The Lost Woman: A Historical WWII novel of Art, Love, and Resistance
The Lost Woman: A Historical WWII novel of Art, Love, and Resistance
Paris, 1940. Nicole Cassin is a Jewish teenager living above her family’s art gallery when the Nazis occupy the city. Overnight, everything is taken: her home, her security, her future, and Nicole is forced to grow up fast. As Paris sinks deeper into fear and suspicion, she is drawn into the Resistance and into a world where a whispered name or a single painting can mean the difference between freedom and tragedy.
Decades later in New York, Nicole—widowed and running out of time—receives a letter that upends the life she has spent years trying to build. Determined to reclaim her family’s legacy, she hires Robert, an art historian with ties to the wartime efforts to save Europe’s cultural treasures, to trace the fate of her parents’ stolen collection, including a portrait of her mother painted by Picasso.
What begins as a search for lost paintings becomes something far more dangerous. Robert’s investigation leads into a shadowy network of collaborators, ex-Nazis, and art dealers, where fortunes were made in the ruins of war, and where the truth about Nicole’s past has been waiting, buried in plain sight.
Early Reviewers Love this Poignant and Touching WW2 Historical Fiction Novel
***** "Karen is a master of writing, with her descriptions and narratives flowing as smoothly as a gentle stream — a contrast to the turbulent times she is describing, the brutal occupation of Paris by the Nazis." — Goodreads Reviewer
***** "I cannot imagine how the heart would feel ripped out… Nicola was so unwavering in her strength. Her grit bowled me over — not only in how she survived her past but also the path she was determined to fulfil in her present. The world she lived in was harrowing. Her need to keep fighting was so powerful to read… The ripple of that time for so many should never be forgotten. This was a stunning reminder of that." — NetGalley Reviewer
***** "Tears may be shed and at times, breaks from reading may be needed; at least this happened to me. However, overall, The Lost Woman was well defined, giving what I feel this work of historical fiction deserves — a satisfactory 'well done!'" — Goodreads Reviewer
***** "I love a WWII story that is well researched and makes me feel as if I am there… emotional, struggles, friendship, and pulling together. A well researched story can also teach us history. Loved this story!" — NetGalley Reviewer
***** "The two timelines seamlessly weave around each other… Karen brought it to life. I read it like I could truly picture it, and this only made the hits hit harder and the story feel like it could be someone's own. One particular painting of her mother made my own heart ache for her." — NetGalley Reviewer
***** "A strong female character living and enduring hardships during WWII under Nazi occupation… The hunt for the lost art and the start of a new romance create drama and mystery to keep the book exciting to the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, dual-timelines, and romance." — Goodreads Reviewer
Perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Postmistress of Paris.