christian Dior’s sister, Catherine, who worked for the French resistance and inspired the name of his perfume: Miss Dior.

The Paris Secret is an elegant, multifaceted story traversing various times and continents. Readers will be swept through the skies and eyes of its fearless heroine. This novel is a real showstopper, which you can imagine soaring on the silver screen. It will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat guessing, with some great women for company.

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“The Paris Secret” Book Review

Book : “The Paris Secret” by Natasha Lester

Genre : Historical Fiction

Rating : 5/5 Stars

Five Word Review : Emotional, Heartbreaking, Love, Friendship, Tragic

Blogger’s Note: Thank you to Forever Publishing for the free copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction. It fascinates me to read stories that are rich with history and laced with the intricate cultural details of the past. With that being said, “The Paris Secret” was the first book I have read by Natasha Lester but it certainly won’t be my last.

“The Paris Secret” includes multiple timelines and jumps between the different eras. One of these timelines tells the story of the Penrose sisters who find themselves in the middle of World War II. Skye and Liberty are extremely different from one another, and the story follows them along as they encounter the Nazis and the French Resistance. Another timeline set in present day follows Kat, a strong young woman that finds a gorgeous collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother’s cottage. This leads her on a path to try and discover the secrets she never knew that were hidden by her grandmother.

Author Natasha Lester expertly weaves together the different timelines of this story and creates a full immersion experience for the reader. Her writing is detailed and perfectly captures the high level emotions from several prominent characters.

I started the novel with the knowledge that WWII books tend to be very sad as they reflect the horrific events of the time period. There were several parts of the book that left me breathless from the overwhelming emotions found within the pages. The section of the novel that discussed the Ravensbruk prision in particular was tough to read. It was extremely hard to digest which I believe is exactly what the author intended. This particular group of chapters left me wondering if the author had a difficult time writing this content. Natasha Lester has clearly done her research, and I would think that the research in itself probably takes a toll on a person’s emotions.

Without providing any spoilers, I did enjoy the ending. It felt meaningful, symbolic and moving. I found myself invested in Kat and Skye. Both are examples of strong women in their own time. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The author’s level of research is astounding and makes the book more realistic accordingly. Be ready for an emotional rollercoaster, but one that is sure to leave an everlasting imprint on your heart.

Recommendations : A must read for those who enjoy historical fiction, women’s fiction or have an interest in Dior Fashion.

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The Paris Secret – by Natasha Lester – independent book review – Historical Fiction (England)

What you have with THE PARIS SECRET is a compelling, fast-moving, plot-driven historical novel, with lots of twists and turns. The writing is competent, the characters are ALL fabulously attractive, but the character development is limited. Awarded four stars on Goodreads which is a bit of a gift.

Like so many other historical novels these days, the novel presents two stories, unfolding in parallel, where the connection between the two is slowly revealed: • The first story begins in the late 1920s with two sisters, Skye and Liberty, growing up along the ocean in Cornwall , England and the close friendship Skye makes with a neighbor’s nephew, Nicholas. Nicholas soon returns to the United States for school and he and Skye don’t meet again until World War II , where both are pilots. Limited by her gender, Skye shuttles planes between military bases while male pilots like Nicholas do the actual war work. • The second story takes place in our current era. It concerns Kat, an Australian, recently divorced fashion conservator and mother of two — and her encounter with an author researching a book on World War II espionage he believes may involve Kat’s grandmother.

For me, the most interesting aspect of THE PARIS SECRET was learning more about important government work women did during the war, especially the dangerous intelligence work some got involved with. At the same time, men and women were treated SO differently, regardless of the work they were doing or their skill levels. The discrimination against women is consistent and overt and Skye and the women pilots she works with must tolerate all sorts of abuse and testing.

Be prepared however. There are some very difficult passages to read which describe the brutal life of prisoners in the concentration camp of Ravensbrück , a camp which housed only women.

The connection with early fashion designs by Christian Dior is played up in the book’s description. But I did not find it at all necessary to the main plot. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end which explains why Natasha Lester included them. Overall, I’d put this in the category of good beach read.

More about Australian author, Natasha Lester .

