The Stolen Lady

Content warnings: war, Nazis, murder

The Mona Lisa is followed from its creation to World War II.

When Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned in 1503 to paint a portrait of a wealthy silk merchant's wife, he did not know that Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo's portrait would be his most famous work 450 years later. The Renaissance timeline follows Leonardo and Lisa's maid Bellina, who hides the portrait from the rest of the household when Leonardo leaves it at the palazzo. This timeline also establishes how the painting ended up in France at the Lovre instead of in the del Giocondo's home.

Before World War II begins, Louvre archivist Anne ventures to the French countryside with sequestered works of art. The Mona Lisa is one of the works transported from location to location as the Germans advance. She stumbles into a friendship with an Italian truck driver who is helping transport the art; he is cast out of the Louvre camp when Italy joins forces with Germany. Feeling alone and worrying about her family in Paris, Anne's mission becomes stopping the Nazis from taking the art or her homeland.

Recommended for WWI fiction readers and art enthusiasts.

Dr. Laura Morelli is an art historian who teaches online and writes novels surrounding works of art.

Publisher: William Morrow (print); HarperAudio

Narrators: Lisa Flanagan, Caroline Hewett, & Paul Woodson

Running Time: 13 hours, 8 minutes

Length: 512 pages

Release Date: September 21, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.