The Muse - by Jessie Burton (Paperback)

Number of Pages: 416
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Historical
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Ecco Press
Age Range: Adult
Book theme: General
Author: Jessie Burton
Language: English

About the Book

"England, 1967. Odelle Bastien is a Caribbean âemigrâe trying to make her way in London. While working at a prestigious gallery, she discovers a painting rumored to be the work of Isaac Robles, a young, talented artist whose mysterious death has confounded the art world for decades. Drawn into a web of secrets and deceptions, Odelle does not know what to believe--or who she can trust. Spain, 1936. Olive Schloss, the daughter of an art dealer and an English heiress, follows her parents to an impoverished village on the southern coast. She grows close to Teresa, a young housekeeper, and Teresa's half-brother Isaac, an idealistic painter buoyed by the revolutionary fervor that will soon erupt into civil war. When Teresa and Isaac help Olive conceal her artistic talents, it causes devastating consequences that echo into the decades to come"--The publisher's web site.

Book Synopsis

"Love, war, desire, and art--it's all here." --Elle

A picture hides a thousand words . . .

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harboring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences . . .

Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about aspiration and identity, love and obsession, authenticity and deception - a masterpiece from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.

From the Back Cover

It's 1967 and Odelle Bastien is a Caribbean émigré trying to make her way in London. She takes a job at the prestigious Skelton Institute of Art and is taken under the wing of the mesmerizing and mysterious Marjorie Quick. When Odelle discovers a painting rumored to be the work of Isaac Robles--a Spanish artist whose mysterious death has confounded the art world for decades--she finds herself drawn into a complex web of secrets and deceptions.

The truth about the painting lies in rural Spain, 1936, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harboring ambitions of her own. Olive grows close to Teresa, a young housekeeper, and Teresa's half brother, Isaac Robles, a painter buoyed by the revolutionary fervor that will soon erupt into civil war. Insinuating themselves into the Schloss family's lives, Teresa and Isaac help Olive conceal her artistic talents with devastating consequences that will echo into the decades to come.

In vividly rendered detail, acclaimed and bestselling author Jessie Burton spins a tale of desire, ambition, and how the tides of history inevitably shape and define our lives.

Review Quotes

"[A] smart blend of literary and commercial fiction with intriguing characters and a compelling mystery at its center... Burton creatively infuses historical fiction with mystery in her exploration of the far-reaching consequences of deception, the relationship between art and artist, and the complex trajectory of women's desires.--Booklist

"A complex, vividly drawn tale... The intricate way in which Burton pulls the two plots together is unexpected and impressive, a most original story about creative freedom, finding one's voice, and the quest for artistic redemption."--Publishers Weekly

"The Muse... asks us to pay close attention, given the unexpected paths that wander variously through time, race, global politics and art history...[A] well crafted tale that draws you in, and in the end, respects you as a reader."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"[A] rich palette of ideas and emotions... The novel excellently explores the writing process itself."--Independent (UK)

"A simmering historical love story"--Glamour UK

"If you read and loved The Miniaturist, Burton's enchanting bestseller set in 17th-century Amsterdam, The Muse arrives just in time for the end of summer... Love, war, desire, and art--it's all here."--Elle

"Jessie Burton meticulously reconstructs two different worlds... and ruminates on the nature of truth in art.. Told with remarkable care and evident research... A serpentine tale about art, truth and artistic ambition... [A] beautifully constructed story of art, ambition and the sacrifices one makes in the pursuit of both."--Bookreporter.com

"Like its predecessor, this is a tale with a refreshingly feminist slant, interested in the slipperiness of meaning"--Daily Mail (UK)

The Muse is a brilliantly realised story, and the parallel narratives are perfectly balanced, propelling the story forward at break-neck speed... Jessie Burton can expect more awards to soon be coming her way.--Sunday Herald, Scotland