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Girl in the Afternoon
Born into a wealthy Parisian family at the center of Belle Epoque society, 18-year-old Aimée Savaray dreams of becoming a respected painter in the male-dominated art world; and secretly, she also dreams of being loved by Henri, the boy her parents took in as a child and raised alongside her.
But when Henri inexplicably disappears, in the midst of the Franco-Prussian war, the Savarays’ privileged lives begin to unravel. Heartbroken, Aimée tries to find him, but Henri doesn’t want to be found—and only one member of the family knows why.
As Aimée seeks refuge in the art world, mentored by the Impressionist Édouard Manet, she unwittingly finds her way back to Henri. With so many years gone by and secrets buried, their eventual reunion unmasks the lies that once held the family together, but now threaten to tear them apart.
A rich and opulent saga, Girl in the Afternoon brings the Impressionists to life in this portrait of scandal, fortune, and unrequited love.
But when Henri inexplicably disappears, in the midst of the Franco-Prussian war, the Savarays’ privileged lives begin to unravel. Heartbroken, Aimée tries to find him, but Henri doesn’t want to be found—and only one member of the family knows why.
As Aimée seeks refuge in the art world, mentored by the Impressionist Édouard Manet, she unwittingly finds her way back to Henri. With so many years gone by and secrets buried, their eventual reunion unmasks the lies that once held the family together, but now threaten to tear them apart.
A rich and opulent saga, Girl in the Afternoon brings the Impressionists to life in this portrait of scandal, fortune, and unrequited love.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2016
About the author
Serena Burdick
5 books525 followersSerena Burdick is the USA Today, Toronto Star and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES. She is the author of the novel THE STOLEN BOOK OF EVELYN AUBREY, FIND ME IN HAVANA, GIRL IN THE AFTERNOON, and her forthcoming novel A PROMISE TO ARLETTE. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and published in twelve territories to date. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College, holds a Bachelors of Arts from Brooklyn College in English literature and an Associates of Arts from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in theater.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
July 12, 2016
Give me a beautiful cover, a historical fiction (with a mystery), and a lovely setting and I'm yours forever! Well, perhaps not, I do want a story as well that totally enthrall me and leave me with a bookish hangover and heartache. Then, we're talking!
Girl in the Afternoon couldn't really please me in the story aspect. I did enjoy reading the book. However, I felt that something was missing from the book, and I'm quite sure that the characters are to blame for it, at least for me. I just couldn't find any connection with them, they never fleshed out. All through the book, they felt like "shadows", like something essential was missing from them, something that stopped them from becoming "alive". I especially have a problem with Henri, you hardly get to know him before he leaves the family in the beginning and all through the book I struggle with getting to know him as a character. Well, to be honest, I felt that with almost all of them. But, since Henri is an important character to the story felt it odd that he was so flat and that I just didn't care that much for him or the big mystery of him leaving. Yes, I was curious, but not overwhelmed by the mystery.
I felt aloof reading the book, like everything happening never really bothered me or really got interesting. Things happened, people died, and mysteries was revealed and all I could think of was "Oh alright". The only time I felt emotionally stirred was when the events with the children happened. And, I was angry on their behalf. Also, I did find the reason for Henri leaving the family disturbing. It's hard to explain why since I can't discuss the reason. But, it was just so...wrong.
So, now I have complained enough. Now I will tell you all why I did give the book 3 stars instead of 2. I did find the book interesting to read and very easy to read. I was ready to give the book after a couple of chapters because of my lack of connection with the characters, but I also wanted to know what would happen and I felt that way all through the book. If I only have cared more for the characters would I have loved this book.
So, not a personal favorite this year, but nevertheless interesting to read. This book may not be for everyone, but if you are reading this book and find yourself connecting with the characters would I advise you to keep on reading because it's not at all a bad book!
I want to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Girl in the Afternoon couldn't really please me in the story aspect. I did enjoy reading the book. However, I felt that something was missing from the book, and I'm quite sure that the characters are to blame for it, at least for me. I just couldn't find any connection with them, they never fleshed out. All through the book, they felt like "shadows", like something essential was missing from them, something that stopped them from becoming "alive". I especially have a problem with Henri, you hardly get to know him before he leaves the family in the beginning and all through the book I struggle with getting to know him as a character. Well, to be honest, I felt that with almost all of them. But, since Henri is an important character to the story felt it odd that he was so flat and that I just didn't care that much for him or the big mystery of him leaving. Yes, I was curious, but not overwhelmed by the mystery.
I felt aloof reading the book, like everything happening never really bothered me or really got interesting. Things happened, people died, and mysteries was revealed and all I could think of was "Oh alright". The only time I felt emotionally stirred was when the events with the children happened. And, I was angry on their behalf. Also, I did find the reason for Henri leaving the family disturbing. It's hard to explain why since I can't discuss the reason. But, it was just so...wrong.
So, now I have complained enough. Now I will tell you all why I did give the book 3 stars instead of 2. I did find the book interesting to read and very easy to read. I was ready to give the book after a couple of chapters because of my lack of connection with the characters, but I also wanted to know what would happen and I felt that way all through the book. If I only have cared more for the characters would I have loved this book.
So, not a personal favorite this year, but nevertheless interesting to read. This book may not be for everyone, but if you are reading this book and find yourself connecting with the characters would I advise you to keep on reading because it's not at all a bad book!
I want to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
June 9, 2016
It was as if this book was written by 2 very different authors....The most engaging of the two authors having written the first 5 or so pages and the last 70% of the book....so that is the majority of the writing. The first few pages packed a punch and the ending was rather brilliant, a change from third-person writing to first-person, and almost like coming around a full circle. The writing of these parts moved forward, took the reader through an engaging saga, sweeping the reader along as it unfolded.
After the punch of the first few pages, the next 25-30% of the book was told, not shown - there was some flipping back and forth between points of views of characters as well as times - this was done in short bouts which made it all the more frustrating for me - sometimes as often as from one paragraph to another. For me, it felt like the story wasn't moving anywhere, and it didn't allow me to become as involved with the characters as I wanted to be...I wanted to REALLY care about Aimee and Henri's relationship and feel like I was robbed of that. But I'm happy I persevered because the writing seemed to change significantly, held my attention and left me feeling like it was energy well spent.
For me, though, on the whole, the book was a little like watching a kitten hiding be hind a box, wiggling it's bum - you are anticipating the kitten to make a grand pounce on it's target; you may even nudge people beside you with your elbow wanting to share in this moment that you just know is going to be great; but then the kitten's bum stops wiggling and you realize it has fallen asleep in the asleep in the sun.
3 stars - I did enjoy the book, glad I read it....there was just no 'pounce' for me....and there was some effort getting through a little more than a quarter of the book. (With a rewrite of that portion, allowing readers to become involved in Aimee and Henri's relationship from the beginning, you'd have a stellar, heartwrenching, emotion-evoking novel)
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author,Serena Burdick, for the chance to read and review this advanced reader copy.
After the punch of the first few pages, the next 25-30% of the book was told, not shown - there was some flipping back and forth between points of views of characters as well as times - this was done in short bouts which made it all the more frustrating for me - sometimes as often as from one paragraph to another. For me, it felt like the story wasn't moving anywhere, and it didn't allow me to become as involved with the characters as I wanted to be...I wanted to REALLY care about Aimee and Henri's relationship and feel like I was robbed of that. But I'm happy I persevered because the writing seemed to change significantly, held my attention and left me feeling like it was energy well spent.
For me, though, on the whole, the book was a little like watching a kitten hiding be hind a box, wiggling it's bum - you are anticipating the kitten to make a grand pounce on it's target; you may even nudge people beside you with your elbow wanting to share in this moment that you just know is going to be great; but then the kitten's bum stops wiggling and you realize it has fallen asleep in the asleep in the sun.
3 stars - I did enjoy the book, glad I read it....there was just no 'pounce' for me....and there was some effort getting through a little more than a quarter of the book. (With a rewrite of that portion, allowing readers to become involved in Aimee and Henri's relationship from the beginning, you'd have a stellar, heartwrenching, emotion-evoking novel)
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author,Serena Burdick, for the chance to read and review this advanced reader copy.
July 12, 2016
"Girl in the Afternoon" is the story of Aimee and Henri, two artists who are interlinked by their families. Both of them dream of being artists in the Belle Epoque time period set in Paris. Their family secrets threaten to unravel their relationship and everything they think they know is turned on its head. Add an appearance by Edouard Manet as Aimee's tutor who has designs on her and you have a twisting historical fiction filled with romance and secrets.
I am such a sucker for any book that has both historic and artistic elements. I love reading about artists and the things that they create and how they are inspired. You get a strong dose of that is this book. Aimee and Henri are both artists. They are inspired in very different ways but their art seems to bring them closer together. I loved reading the rich detail that the author included on the art. I also really liked the addition of Edouard Manet. I love his paintings but did not know much about his life. This book really whet my appetite to find out more about him. His appearance in the book set off a lot of the twists in the book that kept me reading rapidly.
Between the time period and the setting, I was whisked away by this book. I love reading about Paris and the detail that the author added really made me feel the time and the place. It also made the characters stand out more for me as you could picture exactly what their lives were like back then. Overall, this is a good story that will hook my fellow histfic fans!
I am such a sucker for any book that has both historic and artistic elements. I love reading about artists and the things that they create and how they are inspired. You get a strong dose of that is this book. Aimee and Henri are both artists. They are inspired in very different ways but their art seems to bring them closer together. I loved reading the rich detail that the author included on the art. I also really liked the addition of Edouard Manet. I love his paintings but did not know much about his life. This book really whet my appetite to find out more about him. His appearance in the book set off a lot of the twists in the book that kept me reading rapidly.
Between the time period and the setting, I was whisked away by this book. I love reading about Paris and the detail that the author added really made me feel the time and the place. It also made the characters stand out more for me as you could picture exactly what their lives were like back then. Overall, this is a good story that will hook my fellow histfic fans!
May 4, 2016
*NO SPOILERS here:) Girl in the Afternoon is a vivid imagining of one family's life in mid 1800's Paris. Burdick knows her material inside and out, and the novel is rich with detail. Well-realized characters and clever pacing make this a must-read for anyone interested in historical mystery fiction, particularly those interested in Manet and the Paris salons.
May 4, 2016
This book was so beautifully written and entirely captivating. I am a hard sell on most fiction and find it impossible to finish reading a book if I'm not hooked by the first chapter. I could not put this book down for a second. Each and every word seemed to have been chosen so thoughtfully, the descriptions and details tugged at me....left me feeling that I wish I could string a sentence together so beautifully. The characters were gorgeously human and imperfect, endearing and fascinating. Their torment became my own.
The layers of love, torment, grief between the characters was palpable. My favorite character by far is Madame Savary, Aimee's grandmother.
Highly recommend this book. I'm shocked this is her debut novel & look forward to seeing what else is to come from the author in the future.
The layers of love, torment, grief between the characters was palpable. My favorite character by far is Madame Savary, Aimee's grandmother.
Highly recommend this book. I'm shocked this is her debut novel & look forward to seeing what else is to come from the author in the future.
August 5, 2016
Please check out all of my reviews at http://ultraviolentlit.blogspot.ca!
I just can't resist a historical novel that features artists, especially the Impressionist Eduard Manet. The story was interesting and mostly well-written - but I did find the characters oddly one-dimensional. Because they never came to life for me, I found it difficult to connect and really care about their lives. It is still worth a read, and I didn't want to put it down until I found out what happened to them in the end.
This novel was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I just can't resist a historical novel that features artists, especially the Impressionist Eduard Manet. The story was interesting and mostly well-written - but I did find the characters oddly one-dimensional. Because they never came to life for me, I found it difficult to connect and really care about their lives. It is still worth a read, and I didn't want to put it down until I found out what happened to them in the end.
This novel was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2016
Girl in the Afternoon is a beautiful and masterfully crafted novel that captures life in late-19th century Paris. I loved reading every moment. Through the richness of an exciting and heart-wrenching love story, Burdick smartly weaves together the dynamic of family, love and Paris through war and the Belle Epoque. A true accomplishment.
