From the New York Times bestselling author of
The Paris Key comes the story of a mysterious work of
art and the woman inspired to uncover its history in the
City of Light.
After surviving the accident that took her mother’s life,
Claire Broussard has worked hard to escape her small
Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something is
lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago,
Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother.
There, she unearths a beautiful piece of artwork that her
great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II.
At her grandmother’s urging, Claire travels to Paris to
track down the century-old mask-making atelier where the
object, known only as “L’Inconnue”—or The Unknown Woman—was
created. Under the watchful eye of a surly mask-maker,
Claire discovers a cache of letters that offers insight into
the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work
of art. As Claire explores the unknown woman’s tragic fate,
she begins to unravel deeply buried secrets in her own life.