I enjoyed the book, even though I am definitely not what I would call an art aficionado (I know a tiny bit about art and mostly just fall into into the “I know what I like” camp).

The early years of the war as seen through the eyes of (mostly) the Parisian art world is both fascinating and repellent. However, it has to be said that large portions of the book have absolutely nothing to do with our esteemed art spy, Rose Valland. She is, in fact, mentioned far less frequently than you would expect, for a book that is ostensibly about her.

To anyone who is a student of history, it will come as no surprise that in many ways the war was an excuse for thievery on a massive scale. Most of this book is given over to describing the sheer scale and audacity of the looting. Rose Valland played a crucial and courageous role in documenting as much of this chicanery as possible, which required her to remain in a very dangerous and highly visible position for the duration of the war. Her actions contributed significantly towards the eventual investigations into the looted art and led to recovery / reparations and prosecution in at least some cases.

The one issue I have with the book is that most of it isn’t actually about Rose; she’s rarely even mentioned until the book is halfway through, and even after that she is not much in evidence until the very end. Considering the fact that much of this book was written based off of Rose’s own records and correspondence and she clearly was not one to record her intimate thoughts or feelings, this is understandable. To be frank, however, if the book is supposed to be about her, it should be centered more upon her, and it may have been a good idea to glean information from additional sources in order to make that possible. As it is she is barely mentioned when compared to, for example, her boss Jacques Jaujard.

The latter is definitely worth mentioning, but the book isn’t supposed to be about him. Rose was in terrible danger and in extreme duress for the duration of the war, but the way this book is written does not at all convey that. The book is written in such a way that it distances her from events that she was clearly in the midst of, making it seem as though she was merely an observer. Because the source material for the book is largely Rose’s own notes and correspondence, and she wrote very little of any personal value, even Rose’s partner is barely mentioned in the book in spite of the fact that she stayed in Paris with Rose for the duration of the war, with the exception of a period during which she was imprisoned by the Germans. Only in the closing pages of the book does the reader gain any meaningful insight into Rose’s thoughts or emotions.

The book is fascinating, and I learned a lot about a facet of the war that I had previously known only a little about; I would definitely recommend it, with the caveat that any reader understand that it is less about Rose Valland and more a general discussion of the actions the Nazis and their collaborators took during the Second World War as it concerns the art world.

4.5⭐️

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

THE ART SPY

If you’re looking for a true story about a strong, intelligent, and independent woman, The Art Spy is an excellent choice. Rose Valland loved art. Her whole life, starting with an excellent education from the École des Beaux-Arts School in Lyon, to working as an underpaid curator at the avant-garde Jeu de Palme Museum, prepared her for her greatest challenge: protecting Paris artwork from the Nazi pilfering and destruction during WWII.

Unassuming and nondescript, Valland worked throughout the occupation side by side with high level Nazi officials, providing administrative help at the Jeu de Palme museum. This access allowed her considerable opportunities to monitor and track all art movement done by the Germans. After the war she was very instrumental in returning stolen artwork to the rightful owners.

Her efforts are beautifully woven into a highly detailed background of the Parisian art world during Nazi occupation. Artwork of a modern style was considered degenerate, large private family collections were confiscated, and museum collections were moved to Germany for “safekeeping”. Owners and dealers of valuable pieces attempted to hide their treasures from the invading forces. Rose’s low profile approach, ingenuity, and genuine love of art enabled her to accomplish a truly remarkable service to Paris and the world of art in general.

Well written and fascinating to read, The Art Spy is well researched with extensive notes, bibliography, and photos. I would like to thank NetGalley, Michelle Young, and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fascinating story that the author tells well. I can see this being a big hit with our patrons. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

The Art Spy is a great book! It has many interesting details about the war and the art in Paris and Europe. I recommend this book to anyone interested in any of the topics or just looking for a good read!

Rose Valland was an educated art historian and unpaid curator at the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris tagged to preserve and protect the art there and anywhere in Paris. This is a very detailed and appropriately documented history of the art issues in France and Europe, focusing on her involvement, from the early 1930s onward. There are also many vignettes of several well-known artists and protectors of art.
Personally, I prefer a print copy so I can appreciate the photographs (interspersed throughout) better. Pub Date May 13, 2025
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-proof from HarperOne via NetGalley.
#TheArtSpy by @michelleyoungwriter @harpercollins @harperonebooks *****review
#WWIIFrenchResistance #RoseValland #bookstagram #book #booklover #reading #bookworm #bookish #read #bookaddict #booknerd #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #instabook #love #bookshelf #bookreview #reader #nonfiction #bookrecommendations #booklovers #bookcommunity #booklove #bookaholic #art #bookphotography