July 8, 2016
Exceptionally fine work , joyful memories floting trough my mind ,remembering reading Elliott, Hugo, Dickens !!! Congratulations ! Hopefully praying you will write some more like this, for everyone dilight.
Thanks Laszlo
Thanks Laszlo
December 10, 2016
Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.
Pain, art, love and creation all all entwined in this lovely novel
Pain, art, love and creation all all entwined in this lovely novel
June 29, 2016
What I love most about Girl in the Afternoon (or GITA, as they call it in the industry) are Burdick’s impossible-to-forget characters. Even after finishing the last delicious page, I still have conversations in my head with the strongest-backbone-in-the-family grandmother, and the artist’s model whose heartfelt emotional intelligence drew her into a family far above her social position as a member of the working class poor.
And then, there’s Burdick’s twisty-turning plot that keeps slipping around unseen corners and into dark alleyways before perching before a quiet lake or walnut-lined library with decidedly unquiet emotions riffling the air; quite the feat for a literary novel that is not a thriller.
In the end, though, it’s the paradox of Burdick’s nuanced yet penetrating use of the English language that pulls us through scene after riveting scene in an era of human history where the conventional expectations of how one woman is supposed to behave vis-à-vis the art world, and in love, becomes no match for the exigencies of the human heart.
And then, there’s Burdick’s twisty-turning plot that keeps slipping around unseen corners and into dark alleyways before perching before a quiet lake or walnut-lined library with decidedly unquiet emotions riffling the air; quite the feat for a literary novel that is not a thriller.
In the end, though, it’s the paradox of Burdick’s nuanced yet penetrating use of the English language that pulls us through scene after riveting scene in an era of human history where the conventional expectations of how one woman is supposed to behave vis-à-vis the art world, and in love, becomes no match for the exigencies of the human heart.
September 13, 2016
I just can't resist a historical novel that features artists, especially an Impressionist. However Manet only has a small cameo in this book. The story was interesting and mostly well-written - but I did find the characters oddly one-dimensional. Because they never came to life for me, I found it difficult to connect and really care about their lives. It is still worth a read, and I didn't want to put it down until I found out what happened to them in the end. All through the book, the characters felt like "shadows", like something essential was missing from them, something that stopped them from becoming "alive". I especially had a problem with Henri, you hardly get to know him before he leaves the family in the beginning and all through the book I struggle with getting to know him as a character. I felt aloof reading the book, like everything happening never really bothered me or really got interesting. . If I only have cared more for the characters would I have loved this book.
July 5, 2016
I highly recommend Serena Burdick’s novel, Girl in the Afternoon. This thoughtful and elegantly written work of fiction engaged me from the first moment, carrying me through to story’s end. We are pulled into the struggle of each member of the Savaray family to find their way with each other in the ebbing war years of France’s Belle Epoch. Waylaid by the on-going loss of young children, each well-developed character plays out this grief and longing in their own unique ways. Burdick skillfully reveals the emotional struggle of each, taking us on an authentic and heartfelt journey through this brief moment in history.
July 15, 2016
A sad story beautifully told. The writer is very skilled at creating mood and atmosphere. From the very beginning the story breathes the sadness of impossible love. The historic setting is detailed and even the readers who know a lot about about impressionism can appreciate the descriptions of the Paris of the nineteenth century and the impressionist circles. I enjoyed this book and the ending does not disappoint, though it is a bit predictable.
Shelved as 'to-check-out'
July 12, 2016Giveaway @ Let Them Read Books!
July 12, 2016
Lovely novel Paris ,artists ,family drama a story that sweeps you away.For lovers of historical fiction this ones for you,
February 10, 2017
The Savaray's lives change forever when Henri comes to live with them under mysterious circumstances. Desperate for a son, the family dotes on him and he quickly becomes part of their lives. Henri becomes friends with the family's daughter, Aimee, and the two of them are constant companions throughout their childhood. As they grow older this friendship turns to love but then Henri suddenly disappears. Henri's leaving changes the Savaray's lives and soon hidden truths are being revealed and decisions made that will have a huge impact on their lives for years to come.