You may be interested in my reviews of other books by Natasha Lester:

THE THREE LIVES OF ALIX ST. PIERRE

THE PARIS ORPHAN

THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS

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The Paris Secret: An epic and heartbreaking love story set during World War Two

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The Paris Secret: An epic and heartbreaking love story set during World War Two Kindle Edition

A wartime legacy. A lost love. A friendship to last a lifetime . . . 'A meticulously researched novel about the lengths people will go to protect one another, and a love that lasts a lifetime . . . an extraordinary book' Marie Claire A decades old secret . . . When Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns hidden in her grandmother's remote cottage, she delves into the mystery of their origin, determined to know more about her beloved grandmother's secret past. An unspeakable betrayal . . . In England, 1939, talented pilot Skye Penrose is flying for the Royal Air Force. She soon meets a mysterious Frenchwoman named Margaux Jourdan, and with her is Catherine Dior, the sister of the renowned designer. Together, they have no idea of the danger that lies ahead . . . Three women bound forever by war. As Kat attempts to solve the mystery of the past, her grandmother's hidden life comes to light. But could it be that some secrets are best left buried? Set between Europe's war-torn past and the present day, The Paris Secret is an unforgettable story of love and sacrifice. Perfect for fans of Kate Furnivall, Lucinda Riley and Tracy Rees. PRAISE FOR NATASHA LESTER: 'Divine' GILL PAUL, bestselling author of The Secret Wife 'An emotional and sweeping tale' CHANEL CLEETON, bestselling author of Next Year in Havana 'A splendid, breathtaking novel, full of mystery and passion...a must read!' JEANNE MACKIN, author of The Last Collection

Print length 497 pages
Language English
Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
Publisher Sphere
Publication date 31 Mar. 2020
File size 3439 KB
Page Flip Enabled
Word Wise Enabled
Enhanced typesetting Enabled
See all details

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From the Publisher

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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B081V2RGZV
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sphere (31 Mar. 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3439 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 497 pages
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About the author

Natasha lester.

Natasha Lester worked as a marketing executive for L'Oréal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing. She completed a Master of Creative Arts and has written several novels including A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald, Her Mother's Secret and The Paris Seamstress. Her sixth novel, The French Photographer, will be published in April 2019.

In her spare time Natasha loves to teach writing, is a sought after public speaker and can often be found playing dress-up with her three children. She lives in Perth.

For all the latest news from Natasha visit:

www.natashalester.com.au

Twitter: @Natasha_Lester

Instagram: natashalester

Facebook: NatashaLesterAuthor

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The Paris Secret

By Natasha Lester

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THE PARIS SECRET

by Karen Swan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 14, 2017

Behind the locked door are shocking secrets, an unlikely romance, and nail-biting intrigue—it’s definitely worth a peek.

Long-lost paintings are not the only secrets a fine-art agent uncovers when she catalogs the contents of a Paris apartment that’s been shuttered for 73 years.

Flora Sykes is the head of European operations for Beaumont Fine Art Agency and the daughter of a former chief auctioneer at Christie’s. She knows how to put a price on priceless works of art, but her new clients, the Vermeil family, may cost her the rest of her career when they hire her to search their recently discovered property despite the patriarch’s request to leave it locked until after his widow’s death. Inside the home are hundreds of sketches and paintings—including works by Matisse, Dali, Pissarro, and Renoir—that her clients hope to bring to auction. The contrast between the moldy curtains and the colorful artwork gives the house an addictive image-gallery feel even before the skeletons emerge from the closet. But when the trail leading to where the artwork was purchased goes cold, Flora is faced with two chilling scenarios: in one, the artwork can’t be verified and loses its value; in the other, it can be traced to an unthinkable source, and the family loses its reputation. At the same time, Flora is stunned by tragic news involving her brother—news that stays hidden until the final chapters, when revealing it will cost Flora more than her pride. Like her paintings, Flora handles her secrets with care, and she considers people’s emotions as well as the facts as she attempts to solve the mystery in the Vermeils’ home and her own. So why does the Vermeils’ son, Xavier, who is by all outward appearances a spoiled playboy, have such an effect on her? As she races to find the paintings’ origins before they go to auction, she runs away from Xavier much more slowly—and looks back often—as her dispassionate diligence turns into blind passion.

Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-06-267282-7

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017

ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE

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IT ENDS WITH US

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016

Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...

Hoover’s ( November 9 , 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.

At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016

GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

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THE FRIEND ZONE

by Abby Jimenez ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2019

An excellent debut that combines wit, humor, and emotional intensity.

A woman refuses to be with her soul mate, but life intervenes, making her choice harder and more heartbreaking.

Josh meets Kristen with a bang, literally, when she slams on her brakes and he runs into her. There's minimal damage, so she disappears. Minutes later they discover that their best friends are engaged to each other and they were slated to meet that day at the fire station where Brandon and Josh work. Josh is immediately smitten, but Kristen has a boyfriend, Tyler, who’s deployed overseas. Counting down the days until he gets home for good, Kristen adamantly puts Josh in the friend zone, refusing to acknowledge their growing closeness and her spiking attraction. Then Tyler reenlists, effectively breaking up with her. Kristen and Josh sleep together, but she slams the door on his hope for a real relationship, telling him it will never be more than a friends-with-benefits situation. Josh thinks Kristen is mourning the end of her relationship with Tyler, but really, Kristen realizes Josh is her perfect match. Unfortunately she also knows Josh wants children, which would be nearly impossible for them due to her malfunctioning reproductive system. The two reach a painful impasse, but when tragedy strikes, they find themselves reevaluating their relationship. Josh knows he’ll never be happy without Kristen, but he’ll have to think outside the box to convince her to take a chance on them. Jimenez tackles a myriad of issues in her debut and hits each one with depth and sensitivity. Kristen’s take-no-prisoners attitude is smart and sassy and perfectly balanced by Josh’s easygoing resourcefulness, though at times her lack of transparency while jerking him around makes her seem more immature than self-sacrificing .

Pub Date: July 9, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5387-1560-4

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Forever

Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019

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Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, the paris secret.

About the Book

In this glittering tale of forgotten treasures and long-held secrets, international bestseller Karen Swan explores one woman’s journey to discovering the truth behind an abandoned apartment and a family whose mysteries may be better left undiscovered.

When high-powered fine art agent Flora Sykes is called in to assess objets d’art in a Paris apartment that has been abandoned since WWII, she is skeptical at first --- until she discovers that the treasure trove of paintings is myriad…and priceless. The powerful Vermeil family to whom they belong is eager to learn more and asks Flora to trace the history of each painting.

Despite a shocking announcement that has left her own family reeling, Flora finds herself thrown into the glamorous world of the Vermeils. But she soon realizes there is more to this project than first appears. As she researches the provenance of their prize Renoir, she uncovers a scandal surrounding the painting --- and a secret that goes to the very heart of the family. The fallout will place Flora in the eye of a storm that carries her from London to Vienna to the glittering coast of Provence.

Xavier Vermeil, the brusque scion of the family, is determined to separate Flora from his family's affairs in spite of their powerful attraction to one another. Just what are the secrets he is desperately trying to hide? And what price is Flora willing to pay to uncover the devastating truth?

The Paris Secret by Karen Swan

Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Genres: Fiction
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN-10: 0062672827
ISBN-13: 9780062672827

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About the Book

The Paris Secret by Karen Swan

Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Genres: Fiction
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN-10: 0062672827
ISBN-13: 9780062672827

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Book Review: A dark secret exposed about a World War II internment camp in ‘First Frost’

This cover image released by Viking shows “First Frost” by Craig Johnson. (Viking via AP)

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Walt Longmire and his deputy are poking around in his basement when she spots a relic of his youth, a hundred-pound Bob Simmons-model surfboard.

“You’re too big to surf,” she says.

“I didn’t used to be,” he says.

She notices that the front of the board is heavily dented.

“Tell me about that,” she says.

It’s a long story, he replies. In fact, it’s long enough to form the heart of “First Frost,” Craig Johnson’s 20th crime novel featuring Longmire, the sheriff of fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Flash back to the summer of 1964. Walt and his pal Henry Standing Bear, whose football careers at the University of Southern California recently came to an end, have enlisted in the military with the expectation that they will be sent to Vietnam. Their plan is to drive cross country to their assigned training facilities, but they have barely made it to Arizona when Walt’s truck runs off the road, stranding them in the small desert town of Bone Valley.

The town, they soon find, is as unwelcoming as its name. Get out as soon as you can, they are repeatedly told. Sometimes it’s a warning, sometimes a threat. Clearly something is wrong here, and Walt, already demonstrating the courage and persistence of a future sheriff, can’t let go of the mystery.

This cover image released by Penguin shows "The Playbook: A Story of Theater, Democracy, and the Making of a Culture War,” by James Shapiro. (Penguin via AP)

Meanwhile, back in the present, Longmire is under investigation for a fatal shooting recounted in “The Longmire Defense,” last year’s installment of the series. The victim was a member of a wealthy and politically powerful family, which is now out for vengeance.

The author moves smoothly between the two time periods, keeping both stories moving at a crisp pace. The old story is the more suspenseful one involving, among other things, murderous drug smugglers, a former judge who runs Bone Valley like a dictator, and a dark secret about the incarceration camps of Japanese Americans during World War II that had once operated nearby.

Johnson’s vivid, tightly written novel may remind readers of “Bad Day at Black Rock,” a 1955 film in which an Army veteran played by Spencer Tracy arrives in a western town to deliver a medal and discovers the populace is harboring a dark secret.

Readers new to the series won’t have difficulty following the action, and longtime Longmire fans are likely to appreciate how the author fleshes out the main character’s backstory.

Bruce DeSilva, winner of the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award, is the author of the Mulligan crime novels including “The Dread Line.”

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews

Strolling through the Paris that radicalized Ho Chi Minh

In his novella “Faraway the Southern Sky,” Joseph Andras explores the City of Light, studying the political forces that have coursed through its streets.

Joseph Andras isn’t interested in the great men of history: His writing is fixated on “the losers, the ignored, the third-rates … those there, laid low under shoddy stars, not worth even a penny.” His best-known work, and the first of his novels to be translated into English, “Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us,” recounts the final days of Fernand Iveton, an FLN-Algerian dissident who was executed — by guillotine — for his involvement in a failed bombing. Some of the other radicals he’s written about include Alphonse Dianou, an independence leader from New Caledonia (one of France’s last colonies, or “overseas departments”) killed by French forces in 1988 for his role in a hostage plot, as well as animal rights activists throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. These are minor figures, even if the events they were involved in had major historical consequences. Why then has he added a young Ho Chi Minh to his roster of revolutionaries?

At the start of “ Faraway the Southern Sky ,” his most recent novel to be translated into English (by Simon Leser, who also translated “Tomorrow They Won’t Dare”), Andras, or his narrator, announces that he is not much attracted to the story of “Ho Chi Minh the icon,” one of those men on horseback whom Hegel might have called a world-historical figure. He wants to know — uncover — a different man: a young Vietnamese vagabond in postwar Paris who “changed names like he changed shirts,” who “slept in pigsties, wrote articles in a language his mother had never sung to him in, and roamed Paris under the eyes of devious cops.”

“He wasn’t called Ho Chi Minh,” Andras tells us — not yet anyway: Born at the end of the 19th century (the exact year is up for debate), he was first known as Nguyen Sinh Cung (and later Nguyen Tat Thanh), a “native of Hoang Tru, a village somewhere in the north” of Vietnam. The son of a middle-class family, he was afforded a Western education, where he was exposed to the tenets of France’s Third Republic, including the maxim of “Liberté Égalité Fraternité,” which engendered in him his first doubts about life under French rule. “Ho Chi Minh said that it piqued his interest as a teenager,” Andras writes, “how, in short, could the pleasant maxim of Desmoulins, Forty-Eighters, and Communards end up in the buttonholes of grandees and infantrymen?”

When he finally arrived in Paris — in 1917, 1918 or 1919, but historians can’t seem to agree — it was after nearly a decade of wandering. He had left Vietnam on a steamboat heading to Marseille, flipping through odd jobs and ports of call. Andras is drawn to Ho during this period, perhaps, because he was something of a Zelig-like figure, lurking in the frame of history, rather than someone who was in the process of making it: In a London hotel, he worked for the great French chef Escoffier, who advised him to settle down and become a cook; he apparently met Charlie Chaplin while at sea and was even said to resemble the actor; and when he was in Paris he was rebuffed by heads of state, like Woodrow Wilson and Georges Clemenceau, who refused to meet with him and his fellow Vietnamese nationalists. Working alongside these comrades, the Groupe des patriotes annamites (the Group of Vietnamese Patriots), he became a writer in the leftist press, and adopted a pseudonym and pen name, Nguyen Ai Quoc (“Nguyen the Patriot”).

It was in Paris, Andras’s fiction suggests, that Ho Chi Minh was forged. There, in a city scarred by its own revolutions, one of France’s colonial subjects became radicalized. Andras does not tell the story of Ho’s transformation in chronological order: His book instead conforms to the shape of a walk that its unnamed narrator takes across the arrondissements of Paris where Ho lived. As the walk unfolds, it becomes clear that Paris is as much the protagonist of the story as Ho. Political ruptures (past, present and future) that occurred steps away from the apartments the future Vietnamese leader reportedly occupied haunt and shape the city — the Paris commune of 1871, the massacre of Algerian protesters in 1961, demonstrations by the Gilets Jaunes in 2018.

Peripatetic novels are hardly unique — from Woolf to Sebald, many have used roadways to gesture at subjects of greater import — but what makes Andras’s strolling story all his own is his zeal and yearning. That tone can sometimes veer into the melodramatic or florid (“We look upon the revolutionary as one might hold a cigarette for the friend who stepped away: not entirely sure what to do with it”), but the length of the book (less than 80 pages) keeps Andras’s narrative taut and focused enough to forgive its occasional moments of grandeur. Still, the proclamations are underlined by a sense of purpose: Andras wants his readers to join him in protest. Near the end of the novel, the narrator passes by a police barricade and thinks longingly of a demonstration he remembers: “A capital rising up, you don’t see that every day.”

