What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading? A project sponsored by the Friends of the Macomb Public Library District to encourage reading and book discussion in our community. Would you like to share your favorite books with other readers? Please send your name, occupation or grade level, book author and title, and a brief statement about the book and why you liked it to Kate Joswick, [email protected].

Reviewer’s Name: Michael Wallick Reviewer’s Occupation: Retired Book Title: I am Madame X Book’s Author: Gioia Diliberto Hanging in New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art is the portrait of Madame X, John Singer Sargent's painting of Virginie Gautreau. When Sargent first exhibited the painting at the 1884 Paris Fine Arts Salon, the public and art critics were shocked by Gautreau's provocative dress and bold pose. One art critic wrote that the painting was ugly and violated every rule of art. The ensuing scandal almost ended Sargent's career as a portraitist. Gioia Diliberto's novel, I am Madame X, recounts Gautreau's life growing up on a Louisiana plantation, fleeing to France during the Civil War, and subsequently becoming a Parisian celebrity, known for her beauty, passion for self-display, and reputation for promiscuity. I am Madame X is an interesting work of historical fiction about a woman who lived by her own rules during the Belle Epoque.