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    The Perfume Collector: A Novel
    The Perfume Collector: A Novel
    The Perfume Collector: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Perfume Collector: A Novel

    Written by Kathleen Tessaro

    Narrated by Heather Wilds

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A remarkable novel about secrets, desire, memory, passion, and possibility.

    Newlywed Grace Monroe doesn’t fit anyone’s expectations of a successful 1950s London socialite, least of all her own. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from a complete stranger, Madame Eva d’Orsey, Grace is drawn to uncover the identity of her mysterious benefactor.

    Weaving through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, the story Grace uncovers is that of an extraordinary women who inspired one of Paris’s greatest perfumers. Immortalized in three evocative perfumes, Eva d’Orsey’s history will transform Grace’s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is.

    The Perfume Collector explores the complex and obsessive love between muse and artist, and the tremendous power of memory and scent.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateFeb 4, 2014
    ISBN9780062345899
    Author

    Kathleen Tessaro

    Kathleen Tessaro is the author of Elegance, Innocence, The Flirt, The Debutante, The Perfume Collector, and Rare Objects. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and son.

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    Reviews for The Perfume Collector

    4/5

    63 ratings37 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Phenomenal audiobook very intriguing story with a very nice dialogue I highly recommend it.
    • 2/5
      Tale of a young English woman, going thro difficult times with her husband, that I finds herself the beneficiary of a large estate in France. Before accepting the inheritance Grace wants to find out who Eve is, and what prompted the gift. Fun, fantasy sort of read that I finished quickly .
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars. A not-particularly mysterious inheritance leads Londoner Grace Monroe on a journey to Paris to discover why her benefactor, Eva D'Orsey would leave her a valuable flat, stocks, and some cheap trinkets.

      Grace's story is set in 1955; Eva's begins in New York City, 1927. Both women smoke. Yes, typical for the period, but for a modern reader, it's jarring, and somewhat paradoxical, in a book that's all about scent and perfume, since smoking dulls the sense of smell. There's a character, Madame Zed, who is so sensitive to odors that she can't stand the smell of bleach in her hotel bathroom, yet everyone around her is constantly puffing away, and THAT doesn't bother her...? If there was a drinking game to take a shot every time someone lit a cigarette in this book, the reader would risk death by alcohol poisoning by the end (like Eva herself).

      Much of the writing is beautiful. I especially loved the weird ingredients in the perfume formulas, the hint of earthiness or decay necessary to make a really memorable scent. Those descriptions leave a lingering fragrance in the mind.

      The plot is thin; I think everyone BUT Grace has figured out who Eva is in relation to her, long before she gets it. I also felt cheated of Eva's transformation; we see her as a young, naive, and soon traumatized 14 year-old, and in her next scene, she's glamorous, poised, so sophisticated in the ways of the world she can tutor/act as muse to a young parfumist with great skills in formulation, not so much with people. How did Eva get from Point A to Point B?

