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Cocktails, Caviar and Diapers
Mad Men meets real-life! Set against a glamorous life of splendor during the rise of the jet age of the 50s and 60s, this is a stirring tale of a voyage of self-discovery and ultimately release,
Living in various overseas postings, we follow Andrée Magnus’ path from the early seeds of self-recognition in Puerto Rico; to a blossoming in Venezuela; finding courage while living in Paris, France; and ultimately freeing herself from the bonds of an unhappy relationship. We see the scenery through her eyes, from the fetid tropics of Latin America, to the streets alive with art and revolution in France, to the chilling snows of northern Europe.
This novel is autobiographical, from a woman who truly lived her life completely, as a fine artist, poet and writer. Her perspectives and pathos are deep and stirring, the imagery bold and vivid.
About the author
Renee Duke (1927 – 2010) was a writer, poet and fine artist. A graduate of Harvard College, she continued her education in Paris, earning the equivalent of a Masters in Fine Arts at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts. She lived all over the world, including Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, France, Belgium, Denmark and her native United States. Throughout her travels, Renée raised six boys. She was a reporter for Women’s Wear Daily and other Fairchild publications, and in the early sixties, wrote a column for the International Herald Tribune. Renée sketched and painted throughout her life and had one-man shows in Paris, Boston, Caracas and Los Angeles.
Living in various overseas postings, we follow Andrée Magnus’ path from the early seeds of self-recognition in Puerto Rico; to a blossoming in Venezuela; finding courage while living in Paris, France; and ultimately freeing herself from the bonds of an unhappy relationship. We see the scenery through her eyes, from the fetid tropics of Latin America, to the streets alive with art and revolution in France, to the chilling snows of northern Europe.
This novel is autobiographical, from a woman who truly lived her life completely, as a fine artist, poet and writer. Her perspectives and pathos are deep and stirring, the imagery bold and vivid.
About the author
Renee Duke (1927 – 2010) was a writer, poet and fine artist. A graduate of Harvard College, she continued her education in Paris, earning the equivalent of a Masters in Fine Arts at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts. She lived all over the world, including Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, France, Belgium, Denmark and her native United States. Throughout her travels, Renée raised six boys. She was a reporter for Women’s Wear Daily and other Fairchild publications, and in the early sixties, wrote a column for the International Herald Tribune. Renée sketched and painted throughout her life and had one-man shows in Paris, Boston, Caracas and Los Angeles.
- GenresFiction
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2012
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118 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 19, 2014
I can't say that I really liked this book. The description for the kindle version says it's the equivalent of 180 pages, but it felt at least twice, if not three times longer. The narrative style wasn't really to my taste and I wasn't fond of Andree. Even though this is autobiographical, I found her to be overly self-involved, and while she was always trying to better herself and be more independent, it seemed like she never really changed. I do feel for her, though, when it comes to her crappy marriage.
October 4, 2012
The most interesting part of the book is the what you find out about the author later, and what she goes on to do with her life after Europe.
I don't know if this is a "good" book, but its an interesting read, the hectic writing style of a rich woman without many issues who could have done more with her career but didn't in a post war time.
I don't know if this is a "good" book, but its an interesting read, the hectic writing style of a rich woman without many issues who could have done more with her career but didn't in a post war time.
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February 25, 2016kindle memoir
August 25, 2012
Stopped reading,
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews