August 15, 2023
Alice Atherton, a fictional 10-year-old, visits real-life American expatriates Sara and Gerald Murphy in Antibes--and meets luminaries such as Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway. Simple yet elegant text immediately sets the time and place: New York, 1927. Stuck in the stuffy parlor, Alice fantasizes about playing outside in the snow instead of listening to boring Old Miss Pennyweather. When she starts to drift off, the governess becomes worried and hustles her to bed. After a visit from the family doctor, Alice's father agrees that she is suffering due to her mother's recent death. His solution: send Alice and Miss Pennyweather to France to stay with his friends the Murphys; there, Alice will acquire "the art of living fully." Miss Pennyweather, a rigid and easily scandalized stock character, presents plenty of humorous diversion on the ocean voyage and subsequent travels, returning home almost immediately after arriving at the unconventional Murphy household. Alice, on the other hand, is delighted to stay. In no time, she's running about barefoot, riding donkeys with the Murphy children, and, indeed, learning valuable life lessons. Occasionally, the text references Alice's grieving process, but mostly the story revolves around a fast-paced, humorous series of adventures, including a treasure hunt instigated by Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald. Uplifting though didactic messages about overcoming loss and finding oneself are woven through tantalizing bits of period artifacts, history, and biography. Characters are cued white. Sweetly entertaining. (author's note, afterword, biographies of the real-life people mentioned, photographs) (Historical fiction. 7-11)
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August 21, 2023
Based on real-life American expatriates who hosted creative luminaries at their Antibes home, “Villa America,” this entertaining 1927-set novel from Blume (Julia and the Art of Practical Travel), follows 10-year-old New Yorker Alice Atherton, an only child grieving her mother’s death six months earlier. Hoping to revive her spirits, her publisher father sends Alice to the South of France to stay with his friends Gerald and Sara Murphy, experts on “the art of living fully.” Welcomed to the Murphys’ home in Antibes, Alice joins their three children, pet monkey, and famous visitors, including Sergei Diaghilev, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. Offered a summertime education “unlike any other,” the children make art with Picasso, learn to appreciate simple things with Hemingway, and embark on a treasure hunt with the Fitzgeralds, hijinks that help Alice learn to enjoy life while grappling with the loss of her mother. Comedic characterizations and standard adventure plotting accompany an amusing premise, idyllic French Riviera ambiance, and introduction to era-specific creatives in this upbeat escapade. Characters present as white. Capsule biographies of the historical figures conclude. Ages 8–12. Agent: Molly Friedrich and Lucy Carson, Friedrich Agency.
September 1, 2023
Grades 4-6 After her mom dies, 10-year-old Alice Atherton becomes listless in her grief, so her father sends her to the South of France, where she spends the summer with Sara and Gerald Murphy, who were friends with her mother. Alice is welcomed as a sister by the three Murphy kids, and together they enjoy a series of surprise classes presented by Mr. Murphy's notable friends, such as Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes. Their final lesson comes from F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, who prepare a treasure hunt at the beach. As she tries new experiences with the Murphy family, Alice blossoms, and by the end of summer, Mr. Atherton is pleased to see that his daughter is full of life again. The all-star teaching cast seems too extraordinary to be true, but the author's note reveals that although the story is fictional, the Murphy family was real and socialized with many famous creatives. This historical fiction will appeal to readers interested in unschooling or family stories like the Vanderbeekers series.
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November 1, 2023
Gr 3-7-It's the 1920s, and Alice Atherton is a precocious 10-year-old who is sent to spend the summer on the French Riviera with her father's friends, their children, and a pet monkey. Alice is delighted to go on an adventure in France, as her father thinks this will help her after the death of her mother in New York City. While abroad, she meets various historical figures, such as Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Sergei Diaghilev, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. This is an easygoing read for young fans of historical fiction. Books in this genre can be a hard sell for young readers, but this will be a hit with the right audience. Although American adults may know most of the historical figures, middle grade students may be less familiar with them and their works. The afterword helpfully features small biographies of each luminary. VERDICT The lessons taught by the historical figures incorporated into this fiction title will impact readers and bring fresh air to the genre. Alice's tale will resonate with contemporary tweens.-Maeve Dodds
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