      Grace's transformation is done subtly, but well. The story is told from omniscient point of view and IMO, there are some unnecessary digressions into the heads of minor characters which add nothing to the story. But overall, despite (or perhaps because of) its flaws, it's a lovely book and I do recommend it.
    • 4/5
      Newlywed Grace Monroe doesn’t fit anyone’s expectations of a successful 1950s London socialite, least of all her own. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from a complete stranger, Madame Eva d’Orsey, Grace is drawn to uncover the identity of her mysterious benefactor.Weaving through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, the story Grace uncovers is that of an extraordinary women who inspired one of Paris’s greatest perfumers. Immortalized in three evocative perfumes, Eva d’Orsey’s history will transform Grace’s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is.
    • 3/5
      This novel followed the parallel stories of Eva d'Orsey and Grace Monroe. Having read many other books with similar plot lines, it wasn't too difficult to work out the connection between the two women fairly early on. Eva's story was interesting and she was a survivor, but I didn't like how the author ended it. Grace. on the other hand, was fairly average and didn't show much potential except at the end when her husband arrived in Paris. I never emotionally connected with either woman and found them both rather uninspiring and flat as main protagonists.In particular, I struggled with the second-half of the book and was glad to reach the last page. The first half was okay when Eva worked as a maid and Grace received word of her unexpected inheritance from a woman she never knew existed, but the latter half was very mediocre.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from SheReads in exchange for a fair and honest review. Wow. Who would have thought I would have loved a book that focuses on perfume? And have read it in less than 2 days when it’s over 400 pages?Sometimes, I get scared of novels that are over 350 pages and wonder why on earth they are so long! But The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro was such a pleasant surprise. I could have read 400 more pages of it, to be honest.The story is told in two pieces: Every other chapter tells either Grace or Eva’s story.Grace (story told in the 1950s) all of a sudden finds out that she is the sole inheritor of a massive fortune, but has no idea why she was chosen to inherit anything since she doesn’t even know the woman (Eva) who died.For the full review, visit Love at First Book
    • 4/5
      ‘The Perfume Collector’ by Kathleen Tessaro is an interesting story about a London socialite, Grace Munroe, who is dispatched to Paris to receive a generous inheritance upon the death of her benefactor, Eva d’Orsey. Grace persists in unravelling the mystery regarding the sudden inheritance, and in doing so she comes to terms with herself. The story evokes of fragrances of the perfume world, as Eva was an inspiration to one of the greatest perfumers in the world in the 1920’s. The story juxtaposes, with every chapter moving between Eva’s turbulent days in the 1920’s to Grace’s somewhat unfulfilling life in the 1950’s, as she seeks to understand why she was designated as the sole heir from this unknown benefactor. Although I was intrigued with the very differing stories of the two women, I thought that the author moved back and forth in time with such regularity and predictability that it slightly detracted from the cadence of the story. I did love the way that Grace’s character develops through the novel and how she becomes more adventurous and assertive as the story progresses. Much like the ‘The Language of Flowers’ by Vanessa Diffenbaugh which mentions specific flowers and their connotations, ‘The Perfume Collector’ is like an infusion of scents to evoke a particular experience, such as the scent of rain or tumultuous love.
    • 4/5
      I just loved this book. The writing style was exquisite and it had an old - fashioned feel to it. The plot line was truly engaging- I found myself reading during every spare moment. I loved how both Eva and Grace's stories seemlessly connected in the end. Also, I loved the descriptions of perfume and fashion. I would highly recommend this beautiful novel.
    • 4/5
      Predictable but enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      I did enjoy this story. Switching between two different time periods did not bother me at all. I liked the way the main characters were portrayed, especially those from the earlier period of time. I didn't actually like the characters although that in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
    • 4/5
      In 1955 London, Grace Monroe inherits a stock portfolio and a flat in Paris from Eva d’Orsey- a woman she has never heard of before. With her husband away on work (and possibly an affair), she goes ahead and flies to Paris to find out what she has inherited, along with who the mysterious d’Orsey is. With the aid of Monsieur Tissot, d’Orsey’s lawyer, she discovers Madame Zed, a former perfume creator fallen on hard times, living above a long deserted and boarded up perfume shop. She proves able to fill in some of what Grace wants to know, starting back in 1927. Slowly, the pieces of the story fall together. The story bounces back and forth between 1955 and 1927, a duel story of young women growing up. Eva’s story isn’t an easy one; she left home to work at 14 and ended up being taken horrible advantage of; the full extent of what happened doesn’t come out until the end of the book. Grace’s story is a much easier one; she grew up in an insulated, wealthy household and doesn’t know much beyond being a nice girl and a good wife. But learning about Grace, and experiencing Paris, expands her horizons and allows her to become her own woman. I enjoyed the book; the author’s descriptions of fragrances, fine foods, wines, and buildings were done with gemlike care. The big secret at the end I’d already figured out half way through the book, but that didn’t take away from it. I was really rooting for Grace, but even more so for Eva.
