The Stolen Lady
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- Create Date：2021-09-16 07:51:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Laura Morelli
- ISBN：0062993593
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Summary
From the acclaimed author of The Night Portrait comes a stunning historical novel about two women， separated by five hundred years， who each hide Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa—with unintended consequences。
France， 1939
At the dawn of World War II， Anne Guichard， a young archivist employed at the Louvre， arrives home to find her brother missing。 While she works to discover his whereabouts， refugees begin flooding into Paris， and German artillery fire rattles the city。 Once they reach the city， the Nazis will stop at nothing to get their hands on the Louvre’s art collection。 Anne is quickly sent to the Castle of Chambord， where the Louvre’s most precious artworks—including the Mona Lisa—are being transferred to ensure their safety。 With the Germans hard on their heels， Anne frantically moves the Mona Lisa and other treasures again and again in an elaborate game of hide and seek。 As the threat to the masterpieces and her life grows closer， Anne also begins to learn the truth about her brother， and the role he plays in this dangerous game。
Florence， 1479
House servant Bellina Sardi’s future seems fixed when she accompanies her newly married mistress， Lisa Gherardini， to her home across the Arno。 Lisa’s husband， a prosperous silk merchant， is aligned with the powerful Medici， his home filled with luxuries and treasures。 But soon， Bellina finds herself bewitched by a charismatic monk who has urged Florentines to rise up against the Medici， and to empty their homes of the riches and jewels her new employer prizes。 When Master Leonardo da Vinci is commissioned to paint a portrait of Lisa， Bellina finds herself tasked with hiding an impossible secret。
When art and war collide， Leonardo da Vinci， his beautiful subject Lisa， and the portrait find themselves in the crosshairs of history。
France， 1939
At the dawn of World War II， Anne Guichard， a young archivist employed at the Louvre， arrives home to find her brother missing。 While she works to discover his whereabouts， refugees begin flooding into Paris， and German artillery fire rattles the city。 Once they reach the city， the Nazis will stop at nothing to get their hands on the Louvre’s art collection。 Anne is quickly sent to the Castle of Chambord， where the Louvre’s most precious artworks—including the Mona Lisa—are being transferred to ensure their safety。 With the Germans hard on their heels， Anne frantically moves the Mona Lisa and other treasures again and again in an elaborate game of hide and seek。 As the threat to the masterpieces and her life grows closer， Anne also begins to learn the truth about her brother， and the role he plays in this dangerous game。
Florence， 1479
House servant Bellina Sardi’s future seems fixed when she accompanies her newly married mistress， Lisa Gherardini， to her home across the Arno。 Lisa’s husband， a prosperous silk merchant， is aligned with the powerful Medici， his home filled with luxuries and treasures。 But soon， Bellina finds herself bewitched by a charismatic monk who has urged Florentines to rise up against the Medici， and to empty their homes of the riches and jewels her new employer prizes。 When Master Leonardo da Vinci is commissioned to paint a portrait of Lisa， Bellina finds herself tasked with hiding an impossible secret。
When art and war collide， Leonardo da Vinci， his beautiful subject Lisa， and the portrait find themselves in the crosshairs of history。
Reviews
Teresa
，
A story told from two different eras， 1940s France and 1500s Italy。 It was an interesting behind-the-scenes look at Leonardo daVinci’s Mona Lisa。 In the 1500s you are taken through the subject Lisa and her house servant Bellina’s lives together， then the creation of the famous painting， and subsequently the movement of it through Italy and on to France。 In the 1940s， the reader follows a museum archivist Anne and her journey to move the painting in an effort to keep it out of the hands of the Na A story told from two different eras， 1940s France and 1500s Italy。 It was an interesting behind-the-scenes look at Leonardo daVinci’s Mona Lisa。 In the 1500s you are taken through the subject Lisa and her house servant Bellina’s lives together， then the creation of the famous painting， and subsequently the movement of it through Italy and on to France。 In the 1940s， the reader follows a museum archivist Anne and her journey to move the painting in an effort to keep it out of the hands of the Nazis。 There are many rich and enlightening characters along the way to entertain you。 Not your common WWII historical fiction and therefore I would definitely recommend it。 。。。more
Rosemary
，
This is the third book I have read in the past month that has Nazi stolen art as one of its themes。 The Riviera House by Natasha Lester and Night Gate by Peter May are the first two。 This historical novel expands that subject to give readers a chance to see the Mona Lisa through Da Vinci’s eyes， through the eyes of the Louvre clerk who was instrumental in hiding it from the Germans， and through the eyes of the servant who cared for Lisa Giocondo，the portrait’s subject。These three viewpoints give This is the third book I have read in the past month that has Nazi stolen art as one of its themes。 The Riviera House by Natasha Lester and Night Gate by Peter May are the first two。 This historical novel expands that subject to give readers a chance to see the Mona Lisa through Da Vinci’s eyes， through the eyes of the Louvre clerk who was instrumental in hiding it from the Germans， and through the eyes of the servant who cared for Lisa Giocondo，the portrait’s subject。These three viewpoints give a unique perspective to the subject and this book is recommended whether or not you have read the other books。 All three books did a great job of incorporating historical sources and none conflict with one another。Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheStolenLady for an advanced digital copy。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
***SPOILER ALERT*** While I'm reading this book， my review may contain spoilers。 Proceed at your own risk！（view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]Location: ___I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 All opinions are my own。 ***SPOILER ALERT*** While I'm reading this book， my review may contain spoilers。 Proceed at your own risk！（view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]Location: ___I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tam Wallace
，
Two of my favorite subjects - World War II and Art History。 Fans of either of those subjects， and of the story of the Monument （the team put together to protect， or find and return， the artwork that the Nazi's either stole or tried to destroy） will enjoy this story told in 2 timelines。 We see how Leonardo Da Vinci painted the work he is most known for， as well as the back story of the woman behind the smile， and we see how the Louvre worked with each other， and with the Maquis fighting the Nazi' Two of my favorite subjects - World War II and Art History。 Fans of either of those subjects， and of the story of the Monument （the team put together to protect， or find and return， the artwork that the Nazi's either stole or tried to destroy） will enjoy this story told in 2 timelines。 We see how Leonardo Da Vinci painted the work he is most known for， as well as the back story of the woman behind the smile， and we see how the Louvre worked with each other， and with the Maquis fighting the Nazi's in France， to protect this painting and hundreds of other works to keep them out of Nazi hands。 。。。more
Miranda Vaughters
，
MV Rating: 7/10•a beautiful story told from three perspectives， and spanning four centuries。•though slow in some aspects， the chapters are short and so detailed that you feel as if you’re there。•which is the lady in the portrait， and which is the lady trying to save her？ •coming full circle， the book ends in an adventurous， satisfying way。Thanks so much to Goodreads & Harper-Collins books for the ARC！
Becky S
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I enjoy historical fiction so I was excited to read this book about the Mona Lisa which follows a split time line between the the Renaissance and WW2。 The writing is decent and these fascinating historical events appear well-researched， but this book never really grabbed me。 The story is told from multiple viewpoints with frequent jumps in time that interrupted the flow of my reading。 I didn’t feel a strong connection to any of the characters and this lack of empathy made the overall story drag。
Lisa Yee Swope
，
"Mona Lisa， Mona Lisa， men have named you" -Nat King ColeI am many things， but no one has ever called me an art connoisseur。 But a great many people know me to deeply geek out on all things Biltmore， and back in WWII here in the States， Biltmore's then-unfinished， now-music room was outfitted with a steel door and bars on the windows to house art valuables from the National Gallery of Art。 And next year， I am looking forward to the DaVinci immersive art exhibit coming to Biltmore （after Van Gogh "Mona Lisa， Mona Lisa， men have named you" -Nat King ColeI am many things， but no one has ever called me an art connoisseur。 But a great many people know me to deeply geek out on all things Biltmore， and back in WWII here in the States， Biltmore's then-unfinished， now-music room was outfitted with a steel door and bars on the windows to house art valuables from the National Gallery of Art。 And next year， I am looking forward to the DaVinci immersive art exhibit coming to Biltmore （after Van Gogh & Monet） and I can't wait to see some of the inventions parts of the exhibit as well as the artwork parts。 For years I have greeted helicopters flying above with a cheery "Hello， Leonardo！" So to read in dual timeframe both stories of creating the Mona Lisa and of keeping her away from the Nazis grabbed me， and the strong women， Anne and Bellina， tasked with caring for the painting （Anne） and for Lisa del Giocondo （Bellina was her Lady's maid） captivated me。 Art people will love it， historical fiction readers will love it， and so will people interested in upstairs-downstairs class relations， the Resistance in WWII， and rivalries （we forget how controversial Michaelangelo's David was）。 。。。more
Becky
，
During World War II， the Nazis under Hitler ravaged museums and stole art pieces that were priceless， which caused people to hide the national treasures 。 Laura Morelli has taken the story of hiding the Mona Lisa during World War II and worked in the history of the painting from 500 years previously。 There are a lot of characters in this book， each in their own setting and with their own sets of issues。 Laura has also brought out the historical tensions in both of the situations， making this an During World War II， the Nazis under Hitler ravaged museums and stole art pieces that were priceless， which caused people to hide the national treasures 。 Laura Morelli has taken the story of hiding the Mona Lisa during World War II and worked in the history of the painting from 500 years previously。 There are a lot of characters in this book， each in their own setting and with their own sets of issues。 Laura has also brought out the historical tensions in both of the situations， making this an informative read as well as an entertaining read。 The stories are told in serial chapters focusing on one character at a time， and bringing the lives of the characters into their own spotlights。 This book will require a concentrated effort to keep with the plots and people， but the effort will be rewarded in the end。 Four Stars。 William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley。com provided the copy I read for this review。 All opinions expressed are solely my own。 。。。more
Carolyn
，
What a clever historical novel！ Morelli juxtaposes 1939 and 1479， with three interconnected stories featuring the Mona Lisa。 In 1939， the war endangers the art works of the Louvre。 A young archivist， Anne Guichard， is faced with moving the art to a safer location outside Paris。 Protecting and hiding the Mona Lisa is top priority。 The precious painting along with thousands of other artworks are moved from place to place as the Germans invade。Flashback to Florence，1479。 We meet Bellina Sardi a hou What a clever historical novel！ Morelli juxtaposes 1939 and 1479， with three interconnected stories featuring the Mona Lisa。 In 1939， the war endangers the art works of the Louvre。 A young archivist， Anne Guichard， is faced with moving the art to a safer location outside Paris。 Protecting and hiding the Mona Lisa is top priority。 The precious painting along with thousands of other artworks are moved from place to place as the Germans invade。Flashback to Florence，1479。 We meet Bellina Sardi a house servant to Lisa Gherardini， the wife of wealthy silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo。 Life in 1479 Florence is politically unsettled with uprisings against the Medici。 Move to Milan， Italy 1497 – we meet 45-year-old Leonardo da Vinci。 Commissioned to paint a religious fresco by the Duke of Milan， Leonardo is uninspired， and the fresco is a disaster。 He is headed back to his hometown， Florence。 Once back in Florence， Leonardo is commissioned by Francesco del Gioconco to paint a portrait of his wife Lisa。 Bellina observes as Leonardo sketches and begins the portrait。 Then Leonardo moves again taking the painting with him。Chapter by chapter， we see Anne and the Louvre crew moving the priceless Mona Lisa from place to place to avoid the Germans。 In other chapters， we watch Bellina amidst the drama within the Gioconco family and Leonardo and the painting moving back and forth between Milan， Florence， Pisa， and even Rome。 Leonardo lacks focus and often does not complete his projects。Each story and main character are thoroughly engaging in this trio of interconnected stories。 Morelli has crafted another best seller。 。。。more
Lacey
，
Usually I love these dual timeline historical novels but this one was hard to get into。 I think it was because both main characters were just so whiny。 They were unhappy with the responsibilities in their lives and complained about it through the entire book and finally at the end decided that what they did do had value。 I think the only character that I actually had any connection with was DaVinci。 The plots were interesting if not riveting but I just didn't care about everyone getting their ha Usually I love these dual timeline historical novels but this one was hard to get into。 I think it was because both main characters were just so whiny。 They were unhappy with the responsibilities in their lives and complained about it through the entire book and finally at the end decided that what they did do had value。 I think the only character that I actually had any connection with was DaVinci。 The plots were interesting if not riveting but I just didn't care about everyone getting their happily ever after conclusion。I won this book through Goodreads Giveaway。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Anneke Loubser
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Beautifully written book which is well researched。 The story covers 3 POVs and duel timelines。 The 3 POVs are those of Leonardo， Bellina and Anne。 The transitions between these are seamless and really well done。 It made the book flow really well。 I love her storytelling which made this book such a pleasure to read。 It was fascinating to read about the history of the Mona Lisa and those involved in creating， caring for and protecting it。 I really got invested in Anne's journey and her commitment Beautifully written book which is well researched。 The story covers 3 POVs and duel timelines。 The 3 POVs are those of Leonardo， Bellina and Anne。 The transitions between these are seamless and really well done。 It made the book flow really well。 I love her storytelling which made this book such a pleasure to read。 It was fascinating to read about the history of the Mona Lisa and those involved in creating， caring for and protecting it。 I really got invested in Anne's journey and her commitment to the art she was trying to protect。 This book was a Goodreads giveaway。 Thank you。 。。。more
Jan
，
Impressive storytelling backed by solid research。 This entwined presentation involves a Louvre employee during the occupation of France tasked as a member of a team to thwart the German accession of fine art， a woman who becomes a servant to a wealthy family at a young age in the time of the famous Leonardo painting， and Leonardo himself。 The story is actually riveting as I wanted to find out multiple things about each of the protagonists。 No spoilers here， just READ IT！I requested and received Impressive storytelling backed by solid research。 This entwined presentation involves a Louvre employee during the occupation of France tasked as a member of a team to thwart the German accession of fine art， a woman who becomes a servant to a wealthy family at a young age in the time of the famous Leonardo painting， and Leonardo himself。 The story is actually riveting as I wanted to find out multiple things about each of the protagonists。 No spoilers here， just READ IT！I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from William Morrow and Custom House via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Shannon
，
What an interesting read！ I find it hard to enjoy WWII historical fiction because it’s been done so much but I loved the focus of the art being moved from the Louvre to protect it。 It wasn’t something I knew much about so getting some form of history from it was wonderful。 I’ve been to the Louvre and seeing the Mona Lisa in person made the connection to the love of that museum and it’s art all the more real！ I loved the split timeline and follow Da Vinci through his creation process of the Mon L What an interesting read！ I find it hard to enjoy WWII historical fiction because it’s been done so much but I loved the focus of the art being moved from the Louvre to protect it。 It wasn’t something I knew much about so getting some form of history from it was wonderful。 I’ve been to the Louvre and seeing the Mona Lisa in person made the connection to the love of that museum and it’s art all the more real！ I loved the split timeline and follow Da Vinci through his creation process of the Mon Lisa。 I would love to talk to the author about where those ideas came from， especially Bellina’s perspective。 Was it based in fact？ This book really transports you to two very different times in history and the characters are so different each of their stories being something different to the whole book。 Thank you NetGalley and William Marrow and Custom House for the ARC！ 。。。more
Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews
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FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 21。One woman is the person in the painting while the other woman is trying to save it。We meet Lisa Gherardini in 1497 whose wealthy husband wanted a portrait of her， and we meet Anne Guichard in 1939 who is employed at the Louvre and trying to keep this famous painting， The Mona Lisa， out of the hands of the Nazis。Marvelous research as always and an educational trip through history as we learn about the woman behind that Mona Lisa smile， Leonardo Da Vinci， how t FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 21。One woman is the person in the painting while the other woman is trying to save it。We meet Lisa Gherardini in 1497 whose wealthy husband wanted a portrait of her， and we meet Anne Guichard in 1939 who is employed at the Louvre and trying to keep this famous painting， The Mona Lisa， out of the hands of the Nazis。Marvelous research as always and an educational trip through history as we learn about the woman behind that Mona Lisa smile， Leonardo Da Vinci， how the Mona Lisa took many trips and was hidden many times， and life during this time in history。 5/5This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
，
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli in exchange for a fair review。Set in a dual era， with three points of view， we meet Leonardo Da Vinci， Bellina （a house servant to Lisa Gherardini） and Anne （a young archivist at the Louvre Museum） and see how the famous piece of art， the Mona Lisa， becomes part of their individual experiences。Not much is truly known about the Mona Lisa。 Art historians for years have been trying to piece together the who， how Thank you to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli in exchange for a fair review。Set in a dual era， with three points of view， we meet Leonardo Da Vinci， Bellina （a house servant to Lisa Gherardini） and Anne （a young archivist at the Louvre Museum） and see how the famous piece of art， the Mona Lisa， becomes part of their individual experiences。Not much is truly known about the Mona Lisa。 Art historians for years have been trying to piece together the who， how and why behind this painting。 Based on historical events and other information about the respective timelines， Morelli weaves together a story of how the painting came to be， who Lisa was， and how it was saved during WWII from the advancing German Army。As a lover of historical fiction， I was intrigued by the plotline。 I've been to the Louvre a few times as well as Florence。 It was easy for me to place myself in WWII France and Renaissance Italy with a little help from Google Maps。 The stories were intriguing and easy to follow。 I rather liked the Leonardo and Bellina segments more than the Anne segments and thought the latter went off the rails just a little in the climax。 I found the brother storyline unnecessary and a little overdone。Overall and for my patrons， it is a clean story and intriguing for lovers of history and especially of the renaissance and of art。 I wouldn't categorize this first as a WWII historical fiction even though that is what the cover and title portray。 4* 。。。more
Meredith
，
Thank you to NetGally and William Morrow Paperbacks for the digital ARC of this title。 This was a breathtakingly sublime novel。 There have been quite a few novels out recently about women doing incredible things during war， and this one is a standout。 It is evident within the pages that Morelli spent time researching as much as possible， as the novel is infused with history， glimpses and feels of the time periods， and a powerful voice that weaves its way throughout the book。 I recommend this to Thank you to NetGally and William Morrow Paperbacks for the digital ARC of this title。 This was a breathtakingly sublime novel。 There have been quite a few novels out recently about women doing incredible things during war， and this one is a standout。 It is evident within the pages that Morelli spent time researching as much as possible， as the novel is infused with history， glimpses and feels of the time periods， and a powerful voice that weaves its way throughout the book。 I recommend this to anyone who loves art， history， and the power of choice。 。。。more
Linda
，
Very well researched book。 I found myself googling for more information and looking up locations。 A map at the beginning would have been a plus。World war 2 history is an interest of mine and I enjoy reading a good historical fiction set in this time period。 The extra story line with Leonard da Vinci was also interesting。The book was a slower read， but kept my interest。 I will look for more of her books。 I received an advanced reader's edition of this book and am glad I read it。 Very well researched book。 I found myself googling for more information and looking up locations。 A map at the beginning would have been a plus。World war 2 history is an interest of mine and I enjoy reading a good historical fiction set in this time period。 The extra story line with Leonard da Vinci was also interesting。The book was a slower read， but kept my interest。 I will look for more of her books。 I received an advanced reader's edition of this book and am glad I read it。 。。。more
Carolyn
，
The Stolen Lady is told from three perspectives: Anne in France during WWII， and Leonardo and Bellina in Italy in the late 1400s and early 1500s。 It is the story of the creation of the Mona Lisa and the painting's journey while hiding from the Nazis。What I liked:-I love historical fiction， especially during WWII。 This was a perspective I hadn't followed before and it was interesting to see how the Louvre staff took care of priceless artwork。-I like how the author ended one POV with an idea and b The Stolen Lady is told from three perspectives: Anne in France during WWII， and Leonardo and Bellina in Italy in the late 1400s and early 1500s。 It is the story of the creation of the Mona Lisa and the painting's journey while hiding from the Nazis。What I liked:-I love historical fiction， especially during WWII。 This was a perspective I hadn't followed before and it was interesting to see how the Louvre staff took care of priceless artwork。-I like how the author ended one POV with an idea and began the next POV with the same idea。 It was a great way to link these three experiences together and I wish it had been consistent throughout the book。- It was intriguing to learn about the subject of the Mona Lisa， Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo。What I didn't like:-This book started out great but really lagged in the middle。 I understand it was setting the scene and the history in Italy， but it didn't add to the story。-I feel like the POVs of Leonardo and Bellina could have been combined。 Only one perspective from that time frame was needed， and Bellina's didn't bring much new information。 Her details could have been added to Leonardo's story。-I was underwhelmed with the ending。 Everything just suddenly went back to normal but was very lackluster。 I feel there were missed opportunities。3。5 Stars 。。。more
Jennifer
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I received this as an advanced reader's edition from the publisher。 This was such a masterpiece of a book。 Dual timelines， from multiple point of views。 I just finished writing a long & detailed review and than it "had trouble saving my draft。" So now it will be brief:This was such a joy to read。 It was clearly well researched， I was constantly googling names， dates & places。 As with all good books I am inspired to read & learn more on the subjects。 I in general was inspired by the book。 The mes I received this as an advanced reader's edition from the publisher。 This was such a masterpiece of a book。 Dual timelines， from multiple point of views。 I just finished writing a long & detailed review and than it "had trouble saving my draft。" So now it will be brief:This was such a joy to read。 It was clearly well researched， I was constantly googling names， dates & places。 As with all good books I am inspired to read & learn more on the subjects。 I in general was inspired by the book。 The message that we all can do something bigger than ourselves is especially important in these times。 。。。more
Jean Jensen Rowley
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Leonardo da Vinci is one of my personal heroes， and I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of the book to read。 I enjoyed the alternating storylines。 The author did a great job of putting me in the story of hiding the Louvre art when the Germans were on the way to occupy France。 As an American， I'm familiar with the WWII history from that point of view。 Six of my uncles served in WWII。 One didn't come back， and 2 were POW's in Europe。 I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about WWII history Leonardo da Vinci is one of my personal heroes， and I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of the book to read。 I enjoyed the alternating storylines。 The author did a great job of putting me in the story of hiding the Louvre art when the Germans were on the way to occupy France。 As an American， I'm familiar with the WWII history from that point of view。 Six of my uncles served in WWII。 One didn't come back， and 2 were POW's in Europe。 I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about WWII history from a European point of view。 It was a good read， and I recommend it。 I also liked the storytelling about Leonardo's scientific achievements as well as the artistic ones we are all familiar with。 He was such an impressive man。 。。。more
Lisa Lawrence
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The back story of how a commissioned painting and run-of-the-mill job became a world treasure。 Mona is a title， not a name， making the Mona Lisa feel even closer to me。
K-BRC
，
I loved The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli。 The characters were so well-developed I felt I knew them。 The writing was excellent and plot was so intriguing。 I’ve been hooked on reading historicals lately， WW II and European history are among my favorite reading topics。 I really enjoyed the two timelines，too。 I highly recommend both this author and this novel。
Marilyn Baron
，
I learned a lot about the fate of the Mona Lisa that I didn’t know and more about Florentine and Italian history， the French partisans or maquisards， and much more。 And we get to hear from Leonardo da Vinci himself。 I found out what put the enigmatic smile on Mona Lisa’s face and why the famous painting by the legendary Italian artist wound up hanging on the wall of the private bath chamber of the King of France before ultimately ending up in the Louvre。 The Stolen Lady was a real page-turner an I learned a lot about the fate of the Mona Lisa that I didn’t know and more about Florentine and Italian history， the French partisans or maquisards， and much more。 And we get to hear from Leonardo da Vinci himself。 I found out what put the enigmatic smile on Mona Lisa’s face and why the famous painting by the legendary Italian artist wound up hanging on the wall of the private bath chamber of the King of France before ultimately ending up in the Louvre。 The Stolen Lady was a real page-turner and the characters brought history alive for me。 I’ve also read another book by Laura Morelli， and now， after my second， I look forward to all her upcoming books。 All in all， this novel was “Perfetto。” 。。。more
Denisele
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received an advanced reader copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway。 I liked this book。 I appreciated the different perspectives from various characters。 Leonardo's voice was more distinct than that of Anne and Bellina。 The book had me looking up several things to see if they had actually occured/were true。 I liked that the ending was happy-ish， but maybe not as expected either。 I have never been a great art student but this makes me want to try harder to be patient and appreciate painting I received an advanced reader copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway。 I liked this book。 I appreciated the different perspectives from various characters。 Leonardo's voice was more distinct than that of Anne and Bellina。 The book had me looking up several things to see if they had actually occured/were true。 I liked that the ending was happy-ish， but maybe not as expected either。 I have never been a great art student but this makes me want to try harder to be patient and appreciate paintings！ 。。。more
Lore
，
This was very well written and educational I have to say。 It wasn’t a fast read but it flowed along and held my attention to the end in that I wanted to know what happened to the Stolen Lady。 Definitely a bit of a history lesson in this story， which was all the more enjoyable because of the characters the author developed so well。
Mary
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I won a copy of this in a Goodreads Giveaway！
Kate Eminhizer
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This book had me Googling locations the entire time I was reading it！ In this new book， Morelli again highlights the impact of WWII on cultural treasures。 Readers travel with employees of the famous Louvre museum as they attempted to stay one step ahead of the invading German army。 With limited resources， precious art works were packed， cataloged， and transported from one location to another。 Not only did the art pieces need to be kept safe from the Germans， but they also had to be kept safe fro This book had me Googling locations the entire time I was reading it！ In this new book， Morelli again highlights the impact of WWII on cultural treasures。 Readers travel with employees of the famous Louvre museum as they attempted to stay one step ahead of the invading German army。 With limited resources， precious art works were packed， cataloged， and transported from one location to another。 Not only did the art pieces need to be kept safe from the Germans， but they also had to be kept safe from the negative impacts the environment could have on their stability。 It was a monumental task and one that was not guaranteed to succeed。 With a dual timeline twist， Morelli gives the reader a tale of how the now famous Mona Lisa almost didn't come to fruition and survive its early years。 With DaVinci's noncommittal attitude and the ever-changing political climate， it took the insight of a lonely maid to trigger the story of one of history's most famous works of art。 Morelli provides an amazing amount of historical content within this book's pages without bogging down the pace。 Interesting， educational， and enjoyable read。 I received a copy of this title via NetGalley。 。。。more
