Title: Stolen
Beauty
By: Laurie
Lico Albanese
Published: 2017
Call #: AF Lico Albanese
Artist Gustav Klimt is
probably best known for The Kiss, although
it is his Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer that
is the root of this novel and an international legal drama decades later. Adele
Bloch-Bauer is an independent and modern woman who desires knowledge, culture,
and free-thinking, characteristics best kept suppressed during the late 1800s
and early 1900s. When she meets Gustav Klimt, she discovers someone who speaks
to her soul through body, mind, and art as the world around her crumbles with
anti-Semitism. Interwoven through Adele’s story, is the tale of her beloved
niece Maria Altman during the time when the Nazi took over Austria. As her
family is pulled apart, Maria draws inspiration from her aunt’s memory to get
through this trying time and find a way to escape. Maria’s story extends far
beyond the time of the Nazi into the late 1990s as she tries to reclaim her
aunt’s famous portrait that had been seized by the Nazi’s and became a symbol
of Austria.
Stolen Beauty is
a fascinating work of historical fiction. Both Adele and Maria are captivating
characters that draw you in with their strength and perseverance through the
unrest of the world around them. This is a must-read for art lovers and fans of
historical fiction.
Mary-Megan K.
Popular Materials Assistant