Janowitz’s (The Grace Kelly Dress) crisply written novel, inspired by the Audrey Hepburn film Sabrina, provides swift twists and turns. The author also ties in neat historical details about Hepburn’s life, making this a fun read for those who like historical fiction.
Thornton writes lyrically about the two Marys, and readers will sympathize, deeply, with their struggles to find their own paths. Direct readers who want to learn more about the women’s lives to a nonfiction title, Romantic Outlaws, by Charlotte Gordon.
This is a deeply human book, with women surviving and overcoming in their culture while still remaining a part of it. Similar in feel to Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.
The plot twists in the book occasionally stretch the bounds of believability, but readers who love novels filled with family secrets, decrepit mansions, and long-lost journals will enjoy.
The immediate dislike that Kate and Charles have for each other comes out of the blue Parisian sky. Their subsequent falling in love doesn’t make much more sense, but readers won’t care. A fairy tale, rich with the power of food, scents, and a summer in Paris, awaits them.