FICTION

The Bridal Chair

by Gloria Goldreich
Sourcebooks Landmark. Mar. 2015. 496p. ISBN 9781492603269. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781492603276. F
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Ida Chagall grew up as the spoiled and pampered daughter of famous artist Marc Chagall and his beautiful wife, Bella. Their idyllic, almost Bohemian life is marred by memories of their escape from Russia and her parents' longing for their homeland. Ida loves her parents, but when she falls in love with someone they don't approve of she realizes that her father's love is perhaps conditional. For a wedding gift he paints an empty bridal chair, a cold painting that continues to haunt Ida through the years. Her relationship with her parents evolves as they increasingly make more demands on her time even as she tries to establish her own life with her husband. When the Nazis invade France, it is Ida who must convince her father to leave his beloved Paris, but it may be too late.
VERDICT Goldreich's (Leah's Journey) multilayered story explores the complicated relationship between Chagall and his daughter and the way his art evolved through the war years and beyond. Ida is a vibrant character, although readers may feel frustrated at the way she allows her father to control her. Filled with fascinating details about the art world and colorful real-life characters, this novel may appeal to historical fiction fans who enjoyed Natasha Solomons's The House at Tyneford and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key.
Reviewed by Christina Thurairatnam, Holmes Cty. Dist. P.L., Millersburg, OH , Mar 06, 2015
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