The author of "Elegance" and "The Debutante" returns with stunning new novel about secrets, desire, memory, and the power of scent
An inheritance from a mysterious stranger.
An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris.
And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory and a secret.
Raised in the quiet world of Oxford academia, newlywed Grace Monroe doesn t fit anyone s expectations of a successful 1950s London socialite, least of all her own. But her struggles to comply with the duties and demands of her new role are overshadowed by unexpected twists. First, she learns that she is the recipient of a large inheritance from a complete stranger in Paris, Madame Eva d Orsey. Then she discovers her husband may not be the man she thought he was. Shaken, Grace flees to Paris, in search of the identity of her mysterious benefactor, as well as perspective on her unraveling life.
Weaving through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, Grace uncovers the story of a unique woman who inspired one of Paris greatest perfumers, the complex, obsessive love between muse and artist and the tremendous power of memory and scent. Immortalized in three evocative perfumes, Eva d Orsey s history will transform Grace s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is.
Moving across continents and decades, "The Perfume Collector" is a timeless story of passion and possibility, heartbreak, and hope. Less