Madame Sorel's Lodger

Name: Madame Sorel's Lodger
Brand: Findaway Voices
Availability: InStock
Author: Tracy Wise
ISBN: 9798218589974

Author: Tracy Wise

Narrator: Tracy Wise

Unabridged: 5 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Linnet Bird Publishing

Published: 02/04/2025

Categories: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction

Synopsis

A tormented artist arrives in a village in southern France to begin painting again. He stands before a house with blue shutters, hoping the change of scenery and brilliant colors of the countryside will calm the buzzing in his mind.Madame Sorel, a formidable widow, runs a respectable and orderly boarding house. She finds this artist puzzling. Weighed down with canvas, easel, and a sailcloth bag filled with brushes and paints, he hurries out in his shabby clothing each morning, leaving a trace of footprints on the dusty street. His presence stirs something in her, something held back for many years.Others in the village befriend the Artist, including Gretchen, the young housekeeper guided by her tender feelings for the painter, and Luc, the salt-of-the-earth farmer who hides his demons behind amiability and hard work. No one understands the Artist--what he sees, how he paints, or why he stays--and their confusion increases as he becomes increasing erratic, plagued by forces growing out of his control. As his time in the village hurtles toward a stunning, fateful end, all those touched by his visions are altered forever.A bold exploration of the encompassing drive of creativity, the power of art, and the bonds of community and friendship, MADAME SOREL'S LODGER explores what it means to follow or hide your heart and how these choices, in the end, are what make us human.

Reviews

Goodreads review by em on January 10, 2025

A quietly emotional book. Although the Artist is never mentioned by name, it becomes very clear as the book progresses that we are following the life of Vincent Van Gogh. I have been a fan of his art for as long as I can remember and seeing his artwork always invokes an emotional response. I adored......more

Goodreads review by Marie on February 22, 2025

Highest recommendation, *especially* if you're fascinated by this period in the life and art of the post-Impressionist artist on whom it's based, which it brings to life vividly and thoughtfully. This short novel is haunting and atmospheric, with deeply felt characters. Even though we all know the i......more

Goodreads review by Andrea on February 05, 2025

First of all, thank you LibraryThing, Type Eighteen Books, and Tracy Wise for an arc of this truly amazing story! I read a lot of books. In fact, last year I reached the top 10% of readers in Goodreads, for a total of 101 books read. With that being said, "Madame Sorel's Lodger, by Tracy Wise is one......more

Goodreads review by D. on February 04, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Rating: 3.5 stars. I almost DNF-ed this at about 40% of the way in because I did find myself growing bored. However, I stuck with it and at the 50% mark, I found it became much more interesting. Immediately, I found Tracy Wise's writing captivating (even while find......more

Goodreads review by Harvee on January 23, 2025

I enjoyed reading about the Artist who stays in a little French village called A-, at Madame Sorel's lodgings, gets up to paint all day in the fields overlooking a farm, and drinks at the nearby inn. The Artist is short of money, relies on his brother in Paris to send him funds. The Artist, who is s......more