Parisian Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin, known for most of her life under the pseudonym George Sand, was a flamboyant and accomplished literary figure in 19th-century Europe. Despite her wide-ranging artistic success and unconventional social mores, Sand remains little known. The latest by bestselling author Elizabeth Berg beautifully captures Sand’s essence in a revealing novel that lays bare the writer’s famous eccentricities as well as her numerous scandalous affairs.
In The Dream Lover, Sand and the iconic city she inhabited both come vividly to life in Berg’s alluring biography to create a detailed, historically illuminating portrait of a female artist considered a genius of her time. The book picks up after Sand has left her husband and children for a wilder, freer life in the center of one of Europe’s grandest metropolises living amongst a famous group of friends and lovers that included Frédéric Chopin, Victor Hugo and others. Rich with historical detail, The Dream Lover recounts the tumultuous life of a brilliant woman determined to live out her artistic dreams. It is a sensual and personal account that showcases the author’s award-winning storytelling style, making for a highly captivating, entertaining and fascinating read.
Berg is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, including Durable Goods and Joy School, both of which were selected as American Library Association Best Books of the Year. Berg will speak at a special event hosted at Lyndon Sculpture Gardens and co-sponsored by Boswell Book Co., Bronze Optical and Milwaukee Reads at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.
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Book Happening:
Sally Mann
7 p.m., Saturday, April 30
Boswell Book Company
2559 N. Downer Ave.
In Hold Still, famed American photographer Sally Mann has created a thought-provoking memoir that is part narrative, part images. As she recounts her Southern roots with wickedly funny and riveting stories, Mann unveils a stunning family portrait that entwines racism, violence and secrecy. Boswell Book Co. is pleased to welcome author Sally Mann to the store for a ticketed event.
