The mesmerizing and untold story of Eva Gouel, the unforgettable woman who stole the heart of the greatest artist of our time.
When Eva Gouel moves to Paris from the countryside, she is full of ambition and dreams of stardom. Though young and inexperienced, she manages to find work as a costumer at the famous Moulin Rouge, and it is here that she first catches the attention of Pablo Picasso, a rising star in the art world.
A brilliant but eccentric artist, Picasso sets his sights on Eva, and Eva can’t help but be drawn into his web. But what starts as a torrid affair soon evolves into what will become the first great love of Picasso’s life.
With sparkling insight and passion, Madame Picasso introduces us to a dazzling heroine, taking us from the salon of Gertrude Stein to the glamorous Moulin Rouge and inside the studio and heart of one of the most enigmatic and iconic artists of the twentieth century.
My Thoughts on Madame Picasso by Anne Girard
I read this book because I like Picasso but I also like historical fiction books with historical or popular figures in them. I saw the title ‘Madame Picasso’ and was automatically drawn to it for that reason.
Eva Gouel flees her parent home in the country side when she is told by her father that she must marry a man she does not love. She has never lived on her own and knows nothing about finding work in the very limited employment pool for women. However, she meets a woman who works for the Moulin Rouge and she not only gets her a place to live but also helps her get a job. She starts working at the Moulin Rouge as a seamstress. She has to quickly make costume repairs during performances. There is one actress who is very demanding and mean but Eva soon wins her over with her creative work.
Things are going well for Eva and then she meets Picasso and falls for him fast. However, she soon found out that their is a woman who calls herself “Madame Picasso’. Has he been deceiving her? She certainly doesn’t want to be his mistress!
I fell in love with Eva from the beginning. Yes, she is quite naive when she first move to the city but she learns very quickly how to survive. She makes friends easily even with Gertrude Stein! She does get in tight spots but always manages to get through them.
This book gave me a mix of emotions happy, sad, laughter, and also devastation. I have to say that I sobbed uncontrollably for part of it. This book was very hard to put down! If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is a must read for you. You will not be disappointed.
5/5
I received the ebook from Net Galley for my honest review.
About Anne Girard
Anne Girard is the pen name for author Diane Haeger.
Diane holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from UCLA. A chance meeting with the famed author Irving Stone 25 years ago sharply focused her ambition to tell great stories from history, and write them only after detailed research and extensive travel to the places her characters lived. That determination has provided a fascinating journey that has taken her from the halls of Chenonceaux, to a private interview with one of Pablo Picasso’s last surviving friends, and most recently an invitation inside Jean Harlow’s home.
Since the publication of her acclaimed first novel, Courtesan, in 1993, a novel that remains in print today, her work has been translated into 18 different languages, bringing her international success and award-winning status.
Platinum Doll, under the Anne Girard pen name, is her 15th novel, and will be published in February, 2016.