The Witch of Painted Sorrows
Historical Romance
By M.J. Rose
Synopsis
Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.
Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.
Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.
This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.
Robin’s Review
I would like to express my appreciation to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review The Witch of Painted Sorrows.
It’s not often I venture down the path of reading historical fiction, but I can genuinely admit my all-time favorite novel falls in this genre. Choosing my next read usually involves a recommendation from a person whose opinion I trust, or I’ll choose a novel written by an author I am familiar with. I decided to read The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose because I was intrigued by the synopsis, and I liked the idea of the supernatural mixed in with historical fiction. I also thought the cover of this novel was beautiful. Really beautiful.
The setting for The Witch of Painted Sorrows is 1890s Belle Époque Paris. Sandrine Salome fears her husband. She runs away from her home in New York to seek sanctuary at the home of her grandmother in Paris, France. We learn Sandrine is descended from a long line of courtesans, the most famous being a sixteenth century painter and witch known as La Lune. When Sandrine arrives at Maison de la Lune, she learns her grandmother has closed up the opulent mansion for renovations.
Sandrine meets the architect her grandmother has hired to renovate the mansion. She sneaks away every day to visit Julien Duplessi at Maison de la Lune. She repeatedly ignores warnings from her grandmother that she is in danger. She pursues painting, explores her sensuality and falls in love with Julien. She dabbles in the occult. Sandrine is in the midst of self-discovery and is undergoing change – she’s becoming something new. But at what cost?
I have nothing but praise for the world-building in this novel. It is very apparent M. J. Rose did an extraordinary amount of research about Belle Époque Paris. The occult movement was very popular in Paris during this era, so mention of mysticism and witchcraft and alchemy was historically accurate. Paris landmarks. Names of streets. Businesses. The École des Beaux-Arts – one of the finest art schools in France – is still in operation today. Moreau and Matisse are names of actual painters who lived in Paris during the late 1890’s. Even the frequent use of French names and the French language lent to the authentic feel of this historical novel.
I would love to share with readers how much I enjoyed reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows, but unfortunately, I just didn’t enjoy it. There were scenes in this story that I feel did not advance the plot. I never felt an emotional connection to Sandrine, who is the main character of this novel, or either of the secondary characters. The ending of this novel is very abrupt, which left me with plenty of questions when I was finished reading. There doesn’t appear to be a sequel. I struggled to maintain interest, and to be quite honest, it was very hard for me to finish reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows. I am certain individuals who love historical fiction will love Rose’s attention to detail, but I can only give The Witch of Painted Sorrows a 2-star rating.
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M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.
Please visit her blog, Museum of Mysteries at http://www.mjrose.com/blog/
Her photo was taken by Judith Pushett utilizing an old relic: a turn-of-the-century 11 x 14 inch wood camera.
Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.
Her most recent novel THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS (Atria/S&S) was chosen as an Indie Next Pick and her next novel, THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS will be released March 2015.
Rose is a New York Times and USAToday bestseller whose work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com
The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization’s co-president.
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