Anna Maclean

Alana Olsen, a journalist, is not anxious to be married to William. So, she pitches a story to her editor, an exclusive portrait of Picasso. Alana meets with Sara Murphy to interview her about Picasso, the artist and the ladies' man. Sara tells of the summer of 1923, when she and her husband, Gerald, vacationed with Picasso, his wife-Olga, and his mistress, Irène, as well as other artists.. A maid, Anna, cautioned Sara against becoming involved with Picasso. Anna Martina (Marti) became a designer, and is Alana's mother.
Hearing Sara tell the story causes Alana to dig much deeper into the life of Picasso, her own identity, and how it may be tied to him. Her research covers his multiple relationships with women, and what that means to her.
There is a lot of infidelity in this book. This is a study in the hold some people have over others when they are charismatic.
I knew a little about Picasso, but not as much as was revealed in this historical fiction novel.… (mer)

The Last Collection: a Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. Jean Mackin. 2019. The subtitle pretty much says it all except that the novel takes place in Paris from pre WWII through the 1950s. The narrator is a young American widow who is also an artist, Lilly. She is called to Paris by her brother whose wealthy girl friend wear clothes designed by both women. Lilly gets a job with Schiaparelli and becomes friends with Chanel and discusses the differences in the styles of both designers with the eye of an artist. Based on fact, this is a part of history I’d never thought of and fans of WWII fiction will find this fascinating.… (mer)