The Velvet Hours

On the brink of invasion, Paris in 1940 is a precarious place. For Solange Beaugiron, the coming events will change every aspect of her life. The Velvet Hours by Alyson Richman tells the story of the abandoned Paris apartment she shared with her late grandmother, which is rediscovered, untouched, in 2010.

After the death of Solange’s beloved mother, her father introduces her to the family secret: her paternal grandmother, Marthe de Florian. Once she steps into Marthe’s world, Solange is captivated by the story of Marthe’s life and of the beauty with which she has surrounded herself. From her intriguing portrait by a renowned Italian painter to the pearls Marthe wears like talisman, she shares her adventurous past with Solange, the family she never expected to have.

“Everything of value contains a story,” Marthe explains to Solange. If that truly is the case, Marthe’s and Solange’s stories of loss and love are priceless.