For Andras, the very geography of Paris offers a political education for the hungry and curious. As the historian Ian Birchall has argued in the New Left Review , “The revolts which finally brought an end to the French empire were to some extent prepared in the very heart of French imperialism, the city of Paris.” It was a hothouse of dissident activity, where migrants from all of France’s colonies congregated, to find work but also solidarity. While Andras goes into great detail in his reconstruction of Ho’s youthful period — how he tried to teach himself Marxism but ended up using the copy of “Capital” he borrowed from the library as a pillow; how he became a founding member of the French Communist Party but broke with his new allies after he discovered they didn’t really care about the colonial question — the author follows the revolutionary trail in Paris to understand the city anew.

The discomfiting contradiction at the heart of this project, one to which Andras admits, is how to account for the violence Ho would eventually become associated with: “The Vietnamese Communist regime shot innocents, locked up others for their opinions, crushed any and all criticism, falsified numbers, forced into exile some of its most loyal servants, and, like the hated capitalists, concentrated power at the top.” He notes that Ho was sidelined in his later years, made a “minority of his own party, almost powerless, as if spitting in the wind, the mummified symbol of national reunification.” Andras insists, though, that Ho Chi Minh isn’t the person he cares about: He wants to know more about Ngyuen the Patriot. He wants to know how a man like him came to be reborn in a city where radical change, for better and for worse, always seems possible.

Kevin Lozano is the Nation’s associate literary editor.

Faraway the Southern Sky

By Joseph Andras, translated from French by Simon Leser

Verso. 82 pp. $17.95

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Review: 'Robot Dreams' is more profound than it has any right to be

Just as the Earth, Wind & Fire song “September” asks “Do you remember?”

It’s one of those strange but immutable truths of the movies that a song like Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” can play in roughly a thousand films before a movie about a dog and a robot comes along and blows them all out of the water.

The animated “Robot Dreams” is wordless, so the songs play an outsized influence in conjuring its whimsical and gently existential tone. But Pablo Berger’s “Robot Dreams,” a 1980s New York-set fable about loved ones who come and go, doesn’t just use “September” for a scene or even two. It’s the soundtrack to the friendship between Dog and Robot (yes, those are the protagonists’ names in this disarmingly simple film), and its melody returns in various forms whenever they’re reminded of each other.

To a remarkable degree, “Robot Dreams” has fully imbibed all the melancholy and joy of Earth, Wind & Fire’s disco classic. Just as the song asks “Do you remember?” so too does “Robot Dreams,” a sweetly wistful little movie that, like a good pop song, expresses something profound without wasting a word.

Remembering is also helpful when it comes to the film, itself. I first saw “Robot Dreams” over a year ago at the Cannes Film Festival. Its release comes months after “Robot Dreams” was Oscar nominated for best animated film. But for whatever reason, the film is only arriving in North American theaters this Friday.

It’s an unconventional release pattern for an unconventional film. “Robot Dreams,” adapted from Sara Varon’s 2007 graphic novel, is likewise an all-ages movie in a curious way. It’s very much for kids, but it’s also so mature in its depictions of relationships that older generations may swoon hardest for it.

“Robot Dreams” begins in the East Village where Dog lives a rather lonely life. Before he sits down to eat a microwave dinner, he notices his solitary reflection in the TV screen. An ad, though, sparks Dog to order the Amica 2000. A few days later, a box arrives, Dog assembles its contents and soon a friendly robot is smiling back at him.

Together, they have a grand old time around a New York colorfully rendered with pointillist detail. They jump the subway turnstiles, visit Woolworths and rollerblade in Central Park (with “September” playing on the boombox). But after an outing to Playland (which looks much more like Coney Island), Robot’s enthusiasm gets him into some trouble. After frolicking in the water, he lies down on the beach and later finds he can’t move. This may be a movie about a Dog who rollerblades and a Robot who eats hot dogs, but the scientific reality of rust is one suspense of disbelief too far for “Robot Dreams.”

Despite all of Dog’s efforts, Robot is stuck, and, this being September, the beach is soon closed for the off-season. Much of “Robot Dreams” passes through the seasons while Robot dreamily sleeps through the winter and Dog is forced to go on with his life, and maybe try to meet someone new.

The dreams of each can be surreal; Dog has a bowling alley visit with a snowman who bowls his own head, while Robot imagines a “Wizard of Oz”-like fantasy. But both are consumed by fears of their friend’s abandonment while progressively finding new experiences and friends. New characters enter, with their own New Yorks (kite-flying in the park, rooftop barbeques) and their own soundtracks. “Robot Dreams” movingly turns into a story about moving on while still cherishing the good times you once shared with someone — a valuable lesson to young and old, in friendship and romance.

