2018 School Spending Survey Report
Stolen Beauty
Atria. Feb. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9781501131981. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501132001. F
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Maria Altmann was a "love-struck newlywed" when Adolf Hitler invaded Austria, and with her opening sentence, Albanese (The Miracles of Prato) draws readers into a world of glamour, art, intrigue, power and fear. Maria and opera singer husband Fritz soon learn their money and talent are of little use to the Third Reich, especially with Jewish blood in the family. Even more compelling is the interwoven story of Maria's aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer, muse to artist Gustav Klimt and a woman ahead of her time in turn-of-the-century Vienna. Klimt's commissioned gold-leaf portrait of Adele is of high interest to the Nazis and will inspire Maria to find inner strength to survive the war and save her family's legacy.
VERDICT In this complex yet utterly readable novel, historical characters are brought to life against the setting of a city on the verge of artistic greatness and societal collapse. Albanese treats thorny moral issues with clarity and depth. Fans of Philippa Gregory, Tracy Chevalier, and those who enjoyed the film Woman in Gold starring Helen Mirren won't be able to put it down.
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