Black Venus by James MacManus
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Blurb: xxxIn nineteenth century Paris, the young bohemian Charles Baudelaire roams the streets. Dressed impeccably – thanks to an inheritance that is quickly vanishing – and lost in the decadences of alcohol and opium, he is about to meet one woman destined to change his life forever: the beautiful Haitian cabaret singer, Jeanne Duval. Inspiring Baudelaire’s most infamous poems – leading to the banning of his masterwork, Les Fleurs du Mal, and a scandalous public trial for obscenity – Duval becomes Baudelaire’s muse, the catalyst for a legacy spanning centuries. Their volatile and passionate affair explodes through the Parisian literary scene but, as the ever-more fractious world catches up with them, the strength of their love will be tested to the end.(Gerald Duckworth & Co, February 2014)
Katherine Whitbourne, The Daily Mail
“Part biography, part historical fiction and with a cast that includes some of France’s most illustrious figures – Manet and Victor Hugo among them – Black Venus (Baudelaire’s name for Duval) offers the reader a vivid portrait of Paris during a turbulent period in its history, as well as an insightful exploration of the often self-destructive nature of genius. ”
Kate Saunders, The Times
“This novel is a vivid recreation of a lost world; the Paris of La bohème and George Du Maurier’s Trilby, all cafés, ateliers and wild romance.”
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