The Velvet Hours Audiobook By Alyson Richman cover art

The Velvet Hours

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The Velvet Hours

By: Alyson Richman
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Kate Reading
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As Paris teeters on the edge of the German occupation, a young Frenchwoman closes the door to her late grandmother's treasure-filled apartment, unsure if she'll ever return.

An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian had cultivated a life of art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her impoverished childhood in the dark alleys of Montmartre. With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with her granddaughter, Solange Beaugiron, using her prized possessions to reveal her innermost secrets. Most striking of all are a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent portrait of Marthe painted by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. As Marthe's tale unfolds, like velvet itself, stitched with its own shadow and light, it helps to guide Solange on her own path.

Inspired by the true account of an abandoned Parisian apartment, Alyson Richman brings to life Solange, the young woman forced to leave her fabled grandmother's legacy behind to save all that she loves.

©2016 Alyson Richman (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Jewish Literary Fiction World Literature Heartfelt English Historical Fiction

Critic reviews

"Two remarkable performances grace this romance inspired by true events. Tavia Gilbert and Kate Reading shine as Solange and her grandmother, Marthe.... As Marthe, Reading is simply stunning. Her voices, her accents, and her emotions are utterly credible. The vivid painting of Marthe, the men in her life, a string of priceless pearls, a world on the edge of collapse, and the growing tenderness between two women makes this an audiobook listeners won’t want to miss." (AudioFile)

Beautiful Descriptions • Historical Context • Excellent Voice Talent • Fully Developed Characters • Intriguing Premise
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Just wow! Could not stop listening!! Amazing historical fiction incredible detail!! I felt like I was there!

Wow

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As I was reading I thought about the apartment left in Paris... 1940... before the war. The photos were all over the news. I was fascinated as to why... and what the real story was. This books tells a fictional story ... about this possibility ...beautifully. I enjoyed it!

Time capsule in Paris

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The story of the characters was a beautiful picture of the lives of two generations of women. Really enjoyed it and look forward to discovering other novels by this author.

Great Story

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I almost gave up, but I'm glad I finished the book. I found the beginning promising, but I soon tired of the sumptuous lifestyle description of the protagonist. How many chapters does one necessitate to get the point of the opulence of the Belle Epochs period? Maybe that’s a personal issue because I am a student of the history of fashion.

When the book moves forward, it was very good. I enjoyed the relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter. The story became very compelling, and I looked forward to listening.

I look forward to trying another book by Alyson Richman.

The Velvet Hours

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Now, this is one of my top favorite books and audibles. I am so smitten over this novel and will recommend and come back to read/listen to it time and time again. The attention to detail is simply stunning and paints such an exquisite picture. The elegancy, charm, fashion, demeanor, language, grace, charisma, has me so nostalgic and mesmerized. This was like traveling back in time to a period much more lovely and interesting... devoured this novel in two days and am now going to find something else by this amazing author.

Completely enchanted and mesmerized by this talented author.

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I love WW2 set novels and have read some amazing ones, but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I didn’t think there was enough drama, or build up. I also felt the ending used characters that weren’t really found in the book as a whole and that was kind of confusing to me. Overall I’d give it 3 stars.

Ehhhhh

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This is a beautiful story of a unique woman in a troubled time in history. So many beautiful stories can be found all over history. This is an inspired story I'm glad I stumbled upon!

Beautifully woven stoy

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Too long and tedious. I hate to not finish a book and endured until the end. But, not as good as The Lost Wife.

UGH...

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Taken in quickly and easily- very well written and narrated! I love how it’s a grandmother telling her stories to her granddaughter

Excellent Story

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A hauntingly beautiful story of a difficult time in our history. Perfectly narrated. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to experience the tumultuous times of WWII.

Wonderfully moving

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