Louisa Treger transitions from a career as a classical violinist to a devoted literary scholar, holding a PhD focused on early twentieth-century women's writing. This academic background informs her distinctive approach to storytelling, blending a nuanced understanding of historical context with a keen insight into human nature. Her novels explore societal expectations and the inner lives of her characters with lyrical prose and compelling narratives. Treger's work invites readers to delve into richly drawn worlds and complex emotional landscapes.
"In 1887, young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take. But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum on Blackwell's Island. There, she will work undercover to expose the asylum's wretched conditions. But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will - but will she ever get out?"--Amazon.com
In a period of civil unrest before the War of Liberation, a wealthy and influential couple leave Britain to make a new life in 1950s Rhodesia. From the glamorous Italian Riviera in the roaring twenties to the Art Deco glory of Eltham Palace in the thirties, from the secluded Scottish Highlands to sultry, segregated Rhodesia in the fifties, The Dragon Lady tells the story of the extraordinary life of Lady Virginia Courtauld, so-called for the exotic tattoo snaking up her leg. Ostracized by society for being a foreign divorcée at the time of Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson, Ginie and her second husband Stephen Courtauld leave the confines of post-war Britain to forge a new life in Rhodesia, only to find that being progressive liberals during segregation proves mortally dangerous. Subtly blending fact and fiction, deeply evocative of time and place in an era of great social change and threaded throughout with intrigue, the novel keeps the reader guessing from the outset who shot the Dragon Lady and why.
Dorothy Richardson is existing just above the poverty line, doing secretarial work at a dentist's office and living in a seedy boarding house in Bloomsbury, when she is invited to spend the weekend with a childhood friend, Jane. Jane has recently married a writer who is on the brink of fame. His name is H.G. Wells, or Bertie, as they call him. Bertie appears unremarkable at first. But then Dorothy notices his grey-blue eyes taking her in, openly signalling approval. He tells her he and Jane have an agreement which allows them the freedom to take lovers, although Dorothy can tell her friend would not be happy with that arrangement. Not wanting to betray Jane, yet unable to draw back Dorothy free-falls into an affair with Bertie. Then a new boarder arrives at the house- beautiful Veronica Leslie-Jones-and Dorothy finds herself caught between Veronica and Bertie. Amidst the personal dramas and wreckage of a militant suffragette march, Dorothy finds her voice as a writer.
'Living with him was like living at the centre of the universe. It was electrifying and humbling, blissful and destructive, all at the same time.' Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn't long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora's torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora's friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting 'Guernica', which Dora documented as he painted.As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship - a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country - Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized. Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.Praise for The Paris Muse:'An accomplished literary novel, and also an absolute page turner. Raw sexual charisma and its descent into toxic cruelty which is set – and artfully echoed – in times of peace and war.' Essie Fox, author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Fascination'Dora Maar, “The Weeping Woman" of Picasso's famous paintings, steps out of the canvas in Louisa Treger's unforgettable new novel. Dora's passionate, obsessive relationship with the artist came close to destroying her, and Treger's beautifully written first-person narrative takes us deep inside her grief and torment. Picasso emerges as a controlling, sadistic man, who is single-minded in pursuit of his art first, his pleasure second. This is a powerful, absorbing read about a woman who was a talented artist in her own right, and it illustrates very graphically who was responsible for making the 'Weeping Woman' weep.' Gill Paul, internationally bestselling author of A Beautiful Rival'Gifted photographer and painter - and muse of Picasso - Dora Marr comes vibrantly to life in Treger's new novel, THE PARIS MUSE. A fascinating and heartfelt portrait of a female artist striving to succeed in the male-dominated Parisian art world, readers won't be able to resist rooting for Dora, or relishing every page until The End. A compelling and absorbing read!' Heather Webb, USA Today and International bestselling author of Queens of London
