Author: Natasha Lester
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Modern & Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Year of release: 2023
Release Date: 27/09/23
Rating 🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
In November 1973, a fashion legend vanished, leaving behind only a white silk dress and the question: what really happened to Astrid Bricard?
Paris, 1917: Parentless sixteen-year-old Mizza Bricard makes a vow: to be remembered on her terms. This promise drives her and her designs through the most exclusive couture houses in France until, finally, a legend is created – one that will endure for generations to come, but not the one she wanted.
New York, 1970: Designer Astrid Bricard arrives in bohemian Chelsea ready to change the fashion world. And she does – but cast in the role of muse to her lover, Hawk Jones. Just as Astrid’s star is finally poised to ascend, she mysteriously disappears, leaving her family in tatters and perpetuating the infamous Bricard family myth.
French Countryside, Present Day: Blythe Bricard is the daughter of fashion’s most infamous 70s power couple, but she turned her back on that world, and her passion for it, years ago. Fate, however, has other plans, and in a chateau over a whirlwind couple of weeks, Blythe will discover there is more to her iconic mother and grandmother – and herself – than she ever knew.
These three generations now have one chance to prove themselves. Can the women of the Bricard fashion dynasty finally rewrite their history?
Review
Paris, 1917 16-year-old Mizza Bricard is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her beloved father as well as trying her best to cope with a mother who was always resentful of the father/daughter relationship and her daughters beauty; rather than being bitter a moment longer Mizza’s mother sends her daughter away. Mizza is sent away to a convent school unable to conform to their ideals Mizza returns home only to discover that her mother has re-married. Mizza knows she can no longer call this house a home nor will she return to the convent, so she runs away finding solace with a friend of her father’s. Mizza soon discovers a passion for design the young woman makes a promise to herself to be remembered on her own terms rather than because of the man standing in front of her Christian Dior. A legend is created one that will endure for generations to come but not the one she wanted.
New York, 1970 aspiring Fashion designer Astrid Bricard arrives in bohemian Chelsea ready to shake up the fashion world and make a name for herself however it’s not quite the name or change Astrid was expecting she is cast in the role of muse to her lover, Hawk Jones she discovers that no matter how much she achieves a male will always get the credit. When Astrid starts to receive some recognition for her achievements she mysteriously disappears ripping her family apart; rumours take flight but rather than die which is just one of the many theories surrounding Astrid Brocard’s disappearance the stories become imprinted in history keeping the scandalous Bricard myth well and truly intact for the next generation.
French countryside, present-day Blythe Bricard has no interest in living under a spotlight or in the shadows of others and the mistakes they made so what if she’s the daughter of 70’s most scandalous power couple in the fashion world Astrid Bricard and Hawk Jones. Blythe has walked away from the fashion world and whatever passion she once had for it years ago. Fate has other plans for Blythe whether she likes it or not Blythe will discover there’s so much more truth behind the myth surrounding her family, she just needs to find the courage to look past the anger, hurt, and fear to shatter the myths surrounding her family not for the press or the curious public but for herself.
These three generations now have one chance to prove themselves. Can the women of the Bricard fashion dynasty finally rewrite their history?
Historical Fiction set in the 1970s that also promises a mystery from an auto-buy author for this reviewer and that was before seeing the cover, I couldn’t say no.
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard has plenty of characters I think this might be author Natasha Lester’s biggest cast of characters to date. Whilst I applaud the time and effort it must have taken to weave these characters throughout the story this reviewer wasn’t entirely interested in all perspectives or elements used to tell this story.
Astrid and Hawk on their own could make for wonderful protagonists individually having an interesting backstory but introduce the romantic relationship element between the pair and all their interactions and the scenarios they found themselves in begin to feel repetitive a little flat and forced for the most part; at least until Astrid is introduced into their story in this reviewer’s opinion. Making it a much slower read than this reader had originally hoped for.
The lack of respect shown to women in the fashion industry throughout the story is heavily documented throughout this book and whilst I will always applaud anyone shining a spotlight and calling out this and other issues in a respectful way as Natasha has done, I will say both Astrid and Blythe’s perspectives seemed to force this point a little too often I am not sure why this is.
Mizza Bricard is the character I connected with the most when reading The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. it was during Mizza’s perspective I was truly able to immerse myself in this book fully, I don’t want to spoil it too much for current or future readers but if there was any character who needed a few more chapters it was Mizza Bricard; she had such a fascinating backstory compared to that of her daughter and granddaughter in my opinion hence my 3-star-rating.
“.. she starts to emerge from something she hadn’t realised she’d been buried in. It’s funny how, only when a little light comes in do you understand you’ve become so used to darkness that you’ve forgotten stars exist.’ The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard- Natasha Lester”
The reader’s first introduction Blythe Bricard is in Paris, December 2012 a single mother raising her two young children. I admired her strength and could clearly see her struggle to keep up the support and positive attitude of ex-husband in front of the kids even when it’s clear he doesn’t appear to be involved in their lives all that often.
Upon the revelation that Blythe doesn’t have much in the way of family support, I found myself keen to cheer her on but soon found myself losing enthusiasm for her plight when much like Astrid and Hawk her storyline seemed to become repetitive and dare, I say it predictable. Jake makes for such a static character his brother not so much. Preferring the mystery surrounding her mother I would’ve preferred that plotline be explored a little more as I have questions that I needed answered more so than the second chance romance subplot.
When it comes to minor characters there are quite a few here to choose from thanks to Natasha Lester’s skilled writing it was easy to visualise what they might look like in reality. Taking a closer look at the personalities of the minor characters, I was rather taken with Velvet, I am rather hoping Lester will let Velvet have her own story told one day, perhaps Mizza could even have her own novel.
“… the world is only half of what it could be when power is defined as someone losing something and when women are merely the beautiful and the damned.’ The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard- Natasha Lester”
Dual perspective is a triumph for The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard I found it allowed the story to build anticipation another advantage of this technique is a great way to reveal a missing piece of the plot to the audience.
Natasha has done an excellent job in revealing certain details and the personalities of characters this way it didn’t feel like the reader has to go on too much of a fact-finding mission whilst also not being obvious. I’m not certain I’ve visited the 70’s before in a novel so that was a definite highlight.
You got the sense that the author had a lot of fun bringing that period alive on the page.
Fans of Natasha’s previous novels are in for a real treat because Remy from The Riviera House and Alix from The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre make an appearance, if there’s one thing this reader loves it’s a nod to previous books and to the readers who read them it makes a book even more special.
There was plenty of detail in these pages don’t get me wrong I enjoy a descriptive novel, that being said the story felt as if it was struggling in the middle chapters to move forward, I believe this is one of the reasons other plotlines were not fully explored or resolved when it came time for the conclusion making it a much slower read than first anticipated. The story however does pick up a great deal of speed from Mizza Bricard’s perspective.
Subplot included in The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard:
- Second chance romance
- Female friendship
- Terminal illness
- Loss of a parent
- Grief
- Secrets
- World War 2
- Bullied- Sex- Sex-based discrimination women are treated less favourably by men, and not willingly given the same opportunities as men in the industry.
- Single parent
- Divorce
- Family drama
tropes included in The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard:
- Deceased parent due to illness
- Secrets
- Romance
- Marriage of convenience
- Historical figures
- Protagonists ahead of their time
- Political or social upheaval
- Showing off the research
- The dual timeline
- References to the present
The ending didn’t satisfy me as I said before I still have questions. I feel need answering, once you reach the last page you certainly get the feeling this was quite a big undertaking it was satisfying to piece some things together it wasn’t everything but being such a big story adding more would’ve been quite an undertaking for the author but also for the reader so I can see why not all was addressed.
I recommend this book to a mature audience avid readers of the Historical Fiction genre, readers of Natasha Lester’s previous novels will be eager to add this book to their bookshelf this I am certain.
With continued thanks to Hachette Australia for sending a physical copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.