Author Heather Webb
on Tour January 19-28 with
Rodin's Lover
(historical fiction/ women's fiction) Release date: January 27, 2015 at Plume/Penguin 320 pages ISBN: 978-0142181751
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SYNOPSIS
A mesmerizing tale of art and passion in Belle Epoque France. As a woman, aspiring sculptor Camille Claudel has plenty of critics, especially her ultra-traditional mother. But when Auguste Rodin makes Camille his apprentice and his muse, their passion inspires groundbreaking works. Yet, Camille's success is overshadowed by her lover's rising star, and her obsessions cross the line into madness. Rodin's Lover brings to life the volatile love affair between one of the era's greatest artists and a woman entwined in a tragic dilemma she cannot escape. [provided by the author]
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ADVANCE PRAISE
"Dazzling! In Rodin's Lover, author Heather Webb brings to life, with vivid detail, the story of brilliant and tormented sculptress Camille Claudel and the epic love affair with the legendary sculptor who worshiped her. Deeply moving and meticulously researched, this book will capture your heart, then hold it tightly long after the final page." --Anne Girard, author of Madame Picasso
"A rich, sensuous novel, [was] written with great empathy for the very human Rodin and his lover, this novel of the visceral world of the 19th century Paris ateliers, of clay-stained dresses and fingernails, lithe models who vow to remain and then go, family love which stays through all difficulties and talent which endures, comes vividly to life."--Stephanie Cowell, author of Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
"A rich, sensuous novel, [was] written with great empathy for the very human Rodin and his lover, this novel of the visceral world of the 19th century Paris ateliers, of clay-stained dresses and fingernails, lithe models who vow to remain and then go, family love which stays through all difficulties and talent which endures, comes vividly to life."--Stephanie Cowell, author of Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Webb is the author of historical novels BECOMING JOSEPHINE
and RODIN'S LOVER published by Plume/Penguin,
a freelance editor, and blogger.
You may also find her contributing to award-winning writing sites
including WriterUnboxed and RomanceUniversity.org.
When not writing,
Heather flexes her foodie skills
and looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world.
Visit her website and her blog. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter
Subscribe to her newsletter.
Buy the book: Plume/Penguin | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
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From moi, The Sabbatical Chef:
Okay, I THINK I have successfully inserted the information I should about Heather's new novel. When I heard that she had written a new book and that it was about to be released, I got so excited that I signed myself up for a "Book Tour" through the Sabbatical Chef blog. The things I manage to get myself into... And then forget that I have done. Anyway, I am more than happy- thrilled, actually- to do this for Heather and her newest work.
I have been interested in the story of Camille since seeing the 1988 movie, Camille Claudel, starring Isabelle Adjani and Gérard Depardieu. I made my first visit to the Rodin Museum in Paris in 1987. In the years since, I have watched as more and more statues attributed to and signed by Auguste Rodin have now been identified as Camille's work. Camille was born in 1864. Her's is the story of a fiercely independent, extremely talented young woman at a time when a woman's place was not in an artist's studio sketching and sculpting nude models. Art for women at that time was a mere past time until a suitable marriage could be arranged. Camille wanted to be taken seriously by her family and her contemporaries. This is the story of her struggle and her love (or obsession, perhaps) for a married man. Heather takes the reader inside Camille's thoughts and shows us her tormented struggle to keep her thoughts to herself or blurt them out, no matter the consequences. There are tensions between Camille and the other women in her life, first and foremost her mom, but also between her and her studio mates and fellow women students. Camille holds them up to her own self-imposed standards, they fall short and the friendships die.
Historical fiction is at the top of my favorite genres of novels. Becoming Josephine, Heather's first novel, made me feel as if I was one of Josephine de Beauharnais Bonaparte's intimate confidantes. I completely lost myself in her story. I couldn't tear myself away from Rodin's Lover, either. Although I already knew the fate of Camille, I wanted to know her feelings and feel her suffering. That may sound strange to some, but for those of us who love to have an intimate peek into the lives of women who have been historically overshadowed by the men they attached themselves to, Heather does not disappoint.
Find out for yourself where the title Rodin's Lover comes from... You may be surprised. I was. As a voracious reader (and, admittedly, a lover of everything French), I highly recommend this book.
Merci et bon appétit, Heather Webb et Camille Claudel. Who is your next subject?
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From moi, The Sabbatical Chef:
Okay, I THINK I have successfully inserted the information I should about Heather's new novel. When I heard that she had written a new book and that it was about to be released, I got so excited that I signed myself up for a "Book Tour" through the Sabbatical Chef blog. The things I manage to get myself into... And then forget that I have done. Anyway, I am more than happy- thrilled, actually- to do this for Heather and her newest work.
I have been interested in the story of Camille since seeing the 1988 movie, Camille Claudel, starring Isabelle Adjani and Gérard Depardieu. I made my first visit to the Rodin Museum in Paris in 1987. In the years since, I have watched as more and more statues attributed to and signed by Auguste Rodin have now been identified as Camille's work. Camille was born in 1864. Her's is the story of a fiercely independent, extremely talented young woman at a time when a woman's place was not in an artist's studio sketching and sculpting nude models. Art for women at that time was a mere past time until a suitable marriage could be arranged. Camille wanted to be taken seriously by her family and her contemporaries. This is the story of her struggle and her love (or obsession, perhaps) for a married man. Heather takes the reader inside Camille's thoughts and shows us her tormented struggle to keep her thoughts to herself or blurt them out, no matter the consequences. There are tensions between Camille and the other women in her life, first and foremost her mom, but also between her and her studio mates and fellow women students. Camille holds them up to her own self-imposed standards, they fall short and the friendships die.
Historical fiction is at the top of my favorite genres of novels. Becoming Josephine, Heather's first novel, made me feel as if I was one of Josephine de Beauharnais Bonaparte's intimate confidantes. I completely lost myself in her story. I couldn't tear myself away from Rodin's Lover, either. Although I already knew the fate of Camille, I wanted to know her feelings and feel her suffering. That may sound strange to some, but for those of us who love to have an intimate peek into the lives of women who have been historically overshadowed by the men they attached themselves to, Heather does not disappoint.
Find out for yourself where the title Rodin's Lover comes from... You may be surprised. I was. As a voracious reader (and, admittedly, a lover of everything French), I highly recommend this book.
Merci et bon appétit, Heather Webb et Camille Claudel. Who is your next subject?
Auguste Rodin par Camille Claudel
wikipedia creative commons
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2 comments:
thanks for your nice thoughts on this book, glad you liked it, Heather is so good indeed. Emma at FBT - my comment this morning may have been more specific, but I forgot what I wrote then, and my comment disappeared with the reformatting of your post
I'm definitely going to have to read Heather's first book as well. I've heard wonderful things about Rodin's Lover and truly can't wait to read it. Thanks for your review.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
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