Although not outstanding literature, it was still a pleasant book to read. The characters could have been better developed.

The location of Chicago, a place close to my heart, Louisiana, and then Paris all set up this book to be intriguing. What could these places have in common? The answer is Claire Broussard. She grew up in Louisiana with her drunk father until she is taken in by her grandmother, Mammaw. Her life was not easy; she lost her mother in a horrific accident, and was very restless. Going to college in Chicago she thought she had moved away yet always felt the pull to go home. Finally her Mammaw, on her death bed, makes her promise to go to Paris promising her that there is adventure and secrets to be found. Claire lived an adventurous life. Some of those adventures were not enjoyable for her but they were her life. I was invested in Claire and her happiness. I knew she deserved it but she just couldn’t seem to find the right place for it to be found.

I adored her family in Louisiana and how they took her back into their lives when she moved back home to say goodbye to her Mammaw. They also supported her trip to Paris and kept in contact with her during her travels. The letters she sent back to her Uncle Remy were true to what was going on in her Paris life, sometimes telling more than the actions of her life were showing. I felt these letters were showing her real feelings even when Claire was doubting herself.

L’Inconnue de la Seine’s, The Unknown Woman of the Seine, story was eerie. A young girl left with no one. She turned to modeling and became a muse to the man who saved her from starving. I felt like she was slave like. She couldn’t leave without his permission, he abused her, and he thought he was treating her well. The fear and compassion I felt for her made her so real to me. I wanted her to escape, get away from the artist, blaze her own path of happiness.

Letters from Paris is a sad story with lots of love, family, and so many secrets. Juliet Blackwell did an amazing job making the artist world along with Paris come to life for her readers. Upon finishing the book I just sat back and thought about how wonderful it would be to visit such a beautiful city.

"After surviving the accident that took her mother’s life, Claire Broussard has worked hard to escape her small Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something is lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago, Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she unearths a beautiful piece of artwork that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II.

At her grandmother’s urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the century-old mask-making atelier where the object, known only as “L’Inconnue”—or The Unknown Woman—was created. Under the watchful eye of a surly mask-maker, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offers insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art. As Claire explores the unknown woman’s tragic fate, she begins to unravel deeply buried secrets in her own life."

While I know Juliet Blackwell mainly for her cozy mysteries I've been highly encouraged by many people I know to pick up this series. There might have been shoving it in my face...