Holds are rising on Cathy Marie Buchanan’s novel, The Painted Girls, (Penguin/Riverhead; soon to be available as Wheeler Large Print), after she was was interviewed on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.

Based on the true story of the three young sisters, one of whom, a rising ballerina, posed for Edgar Degas’ sculpture, “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” in 1881, it challenges romantic images of Belle Epoque Paris, describing the poverty and sexual predations the dancers suffered. Designated a “People Pick” in the current issue, it is called a “deeply moving and inventive historical novel…[that is] ultimately a tribute to the beauty of sisterly love.”

It is also an Indie Next Jan pick; “this novel delivers great atmosphere and fully realized characters who weave through the harsh yet rich tapestry of the times and tell a story of family, romance, degradation, and fulfillment.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2013 at 2:45 pm and is filed under 2013/14 - Winter/Spring, Fiction, Historical. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.