Title: The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams
Author: M.J. Rose
Release Date: February 7, 2023
Length: 354 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
****My Review****
M.J. Rose’s The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams caught my eye as soon as I saw the stunning cover.
With a fair amount of intrigue and a dash of romance, historical fiction, and magical realism book, what’s not to be liked? The ideal retreat from reality, right?
Rose brilliantly combines two stories about ladies from two different times into one captivating narrative that will capture you from the start.
Violine Duplessi possesses a special talent. She is able to read an object’s past using psychometrics. She thought she had lost her ability until she came into contact with a WWII-era trunk that included a hidden jewelry-filled section.
She was asked to assess items from the late senator Osgood’s estate while working for an auction firm. Paul, his son, is currently campaigning for the seat he vacated, and any suggestion of scandal might derail his candidacy. They found a trunk full of jewels and other items that belonged to his aunt Dixie, who vanished during the war. A lead generates another lead… We then come upon another powerful woman.
We find that the jewelry is somehow related to the work the Resistance was conducting in Nazi-occupied France during World War II through the notebooks of renowned Parisian jeweler Suzanne Belperron.
What is the significance of the stolen jewelry? Can Violine assist in locating its real owners? What facts will she unearth while searching?
M.J. Rose has mastered the art of taking two timelines and flawlessly weaving them together while keeping both plots progressing at the ideal rate. Both the 1986 and 1940s storylines are superbly crafted. They each vividly depict their era while demonstrating how the past may influence the present.
This Holocaust-themed book focuses on a lesser-known realm where exquisite jewelry was designed and made in occupied France. The speech is expertly timed, and several descriptions are eerie. Some passages gave readers the impression that they were there with the characters.
The primary characters are also very well-developed. One may argue that the action in The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is driven by the characters. In the 1942 half of this dual-time narrative, Suzanne, a skilled jeweler, serves as the female narrator. Before they are deported, Suzanne and her companion Dixie can save hundreds of Jews from Paris.
The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams’ 1986 section, on the other hand, is told via the perspective of Violine. The common thread between the two narrators is Suzanne’s jewelry. The jewelry is described in captivating, evocative, and descriptive terms. Both Suzanne and Violine are extraordinarily talented in their unique ways.
The love interests for both ladies, numerous heroes and traitors, the mystery surrounding the buried jewelry, and one particular woman, Dixie Osgood, who serves as the connecting thread between the two tales are all present and perfectly balanced.
The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose takes you on the most amazing journey. There is so much life there. While life is cruel; it’s a world where evil rules but beauty, love, and humanity battle each day to triumph. It’s such a compellingly intricate tale, especially the way it delicately touches on the intricacy of interpersonal connections. Or perhaps it’s the way it shines a spotlight on the feelings that artists have about their work and how magic and Psychological concepts are incorporated into ordinary daily experiences. Countless facets come together to create the ideal story.
Although there have been many comparable novels published about events in World War II, this book does a good job of mixing actual people with made-up characters to create a story that had my attention until the very end. I just have one criticism: It seems like the end was hurried. There was adequate closure, but there wasn’t enough detail.
Take The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose if you want to read an inspiring, gripping tale about the enduring power of one individual. A heartfelt and magical tale that captivates the reader from the beginning to the final page.
This story’s captivating narrative and unexpected turns will appeal to fans of magical realism and cozy mysteries as well.