Girl in the Afternoon - by Serena Burdick (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Savarays are at the center of bourgeois Parisian society, as supporters of the Impressionist movement, friends of âEdouard Manet, and citizens relatively unaffected by the Franco-Prussian war raging beyond their estate - until their beloved adopted son Henri, a burgeoning artist, disappears early one morning and 18-year-old Aimee Savaray sets out to find him. But Henri doesn't want to be found, and only one member of the family knows why. As Aimee seeks refuge in the art world, mentored by Manet, she unwittingly finds her way back to Henri. After so many years passed and secrets buried, their eventual reunion unmasks the lies that once held the family together, and now threaten to tear them apart"--

Book Synopsis

"A tale brimming over with secrets, betrayals and redemption. Burdick keeps readers riveted." -RT Book Reviews (4 Stars HOT)

"Moving, surprising, and thought-provoking." -The Emerald City Book Review

A rich and opulent saga, Serena Burdick's Girl in the Afternoon brings the Impressionists to life in this portrait of scandal, fortune, and unrequited love.

Born into a wealthy Parisian family at the center of Belle Epoque society, 18-year-old Aimée Savaray dreams of becoming a respected painter in the male-dominated art world; and secretly, she also dreams of being loved by Henri, the boy her parents took in as a child an raised alongside her.

But when Henri inexplicably disappears, in the midst of the Franco-Prussian war, the Savarays' privileged lives begin to unravel. Heartbroken, Aimée tries to find him, but Henri doesn't want to be found--and only one member of the family knows why.

As Aimée seeks refuge in the art world, mentored by the Impressionist Édouard Manet, she unwittingly finds her way back to Henri. With so many years gone by and secrets buried, their eventual reunion unmasks the lies that once held the family together, but now threaten to tear them apart.

Review Quotes

2017 International Book Award Winner in the Historical Fiction category!

"A young woman's quest for independence and recognition in a world dominated by men is at the heart of a tale brimming over with secrets, betrayals and redemption. Burdick keeps readers riveted, trying to unravel the maze of secrets that tear the characters' world apart. This is a melancholy, bittersweet novel that touches readers seeking emotional depth. Not for those who adore an HEA." --RT Book Reviews (4 Stars HOT)

"[Burdick] quietly makes us feel the emotional impact of the events she describes, through subtle and evocative turns of phrase that make her writing a pleasure to read...moving, surprising, and thought-provoking." --The Emerald City Book Review

"Burdick brings the sights and sounds of the Paris of the Impressionists to life. Girl in the Afternoon is an excellent debut novel." --Historical Novel Society

"Intriguing!...In Girl in the Afternoon, young artist Aimée Savaray sets out on a quest to uncover the truth behind lost love, and to find her place in the male-dominated art world of Belle Époque Paris. With a dream-like quality, Ms. Burdick weaves a provocative tale of family secrets, betrayal, and the renewal of self-discovery." --Heather Webb, author of Rodin's Lover

"Out of The Gilded Age comes this glittering canvas of a novel, full of light and life, shadow and darkness, stillness and movement. A rich portrait of a world and one unconventional family's place in it, Girl in the Afternoon is a love story, a mystery, a tragedy, and a moving study of the human capacity to contain both reckless error and surprising redemption." --Carrie Brown, author of The Stargazer's Sister

"Heart-rending, passionate, and riddled with secrets, Girl in the Afternoon explores a society's changing attitudes toward art, womanhood and freedom, as observed by a bourgeois family trying to protect their own. A compelling, melancholy tale." --Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet

"In Girl in the Afternoon, Serena Burdick weaves together Paris, La Belle Epoque, art and abundant doses of family drama in a tightly-written story that pulls the reader in and keeps the twists and turns coming until almost the last page" --Sally Christie, author of The Sisters of Versailles

"This fabulous book is an embroidery of love stitched in the romantic painterly style of Realism. But, when you turn the embroidery over, you see the tangled chaos of betrayal in the style of the Impressionistic painters. Serena Burdick bridges the two artistic styles with the skill of a real artist."
--Michele Zackheim, author of Last Train to Paris

About the Author

SERENA BURDICK graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California before moving to New York to pursue a degree in English Literature at Brooklyn College. Her passion for theater, writing, the visual arts, Edouard Manet and the Impressionist movement combined to inform her debut novel, GIRL IN THE AFTERNOON: A Novel Of Paris. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.