Helpful Score: 1
One person who reviewed this book thought the writing was sophomoric. I cannot agree. I thought the author wrote in the voice of a young peasant girl who gradually becomes educated and an accomplished ballet dancer. The story is a love story but is also the story of a young woman who learns about love through experience. Her youth shows in her romantic view of the artist, Edgar Degas, with whom she falls in love. I quite liked this little story. Finally got back to finish this book. I think it should be rated as a YA book. It would be perfect for a young dancer to read about the background of dancers in the past.
Helpful Score: 1
I was intrigued when I won this as a Goodreads First Reads, and delved into it as both a lover of historical fiction as well as someone with an educational background in art history. While I do think it had promise, it ultimately was just okay for me.
Of course it should be noted that I did receive an ARC - an uncorrected copy which still required editing. I do hope that an editor thoroughly goes through the book to clean up extraneous storylines and improve the writing. At times I found the prose a bit sophomoric. The perspective is first-person present-tense, which I found to be a little distracting. I do wish that Wagner would have focused on the Franco-Prussian War. It is touched on, but only very briefly, and I think this could have been a really interesting storyline and a good distraction from the overly romance-y aspects of the story.
The second half was the better part of the book. It was definitely quicker and more interesting, and I found myself flying through the pages. I would recommend this more for fans of historical romances - as a historical fiction lover I was left just a little disappointed.
Of course it should be noted that I did receive an ARC - an uncorrected copy which still required editing. I do hope that an editor thoroughly goes through the book to clean up extraneous storylines and improve the writing. At times I found the prose a bit sophomoric. The perspective is first-person present-tense, which I found to be a little distracting. I do wish that Wagner would have focused on the Franco-Prussian War. It is touched on, but only very briefly, and I think this could have been a really interesting storyline and a good distraction from the overly romance-y aspects of the story.
The second half was the better part of the book. It was definitely quicker and more interesting, and I found myself flying through the pages. I would recommend this more for fans of historical romances - as a historical fiction lover I was left just a little disappointed.
I picked this up at Costco because I liked the cover. I had a hard time getting into the book at first, but once I got about 50 pages in, I had a hard time putting it down. The level of historical detail regarding the impressionists and the ballet was fascinating. The characters (once we got rid of mother!) were compelling. By the time I was mid-way through, I found myself making time on a car trip (yes, I pulled over at a rest stop) to jump back into the book. Loved it. Will watch for future offerings by this author!
This is a delightful book, capturing both the ballet and the art world in Paris beginning in 1859. The story focuses on Alexandrie, a ballerina from a poor family in a farm town, and the Impressionist artist, Edgar Degas. I was drawn into the story immediately and was rooting for the ambitious ballerina as her dancing progressed. Edgar Degas has always been one of my favorite artists and I enjoyed stepping into his world in this story. Their creative relationship grows as she models for him and begins to fall in love with him. I won't give away the ending but after the plot progressed at a slower pace through the book, the ending came rather quickly. Also after reading the Reader's Guide, I was disappointed to learn that the author significantly altered some of the historical facts for the sake of the story.
