Books Inc. Berkeley proudly welcomes not one but TWO incredible authors for a literary evening of conversation and readings.
Join us for a celebration of Bryn Turnbull's The Paris Deception and Logan Steiner's After Anne!
The Paris Deception:
From internationally bestselling author Bryn Turnbull comes a breathtaking novel about art theft and forgery in Nazi-occupied Paris, and two brave women who risk their lives rescuing looted masterpieces from Nazi destruction.
Sophie Dix fled Stuttgart with her brother as the Nazi regime gained power in Germany. Now, with her brother gone and her adopted home city of Paris conquered by the Reich, Sophie reluctantly accepts a position restoring damaged art at the Jeu de Paume museum under the supervision of the ERR--a German art commission using the museum as a repository for art they've looted from Jewish families.
Fabienne Brandt was a rising star in the Parisian bohemian arts movement until the Nazis put a stop to so-called "degenerate" modern art. Still mourning the loss of her firebrand husband, she's resolved to muddle her way through the occupation in whatever way she can--until her estranged sister-in-law, Sophie, arrives at her door with a stolen painting in hand.
Soon the two women embark upon a plan to save Paris's "degenerates," working beneath the noses of Germany's top art connoisseurs to replace the paintings in the Jeu de Paume with skillful forgeries--but how long can Sophie and Fabienne sustain their masterful illusion?
"Turnbull effectively combines fascinating background on winemaking and art restoration and forgery with plenty of wartime suspense and some appealing dollops of romance. This will be a page-turning delight for anyone who loves tales of women in the resistance, especially Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale (2015)." --Booklist
"The Paris Deception deceives, intrigues, and enthralls! Two desperate women--one a runaway painter hell-bent on escaping the defunct champagne house of her upbringing, the other a wallflower art restorer at a Parisian museum--cook up an audacious scheme as the Nazis take over France: smuggle 'degenerate' modern art destined for a bonfire out of the city, and substitute forgeries in its place. Bryn Turnbull's best book yet!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
"Another unforgettable novel from Bryn Turnbull! The Paris Deception is a powerful, page-turning tale of two extraordinary heroines who risk their lives rescuing stolen masterpieces during the Nazi occupation of Paris. A stunning read!" --Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Our Last Days in Barcelona
"A tense and thrilling tale of wartime art thefts, the bond of friendship and lost loves. 1940s Paris is as exquisitely rendered as the stunning paintings Sophie and Fabienne risk their lives to protect. The stakes are high and the plot crackling - and the two women at the centre of the story have the kind of heart, courage and compassion that makes you cheer for them and worry for them in equal measure as they try to outwit the Nazis and save dozens of priceless paintings. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough." --Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan
"Bryn Turnbull has such a gorgeous way of writing and her details of the art world, especially during WWII, were nothing short of a masterpiece in their own right. The Paris Deception is a story of incredible bravery as two women use clever tactics and incredible talent to save priceless art from being looted. Art enthusiasts and historical fiction readers alike will be drawn into this powerful story." --Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London
"The Paris Deception is a moving and intimate look at two sisters-in-law whose friendship has fractured as the Second World War exacts its catastrophic moral, physical and emotional toll. In devising a way to save modern masterpieces of art stolen from Jewish owners, Sophie and Fabienne must overcome the pain of the past and combine their strengths as restorer and painter to deceive the Nazis and pull off an impressive heist of their own. Another thought-provoking, impressively researched and richly realized work from one of Canada's best historical fiction authors." --Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society
"Evocative and compelling, Bryn Turnbull's The Paris Deception is a story of two women fighting to save not only artistic masterpieces from the Nazis, but also the freedom of thought, celebration of beauty, and new ideas represented in their paint and canvas. Fraught with the complications of love, the nuance of friendship, and the moral ramifications of resistance to tyranny, this is a fresh and fascinating tale. Historical fiction fans will love this book." --Kristin Beck, author of The Winter Orphans
"The Paris Deception is an engrossing tale filled with art, intrigue, and champagne. Turnbull has gifted readers with a complex heroine they can't help cheering for in the end." --Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms
Bryn Turnbull is the internationally bestselling author of The Woman Before Wallis. With a master of letters in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews, a master of professional communication from Toronto Metropolitan University and a bachelor's degree in English literature from McGill University, Bryn focuses on finding stories of women lost within the cracks of the historical record. She lives in Toronto.
