Book Talk

I have been immersed in the art world during these cold winter months and have some books to share--

The Hare with Amber Eyes is a family memoir where the author traces an inherited set of Japanese netsukes back through the generations to their original owners. On the way he discovers (and reveals) the art world of nineteenth-century Paris, the turmoil of Odessa, the final days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and a family's trials during World War II. The author's family was one of the wealthiest Jewish families in Europe and it was interesting to follow their story.
I then moved on to The Lake of Dreams. This book is set in the finger lakes region of New York and tells the story of a young woman who uncovers her family's hidden past beginning with some old letters and scraps of fabric that she finds in her family home. Connected to these documents are a series of stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes dominated by strong women. The descriptions of glass blowing and the creation of the windows are beautiful.


Finally, I read Clara and Mr. Tiffany, which took me into the Tiffany Studios and the world of the Art Nouveau. This was an interesting story focused on a recent discovery that many of Tiffany's designs--the lamps in particular--were actually designed and created by women. The author does a wonderful job of bringing robber barons, sweatshops, and the tenements of New York during the Gilded Age to life. I enjoyed the women's perspective.


I still have Steve Martin's new book, The Object of Beauty, sitting on my "library shelf." This book takes place at Sotheby's, and I've heard good things about it.

I didn't set out to read a series of books on art, but I am so glad this group of books ended up on my shelf. Have you read anything great lately? I'm always on the hunt for some good books.