Why a Booktrail?
1910, 1940: A woman tries to save the Mona Lisa during the Nazi occupation
The Paris Thief
What you need to know before your trail
1910: Eighteen-year-old Mathilde has escaped her lonely provincial childhood to become a painter in Montmartre. Moving in bohemian circles, she models for Picasso and lives hedonistically amongst the artists, writers and intellectuals of Paris. But when the Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre, and a number of Mathilde’s friends and lovers become suspects, life will never be the same again.
1940: As the enemy marches into Paris, Mathilde, now an archivist at the Louvre, is tasked with the evacuation of hundreds of priceless masterpieces to the Château de Chambord. With her she carries a secret – the Mona Lisa is now under her sole protection, safe from looters. Nobody must discover its whereabouts. But when a face from her past arrives at the château, dressed in Nazi uniform, Mathilde finds herself agonisingly torn between love and duty .
Locations
Reset- France - Paris
- A: Louvre - Tuileries
- B: Monmartre
- C: Place du Tertre
- D: Le Bateau-Lavoir
- France - Loire Valley
- E: Chambord Castle
Travel Guide
Paris
Paris during the days when Pablo Picasso walked its streets and where he lived is such an iconic place to be. The streets, sounds and aromas of the city come alive but its the art and the artists that make this place what it is.
When war comes, shadows form a cloak of danger and art becomes a place of refuge more than ever. when the story moves to the Loire Valley, history takes a turn.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Paris Thief
Destination/Location: Paris. Chambord Author/guide: Lisa Rochon Departure: 1910, 1940
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
