I Always Loved You: A Novel

Description

Mary Cassatt never thought leaving America and moving to Paris to pursue her artistic dreams would be easy. After her work is rejected from the Paris Salon, she begins to doubt whether her art is truly any good. Then one evening a friend introduces her to Edgar Degas and her life is changed forever. Robin Oliveira brilliantly re-creates the irresistible world of Belle epoque Paris, as she imagines a romance between two impressionist painters.

Reviews

"In smart and supple prose....Oliveira's lively work illuminates these ambitious artists and rings true in the way the best fiction can."--"The Seattle Times" "[This] book is accomplished and well-researched....Although sometimes [Degas and Cassatt] are completely alienated, they remain linked through their art and love."--"Kirkus" "[Oliveira]'s illuminating portrayals of the inner lives of artists--Cassatt, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet--are beautifully colored and as richly detailed as the paintings for which they are celebrated."--"The Chicago Tribune" "Oliveira has woven a rich tapestry of the artists's life in Belle Epoque Paris, in a close, intimate rendering."--"Library Journal" "Art lovers will fall for this story full of beautiful details about the world of the Impressionists in Belle Epoque Paris."--"Examiner.com" ""I Always Loved You" is a beautifully composed -- and extensively researched -- blend of art history, vintage travelogue and good storytelling."--"Dallas Morning News" "Emulating the powers of observation and expression possessed by the artists she so vividly and sensitively fictionalizes, Oliveira illuminates with piercing insight the churning psyches of her living-on-the-edge characters. This is a historically and aesthetically rich, complexly involving, and forthrightly sorrowful novel of the perilous, exhilarating, and world-changing lives of visionary artists breaking new ground and each other's hearts."--"Booklist"

Author description

Robin Oliveira is the "New York Times "bestselling author of "My Name Is Mary Sutter." She holds a BA in Russian and studied at the Pushkin Language Institute in Moscow. She received an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is also a registered nurse, specializing in critical care. She lives in Seattle, Washington.