I really loved this book! You are immediately transported to Paris in the 1870's with the author's great descriptions of the time. You feel like you are right there in Paris in the middle of the war and the uncertain times after. I thought the characters were very real and well developed. I liked that they weren't perfect, made mistakes but fought to make everything right again. I started off not liking the two main male characters but ended up actually feeling pretty sorry for them. There are some real thought provoking themes running through this book about a person's need for family, love and a place to belong which was really interesting. I think it would makje a very good book club choice for this reason as there would be lots to discuss.
I did find some of the passages involving the children quite hard to read. I think it is an accurate description of the attitude towards children at the time but I found it quite poignan, especially as a parent. It all adds to the overall story but just be aware you may need the tissues handy.
I will be recommending this book to everyone as it rates as one of the best books I have read. Thank you to Netgalley, St Martin's Press and Serena for the chance to read this book. Absolutely fantastic!
I really loved this book! You are immediately transported to Paris in the 1870's with the author's great descriptions of the time. You feel like you are right there in Paris in the middle of the war and the uncertain times after. I thought the characters were very real and well developed. I liked that they weren't perfect, made mistakes but fought to make everything right again. I started off not liking the two main male characters but ended up actually feeling pretty sorry for them. There are some real thought provoking themes running through this book about a person's need for family, love and a place to belong which was really interesting. I think it would makje a very good book club choice for this reason as there would be lots to discuss.
I did find some of the passages involving the children quite hard to read. I think it is an accurate description of the attitude towards children at the time but I found it quite poignan, especially as a parent. It all adds to the overall story but just be aware you may need the tissues handy.
I will be recommending this book to everyone as it rates as one of the best books I have read. Thank you to Netgalley, St Martin's Press and Serena for the chance to read this book. Absolutely fantastic!
July 24, 2016
"Girl in the Afternoon' is a historical fiction set in Paris and England in the 1870's during the impressionist movement and revolves around a well off family, their secrets and ensuing scandals. The title of the book is based on a painting that proved pivotal to the story. The main focus is on the daughter, Aimee, attempting to be her own person but often conflicted with outside circumstances. Overall, this was a good, but a somewhat predictable mystery.
The writing is at times poetic and the character I enjoyed most was Madame Savaray for the depth she bought to the story.
"Dust floated like a strip of tulle in the dull light. Colette swirled her arm through it, scattering the motes with her open hand."
Unfortunately this books suffers for a few reasons. Burdick launched straight into it, attempting to create intrigue, however, I was not yet invested and for me, it fell flat. I also found the going back and forth between points of views challenging at times, especially within a short passage. This did not assist the story, often feeling like it wasn't going anywhere, and contributed to my lack of involvement with the characters at times. Everything explained, no guessing as told in the third person too often.
There is a lot of future forecasts interspersed throughout, when all you really wanted was for the story to be told, not inferenced. The preemptive took all the angst, drama and anticipation out of the story.
"he had no idea of the crippling events that would unfold over the next few months"
Finally, with one third of the book remaining, a compelling story began to unfold and we have raw emotion. Now I was invested, but a little too late. Still, it helped make it a three star, worthwhile read.
"He turned onto his side, feeling the tremendous expanse of Aimee's grief as if it were his own."
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
The writing is at times poetic and the character I enjoyed most was Madame Savaray for the depth she bought to the story.
"Dust floated like a strip of tulle in the dull light. Colette swirled her arm through it, scattering the motes with her open hand."
Unfortunately this books suffers for a few reasons. Burdick launched straight into it, attempting to create intrigue, however, I was not yet invested and for me, it fell flat. I also found the going back and forth between points of views challenging at times, especially within a short passage. This did not assist the story, often feeling like it wasn't going anywhere, and contributed to my lack of involvement with the characters at times. Everything explained, no guessing as told in the third person too often.
There is a lot of future forecasts interspersed throughout, when all you really wanted was for the story to be told, not inferenced. The preemptive took all the angst, drama and anticipation out of the story.
"he had no idea of the crippling events that would unfold over the next few months"
Finally, with one third of the book remaining, a compelling story began to unfold and we have raw emotion. Now I was invested, but a little too late. Still, it helped make it a three star, worthwhile read.
