Monet’s Angels by Jennifer Pulling is quite simply, the best book I have read so far in 2017. It is a page-turner and one finds oneself drawn into the intrigues and mysteries of pre-war France. Monet, genius that he is, is high-maintenance and demanding. Blanche, his step-daughter gives up a very promising career as an artist in her own right, to take care of him, and the running of the house. Into this set up, various characters are woven with a deft hand, each one interesting in their own right. Jennifer’s description of Giverney is spell-binding, so much so that one could almost smell the roses, and the other wonderful flowers that Monet had planted there. She painted with words, what Monet painted with pastels. It is truly a mesmerising book with characters that are real and credible. I can’t wait for the sequel to see what happens to Judith, Robert, and Blanche, herself. A riveting read.