This book was a wild run.

It begins when Jeanne Hebuterne committed suicide on January 26, 1920 two days after her husband, Amedeo Modigliani died from a long illness of tuberculosis. She was 10 months pregnant with her second child and couldn't bear to live without him as she jumped out of a window. What's different is that in the beginning of the book, Jeanne is witnessing what has happened in the afterlife. A thin thread connects her ghost self to her body as she takes a glimpse of her life.

Jeanne's friends warned her about a life with Modigliani. It was well known that he was intimate with his models, he took drugs, he spent every penny he had at the bar and felt like a failure with his art. Yet, Jeanne overlooked these traits and said she didn't need money to be happy. It didn't matter that her mom, dad and brother were horrified that she left her family with an excellent reputation to be with this older man that was not only a starving artist but also Jewish. None of this mattered to her. This book was unique as Jeanne always wanted to be closely connected to the one she loved even after she died.

As the book continues, the reader learns more about Jeanne when years later, her notebooks with sketches, drawings, shopping lists, poems and words are revealed to an American art history student working on her doctorate. Maybe it's not exactly how a young Paris girl would write a diary in those days but it was filled with a bit of mystery that made me want to find out more.

They are many written reports and books about the high profile male Paris artists of the 1920s: Mondigliani, Cezanne, Turner, Gauguin, and Picasso. However, what about the women that married these men? Of course, it was a woman that decided to write about the artist that is not as well known: Jeanne Hebuterne. It was clear that an incredible amount of historical research was done to bring accuracy to this story.

Overall, with a love of art, I enjoyed this book. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This book was a wild run.

It begins when Jeanne Hebuterne committed suicide on January 26, 1920 two days after her husband, Amedeo Modigliani died from a long illness of tuberculosis. She was 10 months pregnant with her second child and couldn't bear to live without him as she jumped out of a window. What's different is that in the beginning of the book, Jeanne is witnessing what has happened in the afterlife. A thin thread connects her ghost self to her body as she takes a glimpse of her life.

Jeanne's friends warned her about a life with Modigliani. It was well known that he was intimate with his models, he took drugs, he spent every penny he had at the bar and felt like a failure with his art. Yet, Jeanne overlooked these traits and said she didn't need money to be happy. It didn't matter that her mom, dad and brother were horrified that she left her family with an excellent reputation to be with this older man that was not only a starving artist but also Jewish. None of this mattered to her. This book was unique as Jeanne always wanted to be closely connected to the one she loved even after she died.

As the book continues, the reader learns more about Jeanne when years later, her notebooks with sketches, drawings, shopping lists, poems and words are revealed to an American art history student working on her doctorate. Maybe it's not exactly how a young Paris girl would write a diary in those days but it was filled with a bit of mystery that made me want to find out more.

They are many written reports and books about the high profile male Paris artists of the 1920s: Mondigliani, Cezanne, Turner, Gauguin, and Picasso. However, what about the women that married these men? Of course, it was a woman that decided to write about the artist that is not as well known: Jeanne Hebuterne. It was clear that an incredible amount of historical research was done to bring accuracy to this story.

Overall, with a love of art, I enjoyed this book. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

With twists and turns at every step, this is a don’t-miss-it historical mystery!

When her husband and mentor, renowned painter, Amedeo Modigliani, dies after a short but brutal illness, Jeanne, 21 and pregnant with their second child jumps out of a window of her parents’ Parisian flat two days later and also dies. As a spirit, she tries to reunite with Modi but eventually ends up returning to the apartment and studio they shared, where she watches people she knew remove her things, even discovering her one last secret artwork hidden in the wall space behind a large cupboard. The painting, one that Modigliani had begun, was of Jeanne and their child, but when he’d rejected his initial work, intending to destroy it and start over, she’d saved it and added his likeness to the family portrait. Dubbed a lost Modigliani, its existence had become a myth in the world of artists and art collectors. But now, she spends her time pacing the floor and practicing the violin, the one thing her ghostly self was allowed to grab and take with her into her afterlife.

Time passes to 1981, and an American art history student comes to Paris to research her thesis on Manuel Ortiz de Zárate, another of the famous Montparnasse artists who happened to live and work on the floor below Jeanne and Modi. But seemingly at every stage of her local research, she runs into persistent whispers of Modigliani, Jeanne, and the lost painting. When a dying woman entrusts her with more than just whispers, she is compelled to follow the story.

Loving Modigliani is a wonderfully imaginative and absorbing story that I honestly did not want to put down. The descriptions of Paris and Jeanne’s life were so vivid I felt I was there. I know I held my breath as I was introduced to the author’s vision of the ‘Other Paris’ – the Paris of the dead. The characters came to life for me as the story twists and turns both in Jeanne’s afterlife story and the art scholar’s search for the lost painting. Nothing is as it seems!

The amount of research that must have gone into developing this story had to have been tremendous – not only the life and times of the well-known characters but also the places and practices of the era, including health care, medicine, death, and dying, and burial. The story definitely benefitted from all the work; it was interesting and exciting throughout. I am delighted to learn about this artistic woman, talented in her own right, who has apparently been kept in the shadows all these years.

I recommend LOVING MODIGLIANI: THE AFTERLIFE OF JEANNE HÉBUTERNE to readers of historical mysteries, especially those that don’t want to get involved in a series, readers that enjoy stories set in Paris, and those that have an interest in the art world, the art scene of Montparnasse Quarter in the 1920s.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author. ( )

Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne is an interesting read. It is the first I have read by Linda Lappin. She has proven to me that she is a very talented at weaving such a wonderful tale. I was fascinated with this story right from the start. After reading it, I had to search to find out more about Jeanne Hébuterne. Such a captivating character in real life.

Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne is getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend for readers who enjoy reading fiction based on true events. I would to get my hands on more books by Linda Lappin. She has earned herself a new fan. This book is really great and it should not be missed.

I received Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. ( )

I will start off this review by mentioning that I had never heard of Jeanne Hébuterne or Amedeo Modigliani prior to reading this novel, so I cannot speak to any historical accuracies. Part fantasy, part historical fiction, part romance and part mystery/suspense, Lappin gives readers a tantalizing fictitious glimpse into the life (and afterlife) of Jeanne Hébuterne - a young aspiring artist from a bourgeois Parisian family. Jeanne's love for Modigliani is heartbreaking in the sacrifices she is prepared to make to be with Modi. This story spans four timelines: Jeanne's early 1900s life (the historical fiction part), Jeanne's immediate afterlife as a ghost/spirit (the fantasy part), 60 years after Jeanne's death (the mystery/suspense part) and the year 2021 (where the story concludes).

I am a huge fan of historical fiction so I was enthralled with the rich details of the World War I/early 1900s Parisian Montparnasse 'art scene'. I particularly loved Lappin use of the three diaries to communicate Jeanne's thoughts and emotions. The depiction of the afterlife pulled me right in. It is in fact my favorite part of the whole story, so I was a little saddened when the story suddenly shifting gears to 1981 and takes the reader down a rather predictable mystery/suspense plot of an art scholar who finds herself involved in a fanciful hunt for a rumored Modigliani/Hébuterne painting. This novel could be parsed into three separate novels, which makes this one a bit challenging, at least for me. If you are looking for a straightforward story to sink into, this isn't it. I think this story may have widest appeal with fans of stories that have a strong art focus. For me, I would have preferred if this had been either a solid historical fiction or a delightful fantasy to escape into, but no matter. Lappin has proven with this genre-bender that she is an author who cannot be defined by just one particular genre.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Serving House Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )