Natasha Lester dazzles in her latest novel, a riveting, multi-generational story of love, loss, and reclaiming one's own power."—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room and The Mitford Affair
“A luscious and enthralling read that follows three generations of women on their journeys of empowerment. These women fight with edgy talent and sparkling cleverness for their place in the fashion world amid backdrops of war and social strife. Natasha Lester has done it again with this dazzling story of fascinating historical detail, gorgeous writing, and strong, compelling heroines.”—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author
"Vogue meets Daisy Jones & The Six, as three generations of women carve their mark in the world of fashion: Mizza Bricard, muse to Christian Dior in the forties; her daughter Astrid Bricard, struggling to define herself as more than a muse as American designers take Paris by storm in the tumultuous seventies; Blythe Bricard, haunted by her mother's Versailles disappearance and wanting nothing to do with the family legacy. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD stitches splashy fashion-world fun together with incisive observations about women's roles as muse and inspiration—and what price they pay when they dare to create for themselves rather than merely inspire the men around them. Natasha Lester's most compelling novel yet!"—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author
“The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is an immersive triumph—as sparkly as a silver Lurex mini-dress, as cool as Mick and Bianca, and as atmospheric as a Seventies disco. Steamy love affairs, to-die-for clothes, and ballsy women make for a heady must-read.”—Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author of The Manhattan Girls
“This book is brave, bold, and beautiful, like the three women who narrate it. Natasha Lester’s sentences blaze off the page, and I couldn’t stop reading. Full of heart and fierce social critique, The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is an inspiring story of female vision and grit in the face of insurmountable odds. I absolutely loved it.”—Kerri Maher, author of The Paris Bookseller
"No one does glamour, intrigue, and fashion the way Natasha Lester does. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard depicts a family of talented women with skills and dreams ahead of their time, deserving of all the accolades but struggling to achieve them in a male-dominated fashion industry. At times gripping and others moving, readers will find themselves turning pages as fast as they can. I know I did!"—Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of Strangers in the Night
“What an all-encompassing novel! I was blown away. Part mystery, part romance, Natasha Lester delivers a full-on page turner. This author dazzles us by weaving fact and fiction in a propulsive, multifaceted, multigenerational ode to fashion, feminism and love stories that will both break your heart and leave you hopeful. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard belongs at the very top of your To-Be-Read pile.”—Renee Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl
“Themes of family, power, resilience, and finding a way back to love will resonate with readers.”—Booklist
"Lester deftly delivers a scathing critique of the lies that are told to keep women in their place."—Kirkus
“A deft, stylish writer, Lester is able to trace the tumultuous highs and lows of her characters in a way that is as graceful as it is informative. Each of them are completely fleshed out and defined by their settings, making this story instantly immersive and atmospheric.”—Book Reporter
2023-12-06
Three generations of sartorially inclined women struggle to make their marks on the world.
Through alternating viewpoints, Lester weaves together the stories of Mizza, Astrid, and Blythe Bricard, who were all involved in the fashion industry. First up chronologically is Mizza, the only character based loosely on a real person; she’s Christian Dior’s assistant and muse and, likely ahistorically, a member of the Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. Next up is Mizza’s daughter, Astrid Bricard, a talented designer the media sees only as the muse and lover of Hawk Jones, a designer wunderkind à la Halston minus the ego. Finally there’s Blythe Bricard, Astrid and Hawk’s daughter, who was abandoned by both her famous parents and has cast her sustainable-fashion dreams aside in order to raise her two children as a single mother. Astrid’s disappearance (murder?) at the 1973 Versailles designer face-off between France and America is the central mystery of the novel. But it’s the chapters exploring Astrid’s tumultuous rise and fall, as well as her relationship with Hawk—which Lester writes with heartbreaking tenderness—that form the heart of the novel. Unfortunately, Mizza’s plot is somehow the most superficial of the three, despite the Nazi fighting. That being said, Blythe’s and Astrid’s stories more than make up for that weakness, and Lester deftly delivers a scathing critique of the lies that are told to keep women in their place: “What if this is all there is? [Astrid wonders.] Her always scrabbling at the base of a mountain, knocked back by an avalanche of misogyny.”
An exploration of the lengths to which society will go to subdue a powerful woman.
