In glittering Vienna in 1903, Adele Block, a Jewess from a wealthy family, loves art and wants to study everything about art. However, in that era, it is unacceptable for women to study. Her role is to marry and raise a family. When she meets Ferdinand Bauer, a very wealthy sugar baron, many years older, he recognizes her dreams. He promises if she marries him, he will take care of her and give her the access to the artistic community she craves. As Mrs. Bauer, she gains the freedom she yearns for. Ferdinand takes her to galleries, introduces her to Berta Zuckerkandlls, a patron of the arts, who becomes her good friend and mentor. She meets handsome painter, Gustav Klimt, a renowned artist who is the most daring and innovative artist in Europe. Their chemistry clicks and he asks her to be his model and his muse for his next painting. An affair begins.
Maria and Fritz Altman are lovestruck newlyweds in Austria in 1938. Dancing in a gorgeous ballroom, they are interrupted by an urgent radio message from the Chancellor of Austria. Hitler's army is at the Austrian border and no one is to offer any resistance. Immediately the guests flee and Maria's parents instruct her to get their passports, their jewels and money and get out. Unfortunately, Fritz did not follow through on updating his passport and no way would they give him one now. Fritz tells Maria to leave immediately and he will meet her later. Maria is adamant that she will not leave without him and her anguish begins. The cruel and heartless grip of the Nazi's on the Jews is a thrilling story and Maria is a heroine that you will love and root for.
If you enjoy a book about love, family, war, betrayals, and art, STOLEN BEAUTY is one for you. Laurie Lico Albanese does an impeccable job of research, and the historical detail is sweeping in its scope. Both Adele and Maria rely on their voices to tell their respective stories.in different narratives, different timelines. Strong willed, courageous, they are truly heroines that will have you turning the pages until the end. A very good read and I look forward to the next one by Ms. Albanese. Brava!
From the dawn of the twentieth century to the devastation of
World War II, this exhilarating novel of love, war, art, and
family gives voice to two extraordinary women and brings to
life the true story behind the creation and near destruction
of Gustav Klimtβs most remarkable paintings.
In the dazzling glitter of 1900 Vienna, Adele
Bloch-Bauerβyoung, beautiful, brilliant, and Jewishβmeets
painter Gustav Klimt. Wealthy in everything but freedom,
Adele embraces Klimtβs renegade genius as the two awaken to
the erotic possibilities on the canvas and beyond. Though
they enjoy a life where sex and art are just beginning to
break through the façade of conventional society, the city
is also exhibiting a disturbing increase in anti-Semitism,
as political hatred foments in the shadows of Adeleβs coffee
house afternoons and cultural salons.
Nearly forty years later, Adeleβs niece Maria Altmann is a
newlywed when the Nazis invade Austriaβand overnight, her
beloved Vienna becomes a war zone. When her husband is
arrested and her family is forced out of their home, Maria
must summon the courage and resilience that is her auntβs
legacy if she is to survive and keep her familyβand their
historyβalive.
Will Maria and her family escape the grip of Nazisβ grip?
And what will become of the paintings that her aunt nearly
sacrificed everything for?
Impeccably researched and a βmust-read for fans of Kristin
Hannahβs The Nightingale and Paula McLainβs
Circling the Sunβ (Christina Baker Kline, #1 New
York Times bestselling author), Stolen Beauty
intertwines the tales of two remarkable women across more
than a hundred years. It juxtaposes passion and discovery
against hatred and despair, and shines a light on our
ability to love, to destroy, and above all, to endure.
No excerpt available.
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