    • 3/5
      Good book. Knew where the story was headed, but I really did enjoy the journey. The mark of a good writer.
    • 5/5
      I really loved this story!enjoyed the way it was written in present and past wanting you to make links.facinating insight into the perfume industry at the time.the book kept calling me as I walked past it on the coffee table to read more!
    • 3/5
      Residing in 1955 London, Grace Munroe is in traditional marriage but is dissatisfied. Her friends believe that she should be happy supporting her husbands career, but she wants more in life than being a housewife. One day she receives a letter informing her that a woman from Paris that she has never heard from has recently died and has left her an apartment and an inheritance portfolio. Believing that a mistake has been made, she travels to Paris to learn more about this mysterious woman. named Eva D’Orsey. The novel then alternates between 1920s New York City and Paris telling the story of Grace's benefactor and the 1950s Paris as Grace learns about the connection between the two of them. I found the book enjoyable and learned much about perfumeries and their craft.
    • 4/5
      This was just my kind of book, mystery, history (I made a rhyme!) and a little romance. Enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      The basic story is predictable but the setting and the descriptions of perfumes and perfume ingredients make the book very interesting and enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      This novel interweaves the stories of Eva D'Orsey and Grace Monroe back and forth in time. Eva is a young girl working in a hotel in New York when she meets a variety of people that will impact her future; Madame Zed and Andre Valmont, perfumers, and "Mr. Lambert", of the English nobility but currently disowned and on the make. She learns about life and she learns some very hard lessons about people at a young age.Grace Munroe is wife to a thoughtless man who learns she is the sole heir in Eva D'Orsey's will. Just as she learns of her husband's infidelity she receives a plane ticket to France and a letter from an attorney. She flies over to learn why this woman left her fortune to her. Of course the reader figures it out quite quickly but as the story bounces back and forth in time Eva's story unfolds and we learn that things are not as simple as they might seem.I read this book in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. It captured me from the very first and I was just entranced with both Eva and to a lessor degree Grace. Eva was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I think she did the best she could with the situations placed in front of her. She was a highly intelligent woman in a time that did not value intelligence in women - only their ability to be the perfect accent to a man.Ms. Tessaro is one of those authors that writes in a way that makes you forget you are reading; you enter the world of the characters and you do not want to leave. The world around you just disappears and you have found yourself in a place where you see what they see, taste what they eat and in the case of this book, smell the perfume in the air. When you stop reading it's like you have come out of a trance. These books are few and far between but I've been fortunate enough to have now read two in a row from great writers. Lucky me!
    • 4/5
      Grace Monroe is an upper class English socialite who doesn't feel as if she really fits into her life in London in 1955. She receives a letter from Paris telling her that she has been left a large amount of money from the estate of Eva d'Orsey. Since she doesn't know Eva, she goes to Paris to investigate who Eva was and why she left her estate to Grace. The book is Eva's story starting in 1927 and Grace's story told in alternating chapters. I found both stories very interesting and I liked the way the author wove them together. I also enjoyed reading about the perfume industry during these years. I would highly recommend this book - especially to readers who enjoy reading about Paris.
    • 4/5
      Grace Munroe lives the life of a socialite in the 1950's - parties, shopping, charity events - all on the arm of a husband who expects the perfect wife to advance his career and their social standing. Eva D'Orsey is a young orphan in the 1920's - a poor chambermaid with a head for numbers at a hotel that caters discretely to the whims and wishes of the rich and famous.Not long after Grace learns of her husband's infidelity, she receives a letter from a solicitor in Paris informing her that she is the sole heir to the fortune of Eva D'Orsey - a woman who is a complete stranger to her. Grace travels to Paris to find out about the woman who has changed her life.Kathleen Tessaro takes us through the lives of these two women and eventually discloses the connection. (Non-spoiler - although the author does not disclose the connection until late in the book, it is pretty easy to figure out early on). Through the contacts made in the hotel, Eva eventually becomes the muse for one of the great perfumers in the world. Easily the best thing about this book for me were the descriptions of the creation of perfumes. In this day and age when every pop star, reality star and people famous for doing nothing are flooding the market with their 'signature scents', it is extremely interesting to read what a serious, creative process creating a memorable scent really is. The book is worth reading for this alone. Tessaro has written a very readable and enjoyable book. It has been labelled as historical fiction, but I would have to put it in the 'chick-lit' category. It's a good vacation read, but I'd pack it in my carry-on bag to read on the plane.