And even this sense of memory runs deeper in “Robot Dreams” than you might be prepared for. Berger, the Spanish filmmaker whose movies include the 2012 black-and-white silent "Blancanieves," has filled his movie with countless bits of a bygone past, from Atari to Tab soda. The name Amica 2000 could be a pun for the Amiga 500, the early computer and harbinger of our digital present. Even more dramatic, though, is the way the Twin Towers often loom in the background in a film so connected to the month of September. There, too, is a poignant symbol of companions, friends and family members who vanished, but whose memories still stir within us.

This is, you might be thinking, a lot for a cartoon about a dog and a robot to evoke. And yet “Robot Dreams” does so, beautifully. And it will leave you curiously lifted by the spirit and lyrics of one of the most-played wedding songs of all time: “Only blue talk and love, remember/ The true love we share today.”

"Robot Dreams,” a Neon release, is unrated by the Motion Picture Association but intended for all audiences. Running time: 102 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

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The Paris Secret Kindle Edition

Print length 497 pages
Language English
Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
Publisher Forever
Publication date September 15, 2020
File size 4195 KB
Page Flip Enabled
Word Wise Enabled
Enhanced typesetting Enabled
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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B083J1CJCC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Forever (September 15, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4195 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 497 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 153871728X
#604 in Historical World War II Fiction
#1,198 in Women's Historical Fiction
#1,572 in 20th Century Historical Fiction (Books)

About the author

Natasha lester.

In her spare time Natasha loves to teach writing, is a sought after public speaker and can often be found playing dress-up with her three children. She lives in Perth.

For all the latest news from Natasha visit:

www.natashalester.com.au

Twitter: @Natasha_Lester

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Friday 31 May 2024

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Book review: Humility: The secret history of a lost virtue by Christopher M. Bellitto

Robin gill considers a self-effacing virtue and the need for it.

THIS delightful little book seeks to rescue humility as a key moral virtue. The author is Professor of History at Kean University, New Jersey, academic editor of the Paulist Press, and a regular commentator on the Roman Catholic Church. He is inclusive in style, jargon-free, and easily read.

What he offers is an introductory survey of the tensions that the concept of humility has faced over the past two-and-a-half millennia. Within hubristic Graeco-Roman culture, he suggests, humility was typically regarded as weakness and tantamount to humiliation, and yet Plato and Aristotle valued it more positively.

In contrast, in medieval Europe, some promoted intellectual humility, under the influence of the remarkable 11th-century Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, then under the Islamic philosopher Al-Ghazali in the following century, and especially, a century later, under St Thomas Aquinas, who was influenced by both, but added his own subtle analysis of the tension between humility and pride.

Finally, in the Enlightenment, David Hume and Edward Gibbon both returned to Graeco-Roman rejections of humility, while Immanuel Kant took a more “enlightened” position.

Bellitto rightly insists that humility is not simply a Christian virtue (either in theory or in practice). It is (or should be) a characteristic of all the Abrahamic faiths that compare fallible human virtues with God’s overwhelming virtue. In addition, for him, purely secular claims in the modern world would be improved by a proper attention to humility — offering as a telling example Prince Albert’s “stunning arrogance” when he claimed in 1849 as the Crystal Palace Exhibition was being constructed: “Man is approaching a more complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission which he has to perform in this world . . . to conquer nature to his use.”

Pointing to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to Hitler’s Third Reich, and now to human-induced climate change, Bellitto sees much evidence that scientific humility (which he detects, surprisingly, in Darwin’s writings) is needed for the religious and non-religious alike.

He also argues that a lack of humility has been instrumental in the ongoing tribulations of Churches over safeguarding. Somewhat unwisely, he claims at one point that “you cannot fake humility.” But his examples of safeguarding cover-ups (drawn from Roman Catholic examples) suggest otherwise. Some of the most notorious examples of ecclesiastical cover-ups, across denominations, have been unnoticed at the time because of the ostentatious humility of serial priestly and even episcopal perpetrators.

He does, though, praise the formidable St Teresa of Ávila’s wise recognition that imposed monastic humility could too easily become a means of coercion. He also praises the equally formidable Pope Benedict XVI’s “astounding” decision to retire — after recognising his own physical frailty — as evidence “that humility is still a virtue”.

There is much more that could be written at greater depth about humility, but this book offers a very engaging introduction, which finishes with a flourish: “Humility’s time has come again.” I hope that indeed it has. Ecclesiastical, scientific, and political leaders alike would surely do well if they followed Pope Francis’s example and practised greater humility . . . but, sadly, all too often they do not.

Canon Robin Gill is Emeritus Professor of Applied Theology at the University of Kent and Editor of Theology .

