Belle Epoque

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Book Review:

 

OK, “Belle Epoque” by Elizabeth Ross is definitely not my kind of story. Don’t get me wrong. I love historical fiction and Paris in the late 1880s is a very interesting time period. But the story had so much feminine scheming, so much angst around beauty and ugliness, and so many dresses, dresses, dresses. So… why am I reviewing the book then? Well, to be honest (and I hate to admit it), the book was just so good!

The story follows Maude, a young Breton woman who has run away to Paris to escape an unpleasant arranged marriage and chase her dreams. But life for a poor girl in that (and any) time is tough. Maude ends up finding employment in a very strange agency that hires out plain women by the hour. Their job – to make their employer look more beautiful by comparison. Demeaning? Yes. Humiliating? True. Lucrative? Definitely! An interesting premise for a story that could go in many directions.

I was unsure how things were going to unfold for a good part of the book which was a welcome surprise, and Ross’s writing style was a pleasure to read. And the dresses? I just put up with them because I really wanted to know how the story would turn out.

Recommendation: if you enjoy an unusual historical fiction with a not so attractive female lead, give “Belle Epoque” a try. You might love it. I did.

 

Mr. Wedel

 

Author – Elizabeth Ross

Publishing – Ember, New York, 2014

Genre – Historical Fiction

Pages - 327

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