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"'The Debutante' was my first foray into historical fiction, I wanted to do a story set in another time period but was contracted to write contemporary fiction at the time. So I constructed a story that moved between the two times. My inspiration was very obviously the famous Mitford sisters, who were legendary for their extreme political differences, wild love affairs, as well as their extraordinary way of speaking. Evelyn Waugh was besotted by their fantastically contrived, vivid use of language and so was I."
-Mover and Shaker Kathleen Tessaro
Brrrr we don't need to tell you baby it's cold outside! We suggested using this amazing lavender soap by Lothanique in the bath, and now we're telling you what to read in it. Reading a Kathleen Tessaro book is like filling up a huge antique bathtub with claw feet and having your English butler bring you a glass (or maybe even a bottle, opened) of champagne while you soak. Better yet, her books do not give you a hangover.
Santa, do listen because you'll want to put many of these away for stocking stuffers!
We have loved every book we've read by Kathleen so far, and she's one of our favorite novelists. You don't have to be one to love The Debutante, and the overlap with auctions (you can see we've published over 1,000 posts in Advantageous Auctions, many of which are from Bonhams in London) made this even more fun for us. This time the auction house is Deveraux and Diplock, Valuers and Auctioneers of Quality (see, she even "gets" us in the quality aspect.) Emma Grant, you will be pleased to know that the auction door is propped open by a Chinese ebony figure of a small pug dog. As in typical Tessaro style, the characters are intriguing and classy and definitely the protagonist is the kind of person you want to befriend. Totally relatable, Cate will win you over straightaway especially if you once escaped New York for England. Beyond that alone, a character even receives long white calla lilies with a card that reads: "With Deepest Sympathy For Your Shoe" - yes, Kathleen speaks our language. Even Zandra Rhodes and her dresses are mentioned and we met her earlier this year at the Met's Costume Press Preview....
As you may know we are obsessed with chandeliers-we love the description here:
"The vast lobby of the Victoria and Albert Museum was a mixture of classical marble architecture and sleek modern interiors; a winding, undulating Chihuly chandelier hung over the information desk; azure and emerald glass twisting in long serpent tentacles like an aquatic, faceless Medusa." (p. 125)
We also LOVE the National Portrait Gallery and even more so now that we've met Alistair Morrison and Kathleen does another beautiful descriptive job with that on page 167:
"The National Portrait Gallery was not as daunting as its neighbor, the National Gallery. It was smaller, narrow; less all-encompassing. Room after room of famous faces wound upwards in a meandering sprawl, in every conceivable style, from Tudor portraits to modern paintings, photographs and sketches. All tastes were catered for- royalty, celebrities, statesmen, woman and men of the arts and sciences, politicians and film stars. They gazed out, some confident, others defiant or self-deprecating, still others oblivious and unaware. It was a complex record of centuries of shifting social standards and fashions; of accomplishments, controversy, self-promotion, heroism, humility; unfolding in an ever expanding Vanity Fair."
The conflicts and how they unwind we will not reveal, however be prepared to be entertained, and also be aware you may be a bit of a bath prune before you reach the conclusion! You will not mind that however, as tales as great as this are not on every bookstore shelf. Page 261 has some nice passages on forgiveness and insightfulness on mistressness is found on page 302. The reality of the characters is striking, and each will touch you. Don't you want to know why he was so quick to hand her the car keys? Get your Christmas shopping done, and make a date with this book!
Whom You Know Highly Recommends The Debutante!
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She brought us Elegance, Innocence, and The Flirt—and now the exceptional Kathleen Tessaro takes contemporary women’s fiction to new heights with The Debutante. The story of a troubled New York artist transplanted to London, where she gets drawn into the strange, secret history of a notorious debutante from the previous century, Tessaro’s novel is a mystery combined with a love story within a poignant tale of a modern young woman’s self-discovery—and readers of Jane Green, Anna Maxted, and Marian Keyes will take it deep into their hearts.
Can the secrets of one woman's past change another woman's future?
A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt's auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet.
Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation . . . and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby's tragic life story—a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own.
