As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

René Bernard: Action, adventure, and romance in the life of a budding impressionist artist in 19th century France, from Marcillian, to Lyon, to Paris and back is the fictional story of a fictional artist, René Bernard, who lived in France in the mid- to late-1800s. The story begins and ends with a rather eccentric auction of some of his recently found works. The stories in between the beginning and the end comprise the heart of novel’s narrative.

It is the story of René’s sister and how she got him started down the path of being an artist. It is the story of the godmother of René’s hometown who uses her wealth to discretely help those in town. It is the story of this godmother’s father, who was a general, and his involvement with the Knights Templar. It is the story of a sentient lion who befriends, and is befriended by, this godmother. It is the story of René’s infatuation with a girl who sells flowers on the streets of Paris and how is interest in portraying the seedier side of life in his work impacted his life.

It is one of those books that is difficult to describe without reading. Parts of it read like a history book. One that includes full on period-accurate recipes for dishes being served at parties, to the exact techniques used by the people of René’s hometome to build homes, to how oyster farming was done. Other parts are straight up love stories while others are pure adventure.

All of them are intertwined with René Bernard’s life in some way. It is a slow-paced, epic tale of a life. Or, perhaps more accurately, the epic tale of the lives around the life of an unknown and unheralded artist whose work was only appreciated long after his death. It’s an interesting, fun read for a slow afternoon.