Just finished my second book of the year – The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro. Intriguing, compelling, mysterious, well-written book that is filled with beautiful language and descriptions of a world only imagined in this day and age. The plot is obvious right from the start but that is not a deterrent. An inheritance from a stranger, an abandoned perfume store in Paris, exquisite perfumes that hold a secret and described in the most sensuous language, The Perfume Collector is about the journey of one woman trying to make amends and another woman’s journey of self-discovery.
Tessaro glides from one timeline in the 1920’s with Eva to another in the 1950’s with Grace, and does so beautifully, weaving the two lives together until the end when all is revealed and the tapestry is complete. The storyline is held together with the silvery thread of the history of perfume. the characters develop right before your eyes, and it is a tale of passion and possibilities. Being both an Anglophile and a Francophile, I enjoyed this book that bridged both countries and brought with it an elegance beyond compare.
