What I'm Reading: The Muralist

The Muralist
by B. A. Shapiro
Algonquin (Nov. 3, 2015)
Historical Fiction

What It's About:

When Alizee Benoit, a young American painter working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), vanishes in New York City in 1940, no one knows what happened to her. Not her Jewish family living in German-occupied France. Not her arts patron and political compatriot, Eleanor Roosevelt. Not her close-knit group of friends and fellow WPA painters ... And, some seventy years later, not her great-niece, Danielle Abrams, who, while working at Christie's auction house, uncovers enigmatic paintings hidden behind works by those now famous Abstract Expressionist artists.

Why You'll Love It:

• Shapiro's storytelling craftsmanship is amplified by her ability to use history as a backdrop, adding depth and perspective to her narrative.  
• The life of Alizée Benoit, a determined young painter, intersects with the lives of historical figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Breckinridge Long, and legendary artists, including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner.
• Shapiro explores what happens when talent collides with inexorable historical forces, and how great art can change the world.

What Else You Should Read:

• The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin