From A Paris Balcony by Ella Carey

Sarah is a practical, down to earth art curator. The death of her parents and the breakdown of her marriage dealt her a double whammy. Finding a letter in a closet of her late father's addressed by a famous courtesan to her great great grand father and the contents of the letter compels Sarah to set out on an adventure with very surprising results.


The story is romantic and far fetched, but it is set in beautiful surroundings. Told in two life times and hence two life lines it compares and contrasts the present with the past. Both have rich histories and combined with the setting of Paris and England they present a story that is extremely entertaining.
Highlighting the plight of women in 19th century Europe where being an aristocrat or rich did not help if you were a woman fighting for your rights to not just love but even to live. Husbands were able to do what they wished and despite being a woman of means, Louisa in our story had very little say in her life. First governed by the wishes of her brother, mother and society and then dictated by her husband she was doomed to a life of unhappiness. Sarah brought it to light and sought closure for her family by highlighting the truth of Louisa's apparent suicide. It was of no avail but it helped Sarah in her quest for the truth.



Idyllic in its content and very pleasant reading.

Sent to me by Netgalley courtesy of Lake Union Publishing,  for an unbiased review.