This is a haunting story of a father and son, war, lost art, and one kickass museum curator. It's also about the emotions around art.
Daniel Berenzon is an art dealer. More than that, he loves art and holds his son to impossible standards as they rehearse the paintings that have passed through the gallery. But then World War II comes, Paris falls, and they must go into hiding. When they return, all of the art is gone--even what was hidden in underground vaults and kept in bank vaults.
And so the son begins to desperately hunt--to find what happened to the art and to the friends. Meanwhile, there is the shadowy figure of Rose, a woman he loved and who was his father's apprentice. During the occupation, she was able to become invisible and kept impeccable records--of what was looted and where it was sent.
It's one of those books I'll be thinking about for days, especially the ending. I've seen the documentary on the Monuments Men and read some about the current issues of wartime provenance in art museums. But this is an infinitely more accessible way of telling the story--a story we really need to know (especially in light of the much more recent looting of the Iraq museums).
Beautifully written, but there were a few small annoyances. However, my copy is an ARC, so I trust that they've been fixed in the final edition.
Highly recommended to all who enjoy stories of WWII, art, museums, history. And, of course, kickass museum curators.