Finally I remembered the book I read at the beginning of the month. And now that I remember, I know why I forgot. It was The Miniaturist, by Kunal Basu. I never wrote it down, because I didn't actually finish it. Obviously I didn't enjoy it, and even though it was for my Fiber Arts Book Club, I couldn't bring myself to spend any more time that the 125 pages I had already read. It should be noted that others in the group LOVED this book, so don't take my word for it's worth.
I've just completed A Cup of Light, by Nicole Mones. This is also for the same book club, and this book is why I love being in a book club. It's not a story that would have attracted me if I'd seen it on the shelf, or read the blurb on the flap, or even read a good review of it. But I loved it. It's a story of a young woman in China to assess an astonishing collection of ancient porcelain. It's a story of art, of intrigue, and just a bit of romance. It's a story of China.
And as an aside, last month's book, The Music Lesson, also dealt with the issue of art forgeries. I questioned the credibility of the idea that a fake wouldn't be recognized by the museum experts. In A Cup of Light, I now understand how complex a task it is to determine forgeries, particularly when they are done by extremely skilled artists. I like the way we are reading so many novels around the general theme of art, because the knowledge I gain from each feeds into the background of another. And so the world goes round.
