For various reasons, more or less clear, I do have difficulties in writing my stories lately. I lost my pace, my coherence and my hunger for words, being left often suspended somewhere between the words that wait to be told and those who will never be written. But life is still young and I don´t despair. I am trying every day to bring back the source of stories. The more I try the more surprised I am of the opportunities and the diversities of books I am offering myself to read as an alternative to my dry writing. Latest success was to delve deep into a story while listening to an audiobook, my latest literary passion.
Die Farben der Schönheit by Corina Bomann - which I listened in the original German language - is the first of a trilogy featuring the life of Sophia, an average Berlin-born girl following her dream of being a chemist. Estranged from her family after getting pregnant with a married man, she has to abandon her Chemistry studies and moves to Paris with her artist girlfriend. From there, she is offered the chance of working for the famous cosmetics queen and art collector Helena Rubinstein. But Rubinstein´s life circumstances and the Great Depression will put Sophia in difficult situation and she will soon deal again with uncertainties and change of fate.
What I really liked about this book was the flow of the story. The facts are simple and so is the ways in which they are further shared. Sophia´s story is about a simple girl that by the game of circumstances and her resilience went close to personalities of the time, both in Paris and the NYC. But she was assigned by the author to tell a story where she is the main character.
The historical facts about Helena Rubinstein and her complex personality are relatable but I will not call this book a historical novel. Rather, it is a book about a woman whose character is built through the interaction with different environments and various experiences and this story is what really counts.
Probably will be curious to read at a certain point the continuation of the story, but as for now, I got the right dosis of inspiration to slowly move on the right side of the writing journey.
Rating: 3 stars
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