Review: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

HarperCollins

May 2013

Format: Hard cover, 464 pages

Source: Publisher/She Reads

An inheritance from a mysterious stranger . . .
An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris . . .
And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory . . . and a secret

London, 1955:
Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered
upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart
of London’s most refined and ambitious social circles. However, playing
the role of the sophisticated socialite her husband would like her to be
doesn’t come easily to her—and perhaps never will.

Then one
evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything. Grace
has received an inheritance. There’s only one problem: she has never
heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d’Orsey.

So begins a
journey that takes Grace to Paris in search of Eva. There, in a
long-abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank, she discovers the
seductive world of perfumers and their muses, and a surprising, complex
love story. Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she
inspired, Eva d’Orsey’s story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New
York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.

But these three perfumes
hold secrets. And as Eva’s past and Grace’s future intersect, Grace
realizes she must choose between the life she thinks she should live and
the person she is truly meant to be.

Illuminating the lives and challenging times of two fascinating women, The Perfume Collector weaves a haunting, imaginative, and beautifully written tale filled with passion and possibility, heartbreak and hope.

My thoughts: As an avid reader, I read for many reasons, but one of my favorite reasons is to read a story in which I end up learning something and without a doubt, The Perfume Collector fits that bill. As this story unfolds we learn about the art of creating perfume and what should go into selecting a perfume to wear – a subject I admit to knowing little about. While this is not the main focus of the book, it does play an interesting part and had me very intrigued.

Take this quote for instance: 

Perfume should tell a story–the story of who you are, who you might be,
perhaps even of who you fear becoming…all of these things are possible.
It’s a very intimate element of a woman, just like her signature or the
sound of her voice. And it conveys feelings and states of being that
have no name, no language. Its very ambiguity makes it truer than words
because, unlike words, it can’t be manipulated or misunderstood.

I fully admit I am not a fan of heavily scented perfumes and tend to use body splashes as my perfume. I do have a few scents I like to wear, so I don’t necessarily wear the same scent every day, but that’s it. As I was reading this, though, I could not help but wonder what it would be like to have a special scent created just for me. What would the scent be? Throughout the book, we are given descriptions of certain scents that are created and I found myself wishing that there was a way for us to smell them, especially the three perfumes inspired by Eva.

At it’s heart, The Perfume Collector is a
tale of one woman’s journey to make amends and another
woman’s journey to find herself. Using the dual-line technique, the story alternates between Grace’s story in 1954 and Eva’s story from the 1920s until her death. While it’s fairly easy to predict what connects these two women, it’s the journey that takes place that really enhances the story. There are some mysteries that are slowly revealed, but again, not anything suspenseful. 

Taking us from New York in the 1920s to Paris, Monte Carlo, London – it’s easy to get caught up in the life of the characters we are introduced to. Each are interesting and eccentric in their own right and each play a role in the development of the main characters, Grace and Eva. I loved the interactions between Grace and the french lawyer, Monsieur Tissot – the banter between the two of them was sweet.

Between the attractive cover and the beautiful story, The Perfume Collector is definitely a keeper for my book shelves! I will also be checking out Kathleen Tessaro’s other books. What makes a book a keeper for you?

The August Book Club Selection from She Reads is The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

Head over to the She Reads website to read other reviews and related posts.