Many of us have read (or seen the George Clooney movie) “The Monuments Men” about art trained soldiers sent into WWII Europe by FDR to identify and salvage artistic and historic items to hopefully protect them from being destroyed by advancing Allied troops. What we’ve not heard about is that in Paris, a brave woman named Rose Valland worked tirelessly to protect or at least to record tens of thousands of art pieces that the Nazis were confiscating and sending to Germany for “safe keeping”. While we don’t usually associate art protection with heroes, if you think of what pieces might not exist for us today to enjoy viewing at various famous galleries/museums around the world, we should appreciate that she at times risked her life to protect what many love.
Some mind blowing facts: ~ 100k works of art were stolen from France alone with ~650k from all of Europe and nearly 70k French homes were seized and looted of art, furniture, glassware, and jewelry. After the war, Valland and her team restituted more than 61k pieces, however today more than 100k pieces are still unaccounted for.
I wish I’d retained more from my first semester Art History class so I could’ve envisioned a greater number of these masterpieces and masters they referenced, but I recalled – or have seen since – enough that I realized the tremendous importance of what she was protecting. A fascinating read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Art Spy combines spycraft, art and history into one masterpiece! The heroine of the story is Rose Valland, an educated art historian and unpaid curator at the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris. Rose takes a position as unpaid secretary/volunteer, which isn’t a pathway to curator, just to be near the art she loves. She is given more responsibilities than those in her position, and she will assume the duties of curator during World War II. Art is her life, and this quiet and unassuming woman will become art’s most passionate defender.

While everyone was fleeing Paris, Rose was determined to stay behind to protect the art that she felt was a reminder of the beauty in the world and humanity’s capacity for creation. Realistically what could she do by herself with a skeleton crew of two guards and a fire brigadier against German troops? Yet quiet and reserved Rose fooled the Nazi’s into thinking she was a nobody, not important enough to notice and too serious to be friends with. While she is irksome to some and there is an order to make Rose “disappear,” Rose joins the resistance and does her utmost to document and thwart the art treasures being stolen or destroyed. After the war, Rose used her meticulous documentation in war tribunals, and her team was responsible for the restitution of more than 61,000 works of art.

The author seamlessly weaves current events (history to us) into Rose’s daily life, giving the reader a thorough understanding of the challenges she faced. The story of Alexandre Rosenberg is also interwoven into the story, with an astonishing reason you will have to read for yourself.

Fascinating and thrilling story of one amazing woman!

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

Booking my ticket to Paris now!

I want to take The Art Spy walking-tour - admire the works of art in the Jeu de Paume, see all the paintings in the Louvre that were saved by the main character in this book, and marvel at how much happened in this city that seems to be mostly forgotten to the many tourists who visit.

There is no such walking tour?! I'm hoping Michelle Young will host a pop-up when her book is published - I'll be first in line!

Art Spy is a fact-filled account of a little-known (at least to the general public) member of the French resistance, Rose Valland. The book meticulously details efforts during WWII to save priceless works of art, it is a wonder to think about how much research the author put in to get this level of detail.

The only place it fell flat for me was that I was hoping for more of a character-driven story, a more narrative non-fiction, because the glimpses that we got of Rose Valland were really fascinating, but they were only sprinkled in amongst the incredibly detailed comings and goings of pieces of art.

The Art Spy might be best described as a non-fiction thriller, which is still well worth your time if you like a historical account of the art world.

Great book! I was expecting this to be focused on just Rose's journey through WWII as a curator and spy in Paris. Instead I was surprised as I started reading that other characters were included including the Rosenbergs and some of the higher Nazi official involved in the art heist. Despite having read others books on this topic, I still learned new things about Rose as a person and about the lengths the resistance went to document and prevent the looting of some of the largest culture pieces of western civilization

The tale of a young woman who knew what she wanted to do with her life. Throughout her career she was dismissed because she was female. She also used that to her advantage knowing that many people just could not imagine a middle-aged woman as the driving force behind the safekeeping of art entrusted to the French museums. From day one she kept a meticulous inventory of all the art in the Jeu de Paume museum both internally and where it was hidden during the German occupation. The inventory was instrumental in the art being returned to France after WWII.

It was a far more fascinating read than expected.

The Art Spy is a factual retelling of the Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland by Michelle Young. While not a novel, it almost read like one due to the amazing events of her life. The story also weaves in the efforts of other art dealers and historians, particularly Paul Rosenberg and his son Alexandre, who were friends with many of the great early 20th century painters. I highly recommend this book for any WWII or art enthusiast. It will make my next trip to Paris more interesting as well, as I look for the sights of where many of these extraordinary happenings took place.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

Michelle Young's fascinating World War II account of Rose Valland, one-time caretaker and curator of Paris's Jeu de Paume Museum, is a must-read. When Nazis overtook the Jea de Paume in the wake of the occupation of Paris, Valland courageously remained a stalwart guardian of the museum, and, acting as a spy, kept meticulous records of the artwork the Nazis were confiscating from personal collections all over France. Later in the post-war years, she became one of the Monuments Men and Women who worked tirelessly to track down and rescue looted art in order to return it to its owners. Michelle Young paints a thoroughly engrossing and detailed portrait of Rose, taking readers on a thrilling ride through Rose's clever spy maneuvers within the museum as she outwitted the Nazis time and time again. The glimpses of Rose's personal life are poignant and, at times, tragic, as she and her decade-long partner Joyce face wartime dangers and the trials of living in occupied Paris. Young's writing is filled with page-turning suspense, action, and surprises, and Rose's real-life story is even more compelling than fiction. Michelle Young gives a masterful recounting of Rose's wartime years and the pivotal role she played in rescuing countless priceless works of art. Histories about the Monuments Women are sorely lacking, and this book will find a grateful audience among readers looking for more information about the remarkable women, like Rose, who worked in the realm of art restitution. Perfect for art lovers and World War II history buffs alike, this is a compelling, fast-paced read that's not to be missed.