After Anne:
A stunning and unexpected portrait of Lucy Maud Montgomery, creator of one of literature's most prized heroines, whose personal demons were at odds with her most enduring legacy--the irrepressible Anne of Green Gables.
"Dear old world," she murmured, "you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you." --L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908
As a young woman, Maud had dreams bigger than the whole of Prince Edward Island. Her exuberant spirit had always drawn frowns from her grandmother and their neighbors, but she knew she was meant to create, to capture and share the way she saw the world. And the young girl in Maud's mind became more and more persistent: Here is my story, she said. Here is how my name should be spelled--Anne with an "e."
But the day Maud writes the first lines of Anne of Green Gables, she gets a visit from the handsome new minister in town, and soon faces a decision: forge her own path as a spinster authoress, or live as a rural minister's wife, an existence she once called "a synonym for respectable slavery." The choice she makes alters the course of her life.
With a husband whose religious mania threatens their health and happiness at every turn, the secret darkness that Maud herself holds inside threatens to break through the persona she shows to the world, driving an ever-widening wedge between her public face and private self, and putting her on a path towards a heartbreaking end.
Beautiful and moving, After Anne reveals Maud's hidden personal challenges while celebrating what was timeless about her life and art--the importance of tenacity and the peaceful refuge found in imagination.
"AFTER ANNE, Logan Steiner takes up the tale of the story behind the story--the life story of the brilliant and complex woman who gave the world ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Steiner writes with evident love for her character, an impressive command of the history, and lush language that conjures the gentle sunshine and floral scented breezes of Prince Edward Island. Readers will delight in entering Maud's world and learning of the heart and mind of this heroine."
-- Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST
"AFTER ANNE is imbued with the love of an author for her character -- both on and off the page. Logan Steiner made me want to scurry right back to revisit the Anne of Green Gables books, as well as delve into every one of L.M. Montgomery's journals."
-- Sarah Miller, author of MARMEE
"After Anne is the never-told story behind one of literature's most enduring characters. Logan Steiner's beautifully written tale of the triumphs and tragedies of L. Maud Montgomery is a captivating read for anyone who grew up wishing they could adventure around Avonlea with Anne of Green Gables."
-- Sarah James, internationally bestseller author of The Woman with Two Shadows
In this outstanding debut, Logan Steiner delivers a moving, richly detailed and nuanced portrayal of a deeply fascinating woman. Steiner, with a loving hand, lifts the veil of L.M. Montgomery to give us a glimpse of Maud, her strength, her struggles, her quiet courage navigating life as both an ambitious author and a loving friend, wife and mother. Steiner's extensive research is evident not only in the facts but in the complex emotional tapestry she weaves. Anne of Green Gables fans will sure to delight in this book, but so will any fans of interesting, complicated and clever women. -- Brianna Labuskes, author of THE LIBRARIAN OF BURNED BOOKS
This debut is unexpected in all the best ways. It is a book for everyone. The writing is deep and powerful, charming and moving. I found myself highlighting a sentence on nearly every page, knowing I would go back to reread and apply the words to my own life. Steiner understood Maud's voice and executed it beautifully. She created a world that intertwined fact and fiction in a way that I believe Lucy Maud Montgomery herself would proud of. -- Ali Dean, USA Today bestselling author
After Anne is a deeply thoughtful and moving novel about Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author whose imagination and ambition created the unforgettable Anne of Green Gables. With extensive research, compassion and honesty, Steiner paints a nuanced portrait of a woman who triumphed in her professional life despite deeply personal struggles and in a society that expected so much less than she longed to give. A tragic story that also manages to inspire and uplift as we root for Montgomery and celebrate her beloved place in literature. -- Melissa Payne, bestselling author of A Light in the Forest
An exquisite tribute to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the revered author who gave us so much scope for imagination. After Anne is for fans who long to know the woman behind Anne Shirley's story. Get ready, this book will break your heart in the most splendid ways. -- Sarah McCoy, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables
LOGAN STEINER is a litigator and brief-writing specialist at a boutique law firm. She graduated summa cum laude from Pomona College and cum laude from Harvard Law School. She lives in Denver with her husband and daughter. After Anne is her first novel.
