The Painted Girls
by Cathy Marie Buchanan
Buy on AmazonIn belle époque Paris, the Van Goethem sisters struggle for survival after the sudden death of their father, a situation that prompts young Marie's ballet training and her introduction to a genius painter.
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"Belle epoque Paris springs to life under the sure hand of Cathy Marie Buchanan, who delivers a world in The Painted Girls that is earthy, delicate and seductive. Edgar Degas is a central figure during the creation of his signature sculpture, Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen. Two real-life characters, aspiring adolescent ballerina Marie van Goethem and her older sister, Antoinette, narrate the story in alternating chapters, offering contrasting perspectives on a life of struggles and hard-won pleasures."
NPR Books We Love — 2013 · apps.npr.org