City of Belmont - Ruth Faulkner Public Library

A letter from Paris, a true story of hidden art, lost romance, and family reclaimed, Louisa Deasey

eng

contains biographical information

platesillustrationsportraits

no index present

non fiction

A letter from Paris

Louisa Deasey

a true story of hidden art, lost romance, and family reclaimed

When Louisa Deasey receives a message from a Frenchwoman called Coralie, who has found a cache of letters in an attic, written about Louisas father, neither woman can imagine the events it will set in motion. The letters, dated 1949, detail a passionate affair between Louisas father, Denison, and Coralies grandmother, Michelle, in post-war London. They spark Louisa to find out more about her father, who died when she was six. From the seemingly simple question Who was Denison Deasey? follows a trail of discovery that leads Louisa to the libraries of Melbourne and the streets of London, to the cafes and restaurants of Paris and a poets villa in the south of France. From her fathers secret service in World War II to his relationships with some of the most famous bohemian artists in post-war Europe, Louisa unearths a portrait of a fascinating man, both at the epicentre and the mercy of the social and political currents of his time. This book is about the stories we tell ourselves, and the secrets the past can uncover. A compelling tale of inheritance and creativity, loss and reunion, it shows the power of the written word that crosses the bridges of time

adult