The Muse - Jessie Burton
Believable characters - that is one of the qualities that a great book has. Our protagonist here in The Muse almost makes me believe that I read her narrations in an accent apt to her Trinidad homeland. Odelle Bastien is a bright writer born in Trinidad who comes to London like many others in the 1960's to search for the dream. Her dream? To be a published writer. Instead she finds herself working in a shoe store for five years, struggling to gain an opportunity that is not biased by her skin tone. As fate would have it, she gets admin job at the Skelton Institute via the incredibly enigmatic Marjorie Quick. The book lightly touches on the racial challenges that Odelle deals with at that time, but more as to accentuate her and Quick as contrasting characters than for any other reason.
Spiked with art related history in 1930's, this one may appeal to the fans of Picasso, having much of the books' story line set in the time of his popularity and the place of his birth - beautiful Malaga, on the Andalusian coast of Spain.
I was genuinely surprised - not an easy feat! - at the plot twist at the end. Author of the Miniaturist, Jessie Burton spell bounds with a fast developing plot and a refreshingly unconventional protagonist.
*Book sponsored by Pan Macmillan
*Book sponsored by Pan Macmillan
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