The Velvet Hours

Praise for The Velvet Hours
Named one of the Best Fall Books of 2016 by PopSugar

Alyson Richman's writing sings in her evocative new novel set in Paris at the dawn of World War II.  The Velvet Hours is a beautiful and compelling portrait of two women facing their unknown past and an unimaginable future as their world begins to crumble. Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale

Richman deftly weaves fact and fiction to create a carefully wrought story of love, of what the heart chooses to give up, and what it chooses to keep. Highly recommended to readers who enjoyed Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale. New York Times bestselling author Karen White

Richman fills her novel with vibrant details, much as Marthe decorated her apartment: always with care, craft, and a sharp eye. Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

The Velvet Hours is a love letter to the stories we tell and the stories we keep. It poses the idea that even the most well-intentioned life can hold guilt, and even the most aimless can find absolution. Imaginative, rich, and emotionally satisfying, The Velvet Hours is a treasure. Jewish Book Council

Richman's background in art is evident on every page of this opulent story of passion and transformation. NY Journal of Books

A book as full of treasures as the Paris apartment that inspired it....A masterful mix of the glamour of the Belle Epoque and the shadows of impending war. New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig

Richman s stunningly rich prose artfully conjures up an age of high culture, art, literature and extravagant fashions, interlacing the decadent life of a nineteenth century courtesan with the more Spartan, unsettled months before France s humiliation at the hands of the Nazis. The intricate details of the clothing, social mores and interior decoration of the time have been meticulously researched, the meeting of different cultures is convincingly and lovingly depicted, as is the difference between the two women, the lives they embrace and the men they love. The Catholic World Report

"Richman develops an enthralling saga of two women alternating between the late 1800's and 1930's based on an actual Paris apartment. The lush atmosphere of the Belle Epoque and the stress of the coming war, the wonderful relationship between the women along with the fascinating historical backdrops draw readers into a lavish, beautifully written novel. It's nearly impossible to put down and so moving that fans of The Nightingale and WW II novels will be enthralled and delighted." RT Book Reviews

Praise for the novels of Alyson Richman

A truly beautiful, heartfelt story I couldn t put it down once I started it. Ms. Richman is a very special talent. Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author

Staggeringly evocative, romantic, heartrending, sensual, and beautifully written. John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author

Tragedy and hope, love and loss, and the strength to endure are examined through Richman s graceful writing and powerful characters. Booklist

If you love graceful, mellifluous writing, you should read this book. Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author 

Grabs your heart and doesn t let go Moving, unforgettable and so expertly told. Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author

Lyrical and rich filled with beauty and tragedy, romance and heartbreak. Jillian Cantor, author of Margot