The Sculptress

By: V.S. Alexander

Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

May 1917: The elegant streets of Boston are thousands of miles away from the carnage of the Western Front. Yet even here, amid the clatter of horse-drawn carriages and automobiles, it is impossible to ignore the war raging across Europe. Emma Lewis Swan's husband, Tom, has gone to France, eager to do his duty as a surgeon. Emma, a sculptress, has stayed behind, pursuing her art despite being dismissed by male critics. On the bustling sidewalk she spies a returned soldier. His brutally scarred face inspires first pity, and then something more - a determination to use her skill to make masks for disfigured soldiers.

Leaving Boston for France also means leaving behind Linton Bower, a fiery, gifted artist determined to win her. Emma's union with Tom has been steady yet passionless, marred by guilt over a choice she made long ago. In Paris, she crafts intricate, lifelike masks to restore these wounded men to the world. But in the course of her new career she will encounter one man who compels her to confront the secret she's never revealed, not even to Tom. Only by casting off the façade she has worn for so long can she pursue a path through heartbreak and turmoil toward her own unexpected future....

©2021 Michael Meeske (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Narrator takes some getting used to

I almost quit on this one.

The narration was hard to appreciate. It reminded me of old radio programs where there was a narrator and actors for the dialogue. You know back before film.

I don’t know if I just got used to the narrator’s cadence and sing-song pitch, or if the story pulled me in after a few chapters, maybe she got better and found her way? It is likely a combination of all.

Possible spoiler for some: When we found out about the antagonist it was not a character that you knew enough about to care that it was them. It wasn’t someone you could love or hate. Overall the book has great potential, but seems like it needed some more development.

Life and Art in the days of WWI

TW: Suicide, abortion, combat

Inspired by the true life story of wartime sculptress, Anna Coleman Ladd, and the literary figure, Madame Bovary, V. S. Alexander introduces readers to Bostonian Emma Lewis, “of the Lewis tea fortune,” in this sweeping and dramatic WWI story.

Emma is a talented artist with an icy, overbearing mother preoccupied with status. Her father dotes on her and encourages her talent but dies suddenly. Grieving and yearning for freedom and true love, Emma experiences much heartache with men who are selfish and brusque; one leaves her pregnant and abandoned, another chooses the war effort in France during their marriage, yet another uses her to hide his own secrets.

Focusing on her art in the most difficult of times, Emma’s talent flourishes as a sculptress but the male dominated scene pays no attention. Frustrated and tempted to seek comfort outside her marriage, Emma heads to France to reunite with her estranged husband. Finding her purpose constructing masks for disfigured soldiers, Emma vows to overcome rumors of infidelity and be the wife she knows she can be. However, when past actions and regrets haunt and threaten her resolve, Emma finally liberates herself from the “black stain” of her previous selfish decisions.

Wrought with tense confrontations, vivid and graphic in its details at times, the story is engaging while asking the reader to delve into the ideas of forgiveness, letting go of the past, and finding the inner strength to do both.

The exploration of social issues in the early 1900s during WWI (hooray for something other than WW2 HF) such as pre-marital sex, cheating, society and its materialism, women’s roles in the home and in art, abortion, and war shows how well researched the timeframe of the book is.

My only criticism is that, the draw of the book, Emma’s skills as a sculptress and her work making face masks for wounded troops, isn’t focused on enough. We read more about her romantic escapades and her pining for her first love, Kurt, more than anything.

Overall, the book is extremely enjoyable and deserves recommendations for book clubs and other fans of historical fiction surrounding art and/or war.

WOW JUST WOW!!!

WOW JUST WOW!!!!! VS Alexander's writing is stunningly beautiful. This story was raw, emotional, and felt real. The main character may not always be likeable but she is very much relatable. Emma is a wide eyed young lady at the beginning of the book. But naïve decisions set her on a path of duty and longlines. She becomes a woman with a sense of meaning and reasonability. Another must read by VS Alexander.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen did a great job bringing this books to life.

Great Listen!

The Sculptress by V. S. Alexander pulled me in from the very beginning. I have been drawn to period listens and this one appealed to me. Thank you #NetGalley for letting me listen to an early copy, I enjoyed it so much that I purchased the book for myself. The author wrote some vivid descriptions and created characters with compassion. I loved how the main character wanted to give wounded warriors some confidence in their scarred appearance. Sarah Mollo-Christensen performance was excellent. She inflicted the right emotions in her voice and brought characters to life.

Really enjoyed this story.

This book kept me intrigued the whole way through. I wish there was a sequel to it!

Shocked this is V.S. Alexander

I loved the previous books I’ve read by V.S. Alexander. The Magdalen Girls, The Taster and The Irishman’s Daughter were excellent. Frankly, I’m shocked this is the same author as The Sculptress is just not good - at all. It started off bad, but I kept reading - thinking it had to get better because the others are so great. I was wrong and this book was unfortunately just bad to the end. The characters are shallow people . . . I had a hard time connecting with or rooting for any of them. The dialog and storyline bazaar most of the time and the narrator was painful to listen to. It was a bit better when I sped up the recording, but honestly this is very disappointing in almost every way. Definitely recommend her other books, but skip this one for sure!

Not worth it

I never review books. But had to comment on this one. The reviews are so misleading. The performance may be the problem, as it’s terrible! But the storyline is so hard to get into. It’s juvenile and the main character is ridiculous. I thought I would enjoy the story, but there’s no depth to the characters and no flow to it. Very disappointing. I’m sorry to say I wasted a credit.