Morelli, Laura

This fascinating story can be read as a stand-alone, but readers unfamiliar with Morelli’s works may want to follow it up with her other novels based on art and art history.

Morelli (The Night Portrait) explores the power of art and ideas to expand the world, even in the darkest times. As Anne works with the French Resistance and museum staff to save an enduring work of art, readers will understand how vital art is to our understanding of ourselves. And the enigmatic Mona Lisa remains, with her soft smile, wearing mourning clothes--the portrait of an ordinary woman in an extraordinary painting.

Morelli’s wonderfully intertwined, quiet tale set during unquiet times reveals truths about the human character and the will to survive. The well-balanced historical fiction on the plight of stolen artwork during World War II moves smoothly between the centuries, focusing on individuals and their own motivations, fears, and ambitions. The theme of survival appears often in the narrative, connected to both people and objects alike and creating another layer for readers to enjoy.