Author Description

Review "A novel that has as many layers as a beautiful renaissance painting...and is as enthralling. From 16th century Florence in the grasp of perilous dynastic and artistic rivalries to WWII France where a handful of intrepid employees scramble to keep the Louvre's masterpieces from Nazi hands, The Stolen Lady takes readers on a vicarious journey centered on art, courage, and how each can inspire the other. It's a lesson as timeless as Mona Lisa's mysterious smile." --Sophie Perinot, author of Medici's Daughter"In a brilliantly written narrative that deftly cuts back and forth between the 15th and the 20th centuries...I am left with an affirmation of the crucial importance of art to a culture and the power of individual action." --Frances Mayes, New York Times bestselling author Product Description [ MP3CD Format ]From the acclaimed author of The Night Portrait comes a stunning historical novel about two women, separated by five hundred years, who each hide Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa -- with unintended consequences.France, 1939. At the dawn of World War II, Anne Guichard, a young archivist employed at the Louvre, arrives home to find her brother missing. While she works to discover his whereabouts, refugees begin flooding into Paris and German artillery fire rattles the city. Once they reach the city, the Nazis will stop at nothing to get their hands on the Louvre's art collection. Anne is quickly sent to the Castle of Chambord, where the Louvre's most precious artworks -- including the Mona Lisa -- are being transferred to ensure their safety. With the Germans hard on their heels, Anne frantically moves the Mona Lisa and other treasures again and again in an elaborate game of hide and seek. As the threat to the masterpieces and her life grows closer, Anne also begins to learn the truth about her brother and the role he plays in this dangerous game.Florence, 1479. House servant Bellina Sardi's future seems fixed when she accompanies her newly mar