Humility: The secret history of a lost virtue Christopher M. Bellitto Georgetown University Press £20 (978-1-64712-376-5) Church Times Bookshop £18

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A Dark Secret Exposed About a World War II Internment Camp in ‘First Frost’

Please try again

A book cover featuring a rugged man carrying a rifle and standly confidently on a hillside.

Walt Longmire and his deputy are poking around in his basement when she spots a relic of his youth, a hundred-pound Bob Simmons-model surfboard.

“You’re too big to surf,” she says.

“I didn’t used to be,” he says.

She notices that the front of the board is heavily dented.

“Tell me about that,” she says.

It’s a long story, he replies. In fact, it’s long enough to form the heart of First Frost , Craig Johnson’s 20th crime novel featuring Longmire, the sheriff of fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Meanwhile, back in the present, Longmire is under investigation for a fatal shooting recounted in The Longmire Defense , last year’s installment of the series. The victim was a member of a wealthy and politically powerful family, which is now out for vengeance.

Johnson’s vivid, tightly written novel may remind readers of Bad Day at Black Rock , a 1955 film in which an Army veteran played by Spencer Tracy arrives in a western town to deliver a medal and discovers the populace is harboring a dark secret.

Readers new to the series won’t have difficulty following the action, and longtime Longmire fans are likely to appreciate how the author fleshes out the main character’s backstory.

‘First Frost’ is out now, via Viking.

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IMAGES

Review: The Paris Secret by Lily Graham
The Paris Secret
The Paris Secret by Karen Swan
“The Paris Secret” Book Review
Book Review
Review: The Paris Secret, by Karen Swan

