Sunday, October 4, 2009

Book Review: Vanished Smile

Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa by R.A. Scotti.

Another library find--it was out in the New Books section & looked moderately interesting--and caught my attention because, after all, it is about the Mona Lisa, and I hadn't realized it ever was stolen (it was in 1911; security was amazingly lax).

I got sucked in pretty quickly when I started reading. Scotti is good at sketching times, places, and people so that they feel vital and immediate.

I looked on the back and realized she'd also written Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's, which was another unexpected find a while back. I didn't have the sense, then, to check to see what else she'd written. Now, Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 is on the hold shelf for me (I love libraries!).

I shall be keeping an eye out for her books.

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