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Book Reviews of The Muralist

The Muralist
The Muralist
Author: B. A. Shapiro
ISBN-13: 9781616203573
ISBN-10: 1616203579
Publication Date: 11/3/2015
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 10

3.6 stars, based on 10 ratings
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

3 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed The Muralist on
Helpful Score: 1
It took me awhile to get to this book, but once I did I got immersed in the story. Well-written and a very intriguing story and I highly recommend it for those who enjoy good historical fiction especially around WW II. I am sharing it with friends and know they will also enjoy it!
junie avatar reviewed The Muralist on + 630 more book reviews
The first third of the book was kind of boring and mundane; Danielle searching for her aunt an artist who worked for the WPA with the likes of Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollack, Lee Krasner and disappeared in 1940 in New York City.

After awhile I couldn't put the book down. The chapters flowed from present to past flawlessly and the story of Alizee, her artist friends and her bond with Eleanor Roosevelt felt so real, I could almost believe it happened. I love stories that combine true events with fictional and this one is no exception.

SPOILER
I wanted to cry at the end since Alizee didn't live long enough to know she didn't lose all her family during the war when Danielle stumbles on what really happened to Alizee. So sad.
reading-galore avatar reviewed The Muralist on + 115 more book reviews
I enjoyed this fictional story about Alizee Benoit, an American artist working on a mural for the WPA who disappears and no one knows what happened to her, even many years later. The story alternates between Alizee's great-niece's search for information about her and Alizee's life prior to her disappearance. The story seemed particularly relevant to today as the story covers the White House politics of preventing visas for Jews to come to America. I enjoyed the author adding the well known artists, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner as Alizee's friends, allowing me to step into their world for a while. Unfortunately, this story really didn't provide much history as most of the storyline and the main characters were fictionalized. Still an entertaining art-oriented read.