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.

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!

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