"He turned onto his side, feeling the tremendous expanse of Aimee's grief as if it were his own."
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
July 27, 2016
Paris during the Belle Époque, the world of Manet and the Impressionists, these are some of my favorite things. Serena Burdick’s description of living in a city under siege and describing the absolute ennui of being confined to your home, thus setting the stage for growing love and ensuing betrayal was beautifully written. I even searched images of Manet’s works using “jeune fille” in my surfing, hoping to find Burdick’s inspiration (à la Girl with a Pearl Earring). How lovely it would have been to find Aimée in repose, her face hidden from view.
I don’t want to give too much away, because even hinting at the true love story would be a spoiler, but let me just say that the ending was superbly satisfying, especially coming from Jacque’s point of view. More than anything, I love reading a novel where the characters linger in my mind, making me wonder what happens next, and allowing me the privilege of imaging how their lives will unfold after the epilogue. I hope this is the first of many novels by Serena Burdick.
(full review at: http://nekelleher.com/2016/07/pre-ord...)
I don’t want to give too much away, because even hinting at the true love story would be a spoiler, but let me just say that the ending was superbly satisfying, especially coming from Jacque’s point of view. More than anything, I love reading a novel where the characters linger in my mind, making me wonder what happens next, and allowing me the privilege of imaging how their lives will unfold after the epilogue. I hope this is the first of many novels by Serena Burdick.
(full review at: http://nekelleher.com/2016/07/pre-ord...)
July 12, 2016
What a poignant, compelling novel! This was a wonderful debut novel which takes place
during the Belle Epoque age. Aimee, the protagonist, has a brief relationship with Edouard
Manet, but her main connection is with Henri Aubrey, a fellow artist who comes to live
with her family. The plot contains a great many twists and turns, surprises, and is a mystery
in itself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it highly.
during the Belle Epoque age. Aimee, the protagonist, has a brief relationship with Edouard
Manet, but her main connection is with Henri Aubrey, a fellow artist who comes to live
with her family. The plot contains a great many twists and turns, surprises, and is a mystery
in itself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it highly.
May 18, 2016
I am not a writer, and I am having a hard time describing how I much I love this book. I guess I will leave it at this:
I can actually *smell* the paints being used in certain scenes.
I can actually *smell* the paints being used in certain scenes.
April 25, 2018
This book was excellent. I really enjoyed it. Had some beautiful writing. The authors debut.
Read
July 21, 2016Aimee is young, quite naive but she wants to be a painter in a predominantly male dominated industry in France in the 1870s. It is not a period where such a thing would be encouraged and she is fortunate that her father does allow her some leeway in this.
Her attraction to Henri, the boy who came over from London and is brought up like a brother in the
Savaray household adds to the conflict. Henri is also deeply attached to Aimee but of a sudden he disappears and no one knows why. Fast forward a number of years Aimee herself is deeply sorrowful, maintaining a facade of normality in the face of a very troubled household. The reason for Henri's sudden disappearance becomes known and certainly understandable but Aimee's position both in the Savaray household and in Henri's life is in turmoil.
It was quite an emotional roller coaster this one, but not in a gruesome, harsh way. You felt for Aimee who was torn apart by people and circumstances not of her choosing. Fate played a role in this life and her love could never be freely expressed or shown without hurting many people around her. Aimee was restricted not just by her own character but also the behaviour of the times. Delicately told not intrusive at any times, the story slowly unfolded amongst a backdrop of war and strife in France.
Her attraction to Henri, the boy who came over from London and is brought up like a brother in the
Savaray household adds to the conflict. Henri is also deeply attached to Aimee but of a sudden he disappears and no one knows why. Fast forward a number of years Aimee herself is deeply sorrowful, maintaining a facade of normality in the face of a very troubled household. The reason for Henri's sudden disappearance becomes known and certainly understandable but Aimee's position both in the Savaray household and in Henri's life is in turmoil.
It was quite an emotional roller coaster this one, but not in a gruesome, harsh way. You felt for Aimee who was torn apart by people and circumstances not of her choosing. Fate played a role in this life and her love could never be freely expressed or shown without hurting many people around her. Aimee was restricted not just by her own character but also the behaviour of the times. Delicately told not intrusive at any times, the story slowly unfolded amongst a backdrop of war and strife in France.