Carol lowkey。bookish
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The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli is a dual-timeline， multi-POV novel that centers around the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and the brave Louvre employees who fought to save precious artwork from Nazi hands during World War II。I was captivated by Anne’s chapters because they tell of the incredible journey to protect the Mona Lisa and other valuable artwork during WWII。 Anne is one of the Louvre employees who is responsible for inventorying， packing， and moving artwork around France to keep it fr The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli is a dual-timeline， multi-POV novel that centers around the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and the brave Louvre employees who fought to save precious artwork from Nazi hands during World War II。I was captivated by Anne’s chapters because they tell of the incredible journey to protect the Mona Lisa and other valuable artwork during WWII。 Anne is one of the Louvre employees who is responsible for inventorying， packing， and moving artwork around France to keep it from the Nazis。 This is so fascinating and is my favorite part of the story。This book has the well-researched content and rich details that I enjoy about Laura Morelli’s writing。 I especially appreciate that there are some supplemental materials at the end of the book， so we get to read about some of that extensive research。 Do not miss the section entitled “In Lucie’s Words” where memoir excerpts from Lucie Mazauric， Louvre archivist， are included。 Thank you to the author for providing an advance copy of The Stolen Lady for me to read and review。 Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Kim McGee
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Dual timelines - one in Florence where Leonardo DaVinci will begin his masterpiece of a noblewoman and the second is in the beginning of the war and how officials at the Louvre worked to quickly move most of its priceless treasures to hidden locations away from the Nazi invasion。 Anne is working as a typist but is asked to accompany museum officials as they catalogue and move countless treasures including the staff favorite - the Mona Lisa。 Anne quickly becomes much more to the group and will do Dual timelines - one in Florence where Leonardo DaVinci will begin his masterpiece of a noblewoman and the second is in the beginning of the war and how officials at the Louvre worked to quickly move most of its priceless treasures to hidden locations away from the Nazi invasion。 Anne is working as a typist but is asked to accompany museum officials as they catalogue and move countless treasures including the staff favorite - the Mona Lisa。 Anne quickly becomes much more to the group and will do anything it takes to keep this painting and others out of Nazi hands putting herself in great danger。Bettina is Lisa's maid who has been with her since birth and will do anything to protect her and her half finished portrait from harm。 The last narrative is from Master DaVinci himself where we get a glimpse of his triumphs， failures and attempts at dodging unfinished commissions and political havoc。 Historically accurate and informative as well as entertaining， this story will appeal to art lovers and WWII readers alike。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Meredith Jaeger
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Shifting back and forth in time between Leonardo Da Vinci's Florence and WWII France， Morelli's beautifully rendered novel explores the importance of art， its enduring value， and the bravery of the human spirit。 An engrossing narrative rich in vivid detail， The Stolen Lady transported me from the banks of the River Arno to the chateaus， castles and abbeys of the French countryside， spanning political unrest in early 1500s Italy to the devastation of WWII。 Morelli's vision of the Mona Lisa， and t Shifting back and forth in time between Leonardo Da Vinci's Florence and WWII France， Morelli's beautifully rendered novel explores the importance of art， its enduring value， and the bravery of the human spirit。 An engrossing narrative rich in vivid detail， The Stolen Lady transported me from the banks of the River Arno to the chateaus， castles and abbeys of the French countryside， spanning political unrest in early 1500s Italy to the devastation of WWII。 Morelli's vision of the Mona Lisa， and the woman behind the painting， will stay with me for a long time。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Stolen Lady
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Stolen Lady&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Stolen Lady&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0