Algonquin Books, November 3, 2015.
Five Stars
Shapiro’s first novel, The Art
Forger is one of my favourites. This one has similar themes – art and its
influence on mental well-being – with a very different writing style. The
previous novel was contemporary, while this one is historical fiction, set
during the Great Depression in New York City. Shapiro throws in historical
details without seeming stuffy, and the whole story just flows. We are given a
feel of the era with speeches by politicians and protesters alike, as they
debate issues such as Anti-Semitism and Isolationism in the lead up to World
War II. Tensions were high, and it was a great, authentic way to show the atmosphere
of America in the 1930s.
In addition to politics, the focus of the novel is also on art, of
course. Specifically, Abstract Expressionism as it gained popularity as the
first truly American art movement. Instead of showing what’s in front of us,
abstract artists sought to show how it feels,
such as New York streets bustling with movement and energy. The fictional main
character, Alizee Benoit, works alongside painters such as Lee Krasner, Jackson
Pollock and Mark Rothko as they develop this new style. Their day jobs, however,
are with the WPA, Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration – government jobs
in which artists are employed painting murals for public buildings. Through her
job, Alizee meets Eleanor Roosevelt, who provides her with the first WPA
abstract art commission.
Meanwhile, in the present day, Danielle Abrams is working at a Christie’s
auction house when she comes across an unknown canvas that she thinks may have
been painted by her great-aunt, Alizee Benoit. As her research pulls her further
into the past, she discovers new mysteries about her own family. While Alizee
was living in New York, her family remained behind in Europe, an increasingly
dangerous situation for Jews in the late 1930s. Alizee does everything she can
to provide them with visas to come to America, including using her new
connection with Mrs. Roosevelt. Her painting takes on a manic quality and she
begins to experience signs of mental illness, eventually disappearing from a mental
asylum. But is Alizee truly crazy, lost to her friends and to the world – or can
she succeed in helping her family?
Shapiro’s writing style allows us to enter into personal relationships
with well-known artists by referring to them by first name and creating intimate
portraits of their lives through the eyes of Alizee. Their stories are easy to
follow, even if you have no art history background – but you will get much more
out of the story if you do have some sense of the history of Pollock, Rothko,
Krasner and the others. It was interesting to see how these artists thought
there was no room for politics in art – but for Alizee, the political was
personal. That was why she could not understand the Isolationists, who did not want
to allow Jewish immigrants into America, even though it would save their lives.
This is obviously still a very relevant issue today, where the personal and
political must go hand in hand, in any conversation about refugees.
As Alizee expresses herself and her own political views through her
art, she grows away from her friends and begins to find herself. Alizee’s story
was a new and fresh perspective on WWII – and while it was a great read, it is
depressing to know that there are still so many tragic stories of the war that
are yet to be told. Alizee’s mental illness and unreliability just made her
stronger and more believable as a character – she was just as real as the
actual artists of the time. At the same time, her great-niece Dani’s story was
equally as strong – she wasn’t there just to provide background information
about Alizee.
This was a captivating, enjoyable novel about the nature of art and
its universal ability to connect people. The historical aspects were
enlightening and never heavy-handed. Alizee had her flaws, but ultimately she
was strong, brave, and had the ability to express herself through art, instead
of succumbing to depression and mental illness. I enjoyed everything about this
book and I highly recommend it.
I received this book for free from Algonquin Books and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review.
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