June 14, 2016
In historical fiction, setting is everything. It's core standard* is to give one a peek into the day-to-day life of another era, while helping the modern reader understand the choices of a cultural standard faded almost completely from view.
Girl in The Afternoon does well in this regard. The history never impedes the plot, but the plot never breaks the immersion of the period. Burdick makes a choice to bring a worldwide known historical figure into her novel, and handles it with a delicate touch... a quiet walk-on rather than a series of name dropping riffs. Again, a beautiful harmony between plot and setting.
A genteelly paced story, Girl revolves around the theme of love in absentia. It examines how separation, no matter how much we wish it were so, does not break, bury, or destroy a love. No matter it's appropriateness, it's madness, it's secret shames, love is not a force to be trifled with, and there is no hiding from it, or it's consequences.
Girl In The Afternoon is the kind of read most loved by those who dream of life in another era. Ladies in long skirts and the quiet hedonism of Paris in La Belle Epoque.
* as far as i'm concerned anyway
Girl in The Afternoon does well in this regard. The history never impedes the plot, but the plot never breaks the immersion of the period. Burdick makes a choice to bring a worldwide known historical figure into her novel, and handles it with a delicate touch... a quiet walk-on rather than a series of name dropping riffs. Again, a beautiful harmony between plot and setting.
A genteelly paced story, Girl revolves around the theme of love in absentia. It examines how separation, no matter how much we wish it were so, does not break, bury, or destroy a love. No matter it's appropriateness, it's madness, it's secret shames, love is not a force to be trifled with, and there is no hiding from it, or it's consequences.
Girl In The Afternoon is the kind of read most loved by those who dream of life in another era. Ladies in long skirts and the quiet hedonism of Paris in La Belle Epoque.
* as far as i'm concerned anyway
November 25, 2017
Girl in the Afternoon is a very provocative read. Enjoyable is not the right word, and I disagree with whoever said that it should be reserved for the beach. The opposite is true. It is extremely complex and needs to be taken slowly. Ms. Burdick is obviously a highly skilled writer. Her character development is formidable, and her word-craft impressive. The reason I give it four, rather than five, stars relates to the vague resolutions. I use the plural intentionally as there are multiple crises and quasi-resolutions throughout the book. Apparently this is what the author intended, so that it be closer to real life, but while fiction does need to resemble the real world to a degree, at some level it has to have clearer beginnings and endings. I do recommend the work highly but not for light reading.
November 21, 2016
This book was such a beautiful portrayal of how a perfect family can be so utterly horrible behind closed doors. Without spoiling anything, this is a story about a well to do French family that self destructs in such tragic ways there is no going back for them. The beginning is so hopeful but falls apart. The ending is so destroyed but comes together back to being hopeful again. It was a quick read but so human with family dynamics anyone can relate to.
August 12, 2016
I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways.
I wasn't so sure abut this story in the beginning, but the more I read I saw how well the author wove her story. It was a very human story about a family dealing with difficult circumstances. I liked how the author was able to develop this story around this family and making it definitely believable.
I wasn't so sure abut this story in the beginning, but the more I read I saw how well the author wove her story. It was a very human story about a family dealing with difficult circumstances. I liked how the author was able to develop this story around this family and making it definitely believable.
April 10, 2017
This book is really addictive! The writing is fantastic and it pulls you into a different world straight from the beginning. The omniscient point of view is extremely effective and well done, and the tone feels effortless and natural.
Normally, I check the ending to make sure I like it before I continue reading. But the suspense in this was so delicious that I just couldn't do it.
Normally, I check the ending to make sure I like it before I continue reading. But the suspense in this was so delicious that I just couldn't do it.
September 3, 2016
Fantastic book ~ highly recommend
November 15, 2016
The only problem with this book is that once you pick it up you can't put it down. Phenomenally intense page turner . . .
November 30, 2016
Absolutely loved this book! One of my favorites by far, heart wrenching and amazing all at the same time!
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