Sunday, July 14, 2019

Costalegre by Courtney Maum

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this release from 
the publisher in exchange for an honest review
I devoured Costalegre by Courtney Maum (releasing 7/16/19 from Tin House) in just a couple hours and while it was a quick read it will stay with me forever. The 15-year-old narrator was naive and pining for the knowledge of the artists who surround her and the love of her mother. Written in diary form (I love that!) this book will have you remembering what it was like to be 15 (in the best and worst ways). Going into this book I did not know that this story is based on the real-life relationship between heiress Peggy Guggenheim and her daughter, Pegeen, but now I will be on the lookout for anytime the Guggenheim name pops up again.⁠

Summary:⁠
It is 1937, and Europe is on the brink of war. In the haute-bohemian circles of Austria, Germany, and Paris, Hitler is circulating a most-wanted list of “cultural degenerates”—artists, writers, and thinkers whose work is deemed antithetical to the new regime. To prevent the destruction of her favorite art (and artists), the impetuous American heiress and modern art collector, Leonora Calaway, begins chartering boats and planes for an elite group of surrealists to Costalegre, a mysterious resort in the Mexican jungle, where she has a home.⁠

The story of what happens to these artists when they reach their destination is told from the point of view of Lara, Leonora’s neglected 15-year-old daughter, who has been pulled out of school to follow her mother to Mexico. Forced from a young age to cohabit with her mother’s eccentric whims, tortured lovers, and entourage of gold-diggers, Lara suffers from emotional, educational, and geographical instability that a Mexican sojourn with surrealists isn’t going to help.⁠

Also featured: Italian Sausage Meatballs with onions and peppers. While they sounded great in theory (for my husband) they did NOT turn out well (burnt outside and raw middle, even though I made them small) Maybe they needed to cook in more oil? idk. advice?⁠
Share:

No comments

© Ivory Owl Reviews | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig