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Mistress of the Ritz

A Novel
3.8 goodreads logo

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( 14,247 ratings, 1,749 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin is a historical fiction novel set in Paris during the Nazi occupation. It tells the story of Blanche Auzello, an American woman married to the French manager of the Ritz Hotel. As the hotel becomes a hub for German officers, Blanche navigates her complex relationship, risking everything to support the resistance movement from within the grandeur and danger of the Ritz.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5300

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy historical fiction set during World War II, featuring strong women defying societal expectations. It vividly brings to life the glamour and tension of Nazi-occupied Paris through the intriguing tale of an American woman and her unexpected role at the iconic Hotel Ritz.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A captivating novel based on the story of the extraordinary real-life American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II—while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Hotel Ritz in Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue.

"A compelling portrait of a marriage and a nation at war from within." —Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz; inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty. Favoured guests like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its famous doors to be welcomed and pampered by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel's director. The Auzellos are the mistress and master of the Ritz, allowing the glamour and glitz to take their minds off their troubled marriage, and off the secrets that they keep from their guests—and each other.

Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz. Suddenly, with the likes of Hermann Goering moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that entails even more secrets and lies. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For in order to survive—and strike a blow against their Nazi "guests"—Blanche and Claude must spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish.

But one secret is shared between Blanche and Claude alone—the secret that, in the end, threatens to imperil both of their lives, and to bring down the legendary Ritz itself.

Based on true events, Mistress of the Ritz is a taut tale of suspense wrapped up in a love story for the ages, the inspiring story of a woman and a man who discover the best in each other amid the turbulence of war.

Praise for Mistress of the Ritz

"No one writes of the complexities of women's lives and loves like Melanie Benjamin. In Mistress of the Ritz, Benjamin brings wartime Paris brilliantly to life. . . . Intense, illuminating, and ultimately inspiring!" —Elizabeth Letts, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Dorothy

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin is praised for its compelling portrayal of a marriage and a nation under the strain of war. The novel vividly brings wartime Paris to life, highlighting the moral dilemmas faced by those in Nazi-occupied France. Reviews commend Benjamin's meticulous research and the vibrant presence of historical figures, enhancing the engaging story of Blanche and Claude Auzello's complex lives intertwined with the French Resistance.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780399182266

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 May 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Bantam Dell Publishing Group, Div of Random House, Inc

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 201.0mm

Weight: 329g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Melanie Benjamin is the New York Times bestselling author of The Children's Blizzard, Mistress of the Ritz, The Girls in the Picture, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Aviator's Wife, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, and Alice I Have Been. Benjamin lives in Chicago, Illinois, where she is at work on her next historical novel.

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