COMMENTS

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
4.47. 13,454 ratings1,613 reviews. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different.
Book Review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
The Paris Secret… About the Book: A wardrobe of Dior gowns, a secret kept for sixty-five years, and the three women bound forever by war… from the New York Times bestselling author of THE FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER. ... 12 thoughts on " Book Review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester " Lisa Hill. Apr 20, 2020 at 9:08 am I think this might be ...
Book review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
This is such a beautiful novel. The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester is published today by Hachette Australia. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester is an exquisitely-written story of a female pilot during WWII and the legacy she leaves.
Book Review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
Source: Forever. Book Rating: 10/10. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different.
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester is a Stunning Adventure and so
A wardrobe of Dior gowns, a secret kept for sixty-five years, and the three women bound forever by war… from the New York Times bestselling author of The French Photographer. England, 1939 Talented pilot Skye Penrose joins the British war effort where she encounters her estranged sister, Liberty, and childhood soulmate Nicholas Crawford, now engaged to enigmatic Frenchwoman Margaux …
The Paris Secret
Book Reviews. Our print magazine for members The Historical Novels Review has published reviews of 20,000+ books. Become a member to get exclusive early access to our latest reviews too! ... The Paris Secret. Written by Natasha Lester Review by Gail M. Murray. Lester's passion for fashion drew her to Catherine Dior, fashion icon Christian ...
BOOK REVIEW: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
Paperback, $32.99. Reviewed by Natalie Salvo. Fiction / Historical Fiction. 90% Rocking. Natasha Lester certainly knows how to dress her stories for success. The historic fiction writer has published half a dozen books which blend romance with great storytelling. The Paris Secret brings together some engaging characters and crafts them into her ...
"The Paris Secret" Book Review
Book: "The Paris Secret" by Natasha Lester Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 5/5 Stars Five Word Review: Emotional, Heartbreaking, Love, Friendship, Tragic Blogger's Note: Thank you to Forever Publishing for the free copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review. I love historical fiction. It fascinates me to read stories that are rich…
REVIEW: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
REVIEW: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester. The cover of The Paris Secret, the fifth novel from Australian author Natasha Lester, suggests a light romance in the world of 1940s haute-couture fashion. It is that, but it is so much more-and a good example of how we should not judge books by their covers. As a love story, it certainly does deliver.
Book Review
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester focuses on Skye Penrose and her sister Liberty. In this triple timeline novel, which bounces from 1939 to 1947 to the present day, we discover how two identical Christian Dior gowns tie together two women and unveil their wartime secrets.
Amazon.com: The Paris Secret: 9781538717288: Lester, Natasha: Books
The Paris Secret. Paperback - September 15, 2020. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more ...
The Paris Secret
The Paris Secret - by Natasha Lester - independent book review - Historical Fiction (England) 3. October 5, 2020 May 14, 2024. Written by Toby A. Smith. What you have with THE PARIS SECRET is a compelling, fast-moving, plot-driven historical novel, with lots of twists and turns. The writing is competent, the characters are ALL fabulously ...
The Paris Secret
"This meticulously researched novel is about the lengths people will go to protect one another, and a love that lasts a lifetime. The Paris Secret is a tear-jerker, so stock up on tissues, sit in a quiet corner and don't move until you've finished this extraordinary book. —Marie Claire A "sweeping family saga written in elegant, evocative prose that is as carefully stitched together ...
The Paris Secret: An epic and heartbreaking love story set during World
The Paris Secret is a tear-jerker, so stock up on tissues, sit in a quiet corner and don't move until you've finished this extraordinary book."-- Marie Claire "Lester's talent shines in her new novel, THE PARIS SECRET, filled with spies and the French Resistance, vivid detailing, and a cast of courageous young women, intent on playing their ...
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different.Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn.
The Paris Secret
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice.. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty is the one to defy her at every turn.
THE PARIS SECRET
THE PARIS SECRET. Behind the locked door are shocking secrets, an unlikely romance, and nail-biting intrigue—it's definitely worth a peek. Long-lost paintings are not the only secrets a fine-art agent uncovers when she catalogs the contents of a Paris apartment that's been shuttered for 73 years. Flora Sykes is the head of European ...
The Paris Secret by Karen Swan
3.90. 11,745 ratings928 reviews. Not every door should be opened... With stunning locations and page-turning tension, The Paris Secret is an intense and gripping tale from bestselling author Karen Swan. Somewhere along the cobbled streets of Paris, an apartment lies thick with dust and secrets: full of priceless artworks hidden away for decades.
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester, Paperback
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different.Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn.
The Paris Secret
When high-powered fine art agent Flora Sykes is called in to assess objets d'art in a Paris apartment that has been abandoned since WWII, she is skeptical at first --- until she discovers that the treasure trove of paintings is myriad…and priceless. The powerful Vermeil family to whom they belong is eager to learn more and asks Flora to trace the history of each painting. Despite a ...
The Paris Secret
The Paris Secret. by Karen Swan. Publication Date: November 14, 2017. Genres: Fiction. Paperback: 416 pages. Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0062672827. ISBN-13: 9780062672827. In this glittering tale of forgotten treasures and long-held secrets, international bestseller Karen Swan explores one woman's journey to discovering ...
Book Review: A dark secret exposed about a World War II internment camp
Book Review: A dark secret exposed about a World War II internment camp in 'First Frost' In 1964, Walt Longmire's football career at Southern Cal ended, so he enlisted in the Marines.
Book Review: A dark secret exposed about a World War II internment camp
The old story is the more suspenseful one involving, among other things, murderous drug smugglers, a former judge who runs Bone Valley like a dictator, and a dark secret about the incarceration camps of Japanese Americans during World War II that had once operated nearby. Johnson's vivid, tightly written novel may remind readers of "Bad Day ...
Book review: 'Faraway the Southern Sky' by Joseph Andras
Still, the proclamations are underlined by a sense of purpose: Andras wants his readers to join him in protest. Near the end of the novel, the narrator passes by a police barricade and thinks ...
The Paris Secret: An epic and heartbreaking love story set in World War
The last time Valerie was in Paris, she was three years old, running from the Nazis, away from the only home she had ever known. Now as a young woman all alone in the world, Valerie must return to Paris, to the bookshop and her sole surviving relative, her grandfather Vincent, the only person who knows the truth about what happened to her parents.As she gets to know grumpy, taciturn Vincent ...
Review: 'Robot Dreams' is more profound than it has any right to be
Book Review: A dark secret exposed about a World War II internment camp in 'First Frost' May 28, 1:26 PM. New day trip offer from Paris to Champagne ... Book Review: Joyce Carol Oates' novel ...
'The Race to the Future' Review: From China to Paris
Resize. Listen. (3 min) On June 10, 1907, five automobiles stuttered out of the French Legation parade ground in Peking to embark on a race to Paris. According to Kassia St. Clair in "The Race ...
Amazon.com: The Paris Secret eBook : Lester, Natasha: Kindle Store
The Paris Secret. Kindle Edition. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different.
Book review: Humility: The secret history of a lost virtue by
THIS delightful little book seeks to rescue humility as a key moral virtue. The author is Professor of History at Kean University, New Jersey, academic editor of the Paulist Press, and a regular commentator on the Roman Catholic Church. He is inclusive in style, jargon-free, and easily read. What he offers is an introductory survey of the ...
Book Review: 'First Frost' by Craig Johnson
The author moves smoothly between the two time periods, keeping both stories moving at a crisp pace. The old story is the more suspenseful one involving, among other things, murderous drug smugglers, a former judge who runs Bone Valley like a dictator, and a dark secret about the incarceration camps of Japanese Americans during World War II ...

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