    • 5/5
      Really enjoyed this book and the parallel story between 1955 and 1927. The description of perfumes and life in Paris in the 30's was very captivating. Read the book in one afternoon. This book would make a great movie.
    • 4/5
      Young British society matron Grace, unhappy in her marriage, and living without purpose, finds she has been left a fortune by The French mistress of a weathy perfume maker. An engrossing story told in flashbacks in various countries and times during the early to mid 20th century.
    • 4/5
      This is a beautifully written story about a young English woman in 1955. She finds out that she has received an inheritance, but it is from a woman that she has never heard of and she must go to Paris to claim her legacy. However, she decides to do some investigation before taking the money and finds out much more than she bargained for. The story is written back and forth between the current 1955 and 1927, being the story of the legator. Also, the story is based around a perfumier, and the author's description of the scents created is worth reading the book alone. I thought this book was very smart, had twists and turns that I did not expect, and kept me interested throughout. I highly recommend it!
    • 3/5
      This is the second book I’ve read by Tessaro, and like the other I’d have to call this ChickLit, but with more depth and quality of writing than I would expect. This one is also a bit darker than I expected. An entertaining read with moments that call for reflection.
    • 4/5
      The Perfume Collector1955 Grace Monroe finds her husband cheated on her and is given an inheritance. Book also follows Eva Dorsey in Paris and she has been told she must stop drinking.An abandoned perfume shop and all the secrets they hold. Loved when she found the shop with all the vials and they are able to read their names...Kind of confusing as the chapters change to different years along the way and go back, then forward, then back, etc. Really good story if you can follow along.Especially loved learning how to blend the items to create one's own special fragrance.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 4/5
      I received an uncorrected proof of this as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Thus, I won't quote anything, as this is not the final work. This book follows two women, one in 1927 and the other in 1955. The story revolves around the beauty of perfume, and it is simply lovely. In a time when pop stars regularly release perfumes, I hadn't given much thought to what perfume used to be and could be. I flew through this book. It's beautifully written, and despite jumping from '27 to '55 nearly every other chapter, it flows perfectly.
    • 4/5
      When I was small, my grandmother had a collection of tiny, decorative perfume bottles on her dresser that fascinated me. The scents inside them weren't necessarily to my taste, but the exotic looking bottles with their fancy stoppers and their gold leafing appealed to my usually hidden girly side. They seemed so grown up, the very definition of a lady and I loved to touch them, hold them, and imagine stories about them. On a seemingly unrelated note, when I was pregnant, my sense of smell was heightened beyond all belief. I could open the refrigerator and know which of its contents were going off in the next day or two. I could smell and identify the faintest hints of things underneath showier scents. This was a blessing and a curse both. Combine my memories of these two sensory experiences, the touch of the perfume bottles and the heightened smell of intricate odors, and it comes as no surprise that I was attracted to Kathleen Tessaro's latest novel, The Perfume Collector. Two intricately interwoven tales, the novel is the story, set in the 1950s, of Grace Monroe, a bright woman who is struggling with who she is, who she wants to be, and the uncomfortable persona of socialite wife her husband expects her to be to help him advance his career and, at the same time, it is also the story of Eva d'Orsey, a young French girl starting with her job as a chambermaid at a chic, glamourous, and discreet hotel for the daring and dallying jet set in New York City in 1927 and ranging through the rest of her fascinating and unusual life. When Grace is facing a crisis point in her marriage, having uncovered evidence of her husband's infidelity, she receives a commmunication from a lawyer's office in Paris, informing her that Eva d'Orsey has passed away and that she, Grace, is the sole beneficiary. Taking the opportunity to escape London, Grace heads to France, certain that there has been a mistake; after all, she has no idea who Eva d'Orsey is. Assured that she is indeed Eva's heir, she is unwilling to accept such a generous bequest from a perfect stranger and so she enlists the French lawyer, Edouard Tissot, to help her uncover who Eva was and how she was connected to Grace. As she and Edouard start to discover the smallest pieces of information about the late Mlle. d'Orsey, the plot shifts to Eva's tale and her trajectory from chambermaid to muse for one of the most sought after and talented perfumers of the time, Monsieur Valmont, a Jew. Tessaro skillfully weaves the two stories together, moving from one to the other and back again, beautifully balancing Grace's personal unhappiness and her quest to understand what her inheritance means for her future with Eva's eventful story and the revelation of the connection between Grace and Eva. The immersion in the world of scents is fascinating and having Grace learn about this rarified profession allows the reader to learn about it as well without being overwhelmed by reams of authorial research. Both past time periods and the public restraints placed on women are artfully rendered and there is an air of elegance to the story as a whole. How Grace and Eva are connected is presented as a mystery but it's really only a mystery to Grace as the astute reader has no doubts about it right from the start of the novel but this predictability is only a small misstep in a sophisticated and over all enticing novel. A wonderful tale for historical fiction fans, this is also an appealing look at women, unusual certainly, but firmly of their times, the avenues open to them, and the ways in which they choose to order their lives, celebrate their own intelligence, and ultimately create themselves. It is one to savour slowly even as it becomes increasingly difficult to put down.
    • 4/5
      When offered a review copy of The Perfume Collector, I did the same thing I always do first: checked out the Goodreads page to see how the early reviews had fallen. Based on the overwhelmingly positive response, I accepted, despite my crowded review schedule. I'm quite glad I did, as Tessaro's novel is a marvelous read, full of beautiful language and eccentric characters. Set in the post-WWII, Kathleen Tessaro's novel The Perfume Collector is a contemplative tale of one woman's journey to make amends and another woman's journey to find herself.Grace Munroe lives a rather dull life in the upper crust. She doesn't much care about shopping or parties, preferring intellectual pursuits, and feels a bit lost. Her unease only increases with the suspicion that her husband, Roger, has been conducting an affair. Unsure how to react, she stalls for time, traveling to France to follow up on a mysterious and well-timed missive, informing her of her inheritance from one Eva d'Orsey. What's puzzling is that this Eva is completely unknown to Grace.The overall plot is, to my mind, entirely predictable. The connection between Grace and Eva is, I think, obvious. There was no shocking reveal or mind-blowing twist. However, I do not see that as a bad thing. Even though the destination is clear, The Perfume Collector is much more about Grace's own mental journey, coming into her own, coming of age, even if she is over thirty, discovering independence for the first time in her life.Tessaro alternates between Grace's timeline in 1954 and Eva's timeline from the 1920s until her death, slowly weaving them together until all is known. This narrative device is frequently used in historical fiction, but often one of the timelines is much more interesting the other, leaving the reader bored and impatient during the other. Thankfully, in The Perfume Collector, I found both Eva and Grace fascinating in entirely different ways. Though the pace is rather slow, it never flagged, and I was fully engaged throughout.The characters are well-drawn and all bursting with personality. Grace really does open up in front of the reader's eyes, letting more and more of her true self shine through. I also loved Grace's interactions with her best friend, Mallory, and that, through everything, Mallory was there for her. I rather expected Mallory's character to turn out to be shallow and unreliable, because she's much more into the social scene than Grace, and fiction does that sort of thing, but, no, their friendship is real and delightful. The lawyer, Tissot, too, is a friendly, joking fellow, and probably my personal favorite.In Eva's sections, the people are brasher, darker, and less likable, but also more compelling. As a young girl, Eva works at a high class hotel in New York City, cleaning up after illustrious and daring personages. She becomes involved with some of these people, and sets her life on a dangerous, exciting course. Grace may live a life of quiet desperation, but Eva's desperation is anything but calm and reserved.Kathleen Tessaro's The Perfume Collector is a beautiful historical novel about one woman's awakening. Readers who appreciate historical fiction with a focus on women will want to give this one a look.
    • 3/5
      There are two stories within this book: that of Eva D'Orsey and that of Grace Munroe. I guessed the relationship between them long before it was revealed in the book.Eva was raised by her uncle, who found her a job as a maid at a hotel in New York. During her time as a maid, Eva met Madame Zed and her apprentice Andre Valmont, both of whom had keen senses of smell that they used in creating perfumes. She also met Charles Lambert, who admired her skills with math and cards, and Katherine Waverly, an aspiring actress. Grace was raised by an English couple, and is now married. Out of the blue, she gets a message from a French lawyer that Eva has left her a bequest. Grace is confused because she doesn't know Eva D'Orsey from Adam. Grace decides that she wants to know more about Eva before deciding what to do with the inheritance. Tissot, the lawyer, helps her with this quest. The story Grace uncovers is a romantic tragedy, but she also finds a sense of self and of what she wants.
    • 4/5
      This was a great Sunday read, the plot is interesting but follows the conventions of the genre, so the connection between Grace and Eva isn’t that hard to figure out. But the descriptions of the perfumes are wonderfully evocative and I love how different perfumes and aromas are used within the plot to trigger key memories. Lovely.
    • 4/5
      Having recently finished another novel told through two women in two different time era, Secret Life of Violet Grant, I believed that The Perfume Collector would be a good choice in keeping with the same genre of literary. The Perfume Collector is a far darker novel than Violet Grant but still intriguing. I will admit the subject of the making of perfume versus splitting atoms was far more interesting to me. Perfume Collector was a study into the science of perfume making mixed with the choices in life one needs to make. The story centers around two protagonists, Eva and Grace. Eva is an orphan who does what is must to survive and Grace is a daughter of fine British lineage. The mystery of the novel is what exactly connects them. A fascinating read for a lover of Historical Fiction.