Alyson Richman, in her Author's Notes, tells us that a
mysterious apartment was discovered in Paris in 2014. It
had been closed for seventy years and was filled with
magnificent furnishings, collections of Chinese porcleains,
and a magnificiant painting of young Madame de Florian. It
was painted by a reknowned artist, Giovanni Boldini, known
for his socialite renderings. It sold at auction later for
2.1 million dollars, the highest price ever for a Boldini
painting. This was the basic information MS. Richman had
and began to research and write this book, THE VELVET
HOURS. This historical fiction is a stunning story that
begins at the end. Solange Beaugeron closes the door of her
grandmother's apartment upon her death and according to her
last wishes, a promise she made to Marthe.
Marthe de Florian is not her real name. Mathilde Beaugiron,
was born in the dark alleys of Montmartre and learned to sew
at an early age. She became a seamstress. That craft
enabled her to make a living and not have to wash other
people's dirty clothes like her mother had to do. At 18
she got pregnant by a young man in an alley. When she told
him she was pregnant with his child, he told her no way
would he marry her or help with the child in any way. She
gave the baby, a son, to a co-worker who could not conceive
and never looked back. She got a job as a chorus girl at
Les Ambassadeurs where she sang and danced. She watched as
the men send flowers and invite the other dancers out. One
of the dancers offered this advice to Marthe. Select one
specific man and sing directly to him. It worked. Five
perfect orchids were delivered to her with his note
requesting her to join him for champagne. Then, he would
present her with the sixth orchid.
Charles was handsome,
titled and very wealthy. He wooed Marthe and soon set her
up as his mistress in a luxurious apartment that he
furnished for her. Marthe learned about art, fashion and
how to please Charles. They fell in love even though
Charles was married and had a son. He gifted her with a
pearl necklace that was worth a fortune and told her if she
ever needed money to return it to the store where he bought
it. She would have enough money to live in the manner she
desired. for the rest of her life. Marthe believed you did
not have to be born into a beautiful life in order to have
one and was grateful to Charles who made a beautiful life
for her before and after his death.
THE VELVET HOURS is a touching story of Marthe and her
granddaughter, Solange Beaugion who she meets when her long,
lost son
brings his daughter, Solange to meet her. Marthe becomes a
story teller sharing her life, as a French Courtesian, with
her granddaughter, who in turn, listens and plans to write a
book about Marthe. A slow relationship begins to blossom
between them and in the end is a sweet, enduring love. This
is a beautiful story of family, devotion and keeping
promises. Solange uses her prized possessions to escape the
war and escape to the United States where she becomes a
writer. She keeps her promise to maintain the memory of her
beloved grandmother by keeping her apartment filled with all
her beautiful things until her death when her heirs
discovered it. A great read that will keep you turning
those pages faster and faster to the finale which sparkles!
As Paris teeters on the edge of the German occupation, a
young French woman closes the door to her late grandmother’s
treasure-filled apartment, unsure if she’ll ever return.
An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian cultivated a life of
art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her
impoverished childhood in the dark alleys of Montmartre.
With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with
her granddaughter Solange Beaugiron, using her prized
possessions to reveal her innermost secrets. Most striking
of all are a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent
portrait of Marthe painted by the Italian artist Giovanni
Boldini. As Marthe’s tale unfolds, like velvet itself,
stitched with its own shadow and light, it helps to guide
Solange on her own path.
Inspired by the true account of an abandoned Parisian
apartment, Alyson Richman brings to life Solange, the young
woman forced to leave her fabled grandmother’s legacy behind
to save all that she loved.
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