
Paris Kiss
Bohemian Paris in the 1880s. Exotic, strange and exciting especially to young English sculptress Jessie Lipscomb, who joins her friend Camille to become a protégée of the great Auguste Rodin. Jessie and Camille enjoy a passionate friendship and explore the demi-monde of the vibrant city, meeting artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and the boldly unconventional Rosa Bonheur. But when Rodin and Camille embark on a scandalous affair, Jessie is cast as their unwilling go-between and their friendship unravels. Years later she tracks her down to an insane asylum where Camille tells her an explosive secret can their friendship survive the betrayal?
Prizes and awards
Winner of Curtis Brown Prize 2012
REVIEWS OF Paris Kiss
'A triumph of a debut novel.' - Daily Mail
'This makes a touching tale of friendship, love and betrayal set against a colourful backdrop of the Paris art world.' - France magazine
'Jessie's adventures as a woman artist in 1880s Paris completely captivated me. A wonderful story.' - Carmen Reid
'An intense and satisfying story - an insight into the constraints on passionate and talented women in the Parisien art world at the turn of the century. It will haunt you.' - Sara Sheridan
'Compelling and seductive a rather lovely tale.' - Connexion magazine
'A beautifully written evocation of the Parisian art scene of the late 1800s it is a mesmerising canvas of love, friendship and betrayal.' - Laura Marney
'Flows from the page like a piece of art.' - Sunday Mirror