When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive.
Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect adornment of plainness.
Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.
The paperback of *Belle Epoque* has brand new content that includes a translation and extended author's note about the short story by Emile Zola that inspired the book.
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A William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
A Junior Library Guild Selection**
“Both touching and fun, this is a story about many things—true friendship, real beauty, being caught between two worlds—and it will delight fans of historical fiction.”—***Publisher’s Weekly***
“A refreshingly relevant and inspiring historical venture.”—***Kirkus Reviews***
“A compelling story about friendship, the complexity of beauty, and self-discovery…full of strong female characters.”—***School Library Journal***
“With resonant period detail, elegant narration, and a layered exploration of class and friendship, this provocative novel is rife with satisfaction.”—***Booklist ***
“Much to offer a contemporary YA audience…flirtation and match-making to tantalize romance fans…prime book-club fare.”—***The Bulletin***
"This delectable Parisian tale left me sighting with sweet satisfaction. J'adore *Belle Epoque*!"-Sonya Sones, author of *What My Mother Doesn't Know* and *To Be Perfectly Honest*
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### From School Library Journal
Gr 6-8-Inspired by Emile Zola's short story Les Repoussoirs, this debut novel takes place during the late 1800s. Maude Pichon, a runaway, discovers life in Paris to be crueler and much less romantic than she imagined from her country home in provincial Brittany. To get by, she takes a job as a repoussoir, a young woman hired for her ugliness and used to highlight the beauty of her patroness. Maude's first client is a challenge: a headstrong young woman named Isabel, who is unaware that Maude has been hired by her mother to act as Isabel's beauty foil. But as the lines of friendship are blurred by her responsibilities, what will Maude choose? Should she stay true to her friend at the expense of her career or continue to be the mother's puppet, potentially sacrificing Isabel's happiness? This is a compelling story about friendship, the complexity of beauty, and self-discovery. It is full of strong female characters driven by the pursuit of their dreams rather than pursuit of a husband, thus defying their societal roles. Maude's evolution and development are believable, and are the driving force of the plot. Her journey from the proletariat to the elite and back again gives readers a comprehensive picture of Parisian life during the Belle Epoque.-Tiffany O'Leary, Mount Saint Mary College, NYα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
### From Booklist
Maude, 16 and homeless, makes her way from provincial Brittany to Paris, determined to claim a place in its shimmering heart. But life at the close of the nineteenth century is hard. Maude struggles to make her way and soon finds herself a repoussoir at the Durandeau Agency, a plain girl rented out to the cream of society to make their own daughters shine in comparison. In no time, she is employed by a countess and attached to Isabelle, a debutante of surprising integrity. Maude is soon caught in a web of deceit, torn between her employer and her friend, between splendor and substance, and between reality and dreaming. She clings to the work that keeps her afloat, dazzled by the splendor of society and intrigued by Isabelle’s secret plans for university, all the while tamping down her own, growing hopes for a small piece of happiness that just might include Paul, a floppy, charming bohemian musician. With resonant period detail, elegant narration, and a layered exploration of class and friendship, this provocative novel is ripe with satisfaction. Grades 7-12. --Thom Barthelmess
Description:
When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive. Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect adornment of plainness. Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose. The paperback of *Belle Epoque* has brand new content that includes a translation and extended author's note about the short story by Emile Zola that inspired the book. ** A William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist A Junior Library Guild Selection** “Both touching and fun, this is a story about many things—true friendship, real beauty, being caught between two worlds—and it will delight fans of historical fiction.”—***Publisher’s Weekly*** “A refreshingly relevant and inspiring historical venture.”—***Kirkus Reviews*** “A compelling story about friendship, the complexity of beauty, and self-discovery…full of strong female characters.”—***School Library Journal*** “With resonant period detail, elegant narration, and a layered exploration of class and friendship, this provocative novel is rife with satisfaction.”—***Booklist *** “Much to offer a contemporary YA audience…flirtation and match-making to tantalize romance fans…prime book-club fare.”—***The Bulletin*** "This delectable Parisian tale left me sighting with sweet satisfaction. J'adore *Belle Epoque*!"-Sonya Sones, author of *What My Mother Doesn't Know* and *To Be Perfectly Honest* ** ### From School Library Journal Gr 6-8-Inspired by Emile Zola's short story Les Repoussoirs, this debut novel takes place during the late 1800s. Maude Pichon, a runaway, discovers life in Paris to be crueler and much less romantic than she imagined from her country home in provincial Brittany. To get by, she takes a job as a repoussoir, a young woman hired for her ugliness and used to highlight the beauty of her patroness. Maude's first client is a challenge: a headstrong young woman named Isabel, who is unaware that Maude has been hired by her mother to act as Isabel's beauty foil. But as the lines of friendship are blurred by her responsibilities, what will Maude choose? Should she stay true to her friend at the expense of her career or continue to be the mother's puppet, potentially sacrificing Isabel's happiness? This is a compelling story about friendship, the complexity of beauty, and self-discovery. It is full of strong female characters driven by the pursuit of their dreams rather than pursuit of a husband, thus defying their societal roles. Maude's evolution and development are believable, and are the driving force of the plot. Her journey from the proletariat to the elite and back again gives readers a comprehensive picture of Parisian life during the Belle Epoque.-Tiffany O'Leary, Mount Saint Mary College, NYα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. ### From Booklist Maude, 16 and homeless, makes her way from provincial Brittany to Paris, determined to claim a place in its shimmering heart. But life at the close of the nineteenth century is hard. Maude struggles to make her way and soon finds herself a repoussoir at the Durandeau Agency, a plain girl rented out to the cream of society to make their own daughters shine in comparison. In no time, she is employed by a countess and attached to Isabelle, a debutante of surprising integrity. Maude is soon caught in a web of deceit, torn between her employer and her friend, between splendor and substance, and between reality and dreaming. She clings to the work that keeps her afloat, dazzled by the splendor of society and intrigued by Isabelle’s secret plans for university, all the while tamping down her own, growing hopes for a small piece of happiness that just might include Paul, a floppy, charming bohemian musician. With resonant period detail, elegant narration, and a layered exploration of class and friendship, this provocative novel is ripe with satisfaction. Grades 7-12. --Thom Barthelmess