Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet, by Stephanie Cowell; Crown Publishing, 2010 Reviewed by Chris Loechel
Claude and Camille is an excellent story told in retrospect by Claude Monet in his 70's, centering on Monet's infatuation with Camille Doncieux, who was first glimpsed at a train station en route to Paris. Monet tracks her down months later, and convinces her to become his model, and eventually his lover. Camille's family strongly objects to her affair with the 'starving artist', just as Monet's father objects to his son's career. The couple finds solace in the company of Monet’s fellow aspiring painters: Renoir, Pissaro and more. You become totally immersed in the loves and lives of the Impressionists and the lifestyle of nineteenth-century Paris. I also recommend The Swan Thieves: A Novel, by Elizabeth Kostova. This book is very different than her previous novel "The Historian", but is a terrifically interwoven story about a psychiatrist and his mindset after he stabs a famous painting. Be sure to read the reliably good Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer. This is a delightful story composed of letters written during World War II in Britain. It makes you want to go meet all of the characters involved, and visit the memorable settings on the Isle of Guernsey.
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