The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose – 354 pages
ARC from Blue Box Press and Getred PR for an honest review
Book Blurb:
Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz.
New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan. Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship.
So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners.
My Review: 4 stars
The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose was a spirited romp through both Paris during the Nazi Occupation and New York City in the late eighties. Both storylines in this book had me completely invested and was a perfect escapist read.
I loved learning about Violine’s psychometry as I truly believe in these unusual sensory abilities. Seeing it explored through her characterization and how it has been a blessing and sometimes a curse was eye-opening. I was equally charmed by Suzanne Belperron, a brilliant and jeweler that lived a life like the one portrayed in the book. I was googling her jewelry and history after I finished the book and was amazed at her designs and good deeds during the war.
Using her status, wealth, and connections, she was able to help Jewish families escape and make sure their personal and precious jewels weren’t stolen by the Nazis. Couple that with Violine’s storyline that has her unearthing incredibly valuable baubles. By touch and research, she can figure out who the jewelry may have belonged to. This will be a bit fantastical for some, but for me, this hit the mark.
Quotes I liked:
With every jewel I prepare, the Nazi’s are prevented from stealing another family’s dreams of having a future. With every effort, I honor Bernard. He once told me about the Jewish belief he lives by, tikkun olam, which decrees that our duty is to repair the world we inhabit one deed at a time.”
Shop on Amazon Here!
