Nice 1939
Madame Amélie Matisse, wife of celebrated artist Henri, suffers chronic pain and has employed mysterious Russian émigré Lydia Delectorskaya since 1932 to help her in the home. Initially, Amélie has nothing to fear from the much younger woman but now Lydia has ‘invaded’ the household and seems to have laid claim to the affections of Henri, pushing Madame Matisse to the sidelines. Despite what Lydia claims, Amélie knows this is a battle for control and caught in the middle is Henri’s daughter Marguerite. This latest novel from Sophie Haydock takes the reader back to Paris of 1897 to Amélie and Henri’s first meeting and takes the storytelling on a journey to post World War Two.

One thing I learn very early on as a history graduate and teacher, is that truth is often stranger that fiction and aspects of this fascinating story bear this out as there are plenty of surprises in store. All the central protagonists are interesting. I knew nothing about the women in Matisse’s life and precious little about him beyond his works so learning about them all has been very rewarding. I especially enjoy when the couple are first in each other’s company as this is a meeting of two unconventional souls. I especially admire Amélie’s independence of spirit and pragmatism which is well ahead of her time. Things change as they often do as she hitches her wagon to the eventual success of her husband. Lydia’s story, traced from 1917 is interesting and the author does a good job on capturing a sense of her as she does of Marguerite. There are moments when each of them acts in a remarkable way which often impacts the others. You also witness what they are pushed to or risk when events dramatically change.

I love the art elements and Matisse is an artist whose work I like and have been lucky to view some of his pieces in various galleries. One of the things I enjoy most via the novel is looking up the art pieces that are mentioned which sheds new light on them, adding an extra dimension to the story.

Although I do enjoy this, after all I’ve rated it 4 stars, and it’s also fair to say my interest in their stories does not wane. However, I do think that the narrative feels a bit detached at times, reading like a biography. This may of course be a deliberate choice by the author but as there are moments of high drama I personally would like a bit more fire.

Overall though, it’s a good read and one I can recommend to fans of historical fiction and/or art and artists. I would also like to mention how fantastic the cover is, which perfectly captures the novel.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Transworld, Doubleday for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.