1937: Florence has dreamed her whole life of coming to Paris. She arrives on a sweltering summer day and, lost on the steep streets of Montmartre, asks for directions from Otto, a young artist with paint-spattered clothes and the most beautiful smile she has ever seen.
Otto becomes her guide to Paris, taking her to visit paintings in the Louvre and bookshops by the Seine. And when Otto returns home to finish his studies, they vow to reunite on the same spot they met, one year to the day.
Still dreaming of their parting kiss, Florence starts writing for an American newspaper and throws herself into becoming truly Parisian. All too soon, heady days of parties and champagne are replaced by rumours of war. When Otto finally returns to her, it is as an exile, fleeing Nazi persecution.
Soon, not even Paris is safe. Florence's articles now document life under occupation and hide coded messages from the Resistance. But with the man she loves in terrible danger, her words feel hollow and powerless. If Florence risks everything by accepting a dangerous mission, can she rescue their dreams from that sunny day before the war?
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As the ship's horn let out an almighty blast, I turned away from the crowds of people lining the harbour - the man raising their hats, the women waving their handkerchiefs - and tilted my face to the sun. 1, FLORENCE - JUNE 1937, NEW YORK
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(@bookouture, 4 January 2021, 354 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 5 January)
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This is my first time reading the author. I loved An American In Paris. It reminds me a lot of Ella Carey's books. This is a good thing. The blurb doesn't make it clear but the book alternates between Florence's story and the modern day story of her grand-daughter, Sage, a social medical influencer and blogger hiding from the world after a very pubic meltdown in a video that went viral and saw her being sacked by her management company who discovers Florence's diaries and learns her remarkable story. Florence's experience as the meat of the book and I enjoyed being in her world and her life. Paris is my favourite city in the world and I'm likely to go gaga over any book set there. I was fascinated by Florence's experiences during WWII and the danger and loss she encounters. This is a terrific read.
