The Paris Deception

This was a stunning and compelling read about the systematic looting of fine art by the Germans in World War II Paris. The story focuses on two sisters-in-law, still numb with grief in the loss of their brother/husband, who pull together to cleverly undermine the Germans' efforts. Sophie Brandt is a fine arts restorer working at the Jeu de Paume, formerly the museum of modern art and in wartime, the repository for cataloguing of German looted artworks. The rough handling of the paintings pillaged by soldiers calls for her expertise. Sophie's sister-in-law, Fabienne Brandt, is a fine arts painter. Together they mount an extraordinary effort to save the modern art which the Germans deem to be "Entartete Kunst" - "Degenerate Art".

With show more exquisite and painterly prose, author Bryn Turnbull has done a spectacular job of sharing the sights, sounds and smells of occupied Paris during the early 1940s. Her characters are richly developed and easily rooted for in their clever and brave efforts to salvage a tremendous part of the French culture. The research which Ms. Turnbull has done is nothing less than herculean. The details are fascinating and will linger with this reader for a long time to come. If you are a fan of well-written and well-researched historical fiction, then this is a book not to me missed.

I am grateful to MIRA (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) for having provided a complimentary e-copy of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

ISBN: 9780369732712
Imprint: MIRA (an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers)
On Sale: May 30, 2023
Pages: 400 pages show less

This novel set in WWII Paris is centered around the efforts to save artwork considered degenerate by the Nazis. Sophie, an art restorer, uses her position at a Paris museum to replace some paintings with forgeries in an effort to keep them out of the hands of Nazi officers. But Sophie and her partner, Fabienne, cannot work fast enough and they must explore other options to save numerous iconic works of art from destruction. This novel was a very enjoyable read and I appreciated learning about the efforts to save art and culture in France during the war.

A breathtaking novel about art theft and forgery in Nazi-occupied Paris, and two brave women who risk their lives rescuing looted masterpieces from Nazi destruction.