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The Curator of Broken Things #1
The Curator of Broken Things Book 1: From Smyrna to Paris
What readers are
Epic Tale I could not stop reading. “Amazing story spanning from 1902 to 2013 of generations that we carry with us, even when we don't know our family history. I was taken aback at the similarities of history repeating itself. I compare this epic story to another of my all time best novels "Palmtrees In The Snow" which was made into a 4 hour movie. I hope this trilogy follows in movie form.”
This story has it all. “This was the most exciting read I've had in a long time! (and I read about a book a week) But in the case of this trilogy, I could not put it down, and read all three in about 5 days. I was entertained, enlightened and totally consumed.”
Great Trilogy. “Each book was better than the last. Book 1 set the story up, book 2 gave us some twists and turns and book 3 wrapped it up with a bang. I will look for more from this writer.”
Seriously Good Book. “This author has a talent for writing but evidently a talent for research as well. The story takes place over generations from the Ottoman Empire of the early 1900s to modern day France. Very well done!”
With her twins in college and her ex-husband off to a younger pasture, Cassie is resigned to a disappointing life in Los Angeles, until she reluctantly returns to Paris to visit her ailing father. There, she discovers the existence of an estranged aunt, a woman of many secrets who lives in a beautiful house in Paris’s exclusive Cité des Fleurs. Dumbfounded by what she learns, Cassie sets out on a quest to understand her family’s past and make sense of her father’s cold indifference toward her.
In Paris, as the truth about her failed marriage begins to take form, Cassie fights with her family, grapples with French idiosyncrasies and her own, and attempts to resist the charms of a good-looking Parisian who rides a vintage motorcycle.
From the last gasp of the Ottoman Empire to Paris of the 1920s to the prewar French Riviera to the World War II Allied landing in North Africa, the extraordinary story of her family unfolds to reveal the burdens Cassie has carried her entire life.
THE CURATOR OF BROKEN THINGS is a family-saga trilogy that takes place over a century. The novel weaves multiple narrative threads, each revealing new sides of the story until three generations of secrets are revealed that might bring a family together or tear it apart.
Book 1: From Smyrna to Paris Book 2: Escape to the Côte d' Azur Book 3: Resistance in Algiers Book 1: FROM SMYRNA TO PARIS
Everything Cassie believes about her father is turned on its head when she meets an estranged elderly aunt more than willing to expose family secrets that have created riffs across generations. From an ancient city in the Ottoman Empire to Paris in the Roaring Twenties to a desperate escape from Nazi annihilation, Cassie begins to unearth her family’s past and its impact on who she has become.
Epic Tale I could not stop reading. “Amazing story spanning from 1902 to 2013 of generations that we carry with us, even when we don't know our family history. I was taken aback at the similarities of history repeating itself. I compare this epic story to another of my all time best novels "Palmtrees In The Snow" which was made into a 4 hour movie. I hope this trilogy follows in movie form.”
This story has it all. “This was the most exciting read I've had in a long time! (and I read about a book a week) But in the case of this trilogy, I could not put it down, and read all three in about 5 days. I was entertained, enlightened and totally consumed.”
Great Trilogy. “Each book was better than the last. Book 1 set the story up, book 2 gave us some twists and turns and book 3 wrapped it up with a bang. I will look for more from this writer.”
Seriously Good Book. “This author has a talent for writing but evidently a talent for research as well. The story takes place over generations from the Ottoman Empire of the early 1900s to modern day France. Very well done!”
With her twins in college and her ex-husband off to a younger pasture, Cassie is resigned to a disappointing life in Los Angeles, until she reluctantly returns to Paris to visit her ailing father. There, she discovers the existence of an estranged aunt, a woman of many secrets who lives in a beautiful house in Paris’s exclusive Cité des Fleurs. Dumbfounded by what she learns, Cassie sets out on a quest to understand her family’s past and make sense of her father’s cold indifference toward her.
In Paris, as the truth about her failed marriage begins to take form, Cassie fights with her family, grapples with French idiosyncrasies and her own, and attempts to resist the charms of a good-looking Parisian who rides a vintage motorcycle.
From the last gasp of the Ottoman Empire to Paris of the 1920s to the prewar French Riviera to the World War II Allied landing in North Africa, the extraordinary story of her family unfolds to reveal the burdens Cassie has carried her entire life.
THE CURATOR OF BROKEN THINGS is a family-saga trilogy that takes place over a century. The novel weaves multiple narrative threads, each revealing new sides of the story until three generations of secrets are revealed that might bring a family together or tear it apart.
Book 1: From Smyrna to Paris Book 2: Escape to the Côte d' Azur Book 3: Resistance in Algiers Book 1: FROM SMYRNA TO PARIS
Everything Cassie believes about her father is turned on its head when she meets an estranged elderly aunt more than willing to expose family secrets that have created riffs across generations. From an ancient city in the Ottoman Empire to Paris in the Roaring Twenties to a desperate escape from Nazi annihilation, Cassie begins to unearth her family’s past and its impact on who she has become.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 25, 2018
186 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Corine Gantz
7 books96 followersCorine Gantz was born in France where she spent the first twenty years of her life. She studied Contemporary Art at the Sorbonne and worked in advertising and marketing in Paris, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
She is the author of Hidden in Paris and The Curator of Broken Things trilogy.
She has two grown sons and lives between Los Angeles and Bennington Vermont with her husband.
She is the author of Hidden in Paris and The Curator of Broken Things trilogy.
She has two grown sons and lives between Los Angeles and Bennington Vermont with her husband.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 11, 2019
'The Curator of Broken Things' by author Corine Gantz is a story told in a trilogy of books. Each book weaves threads from several characters living in different decades into a complex tapestry whose final pattern is only revealed at the end of Book 3. The books are rich with descriptive texture that lures the reader in to a time and place we most likely are not familiar with at all: Smyrna on the precipice of World War II. Setting this sweeping historical novel in exotic Smyrna gives us a fresh perspective on the WWII era. We are used to novels about the Jewish experience in Germany and Poland, for example. The author has a firm knowledge of actual history that underpins her narrative. Though WWII is the backstory, Gantz peppers the tale lightly with reference to the atrocities of war so as not to overpower the core of her saga which is the impact of family secrets on relationships. Still, the Velodrome D’Hiver (Vel d’Hiv) is mentioned enough that I’m embarrassed to say I had to Google it. I’m glad I did because it is a dark chapter in French history that I knew nothing about.
At the heart of this tale is an enduring romance of lovers fighting impossible odds to be together. The author deftly makes us champion this pair despite dilemmas and choices they make that some might consider amoral. The impact of those choices reverberates to the next generation and the generation after that. The story is presented as a journey of self-discovery by a contemporary divorced French woman—Cassandra-- who lives in Los Angeles and has to go back to Paris for a family emergency. Cassie’s life is unraveling at the same time she is unraveling the secrets of her family’s history.
Gantz has come a long way since her sunny debut novel 'Hidden in France'. This new series showcases her flair for dialogue and descriptive phrasing as well as structuring complex plot lines. I felt I was reading about a friend’s actual family history glammed up a bit. She made me care. That’s quite an accomplishment for any fiction writer. I highly recommend 'The Curator of Broken Things' trilogy of books for your summer reading list- it will keep you thoroughly entertained.
At the heart of this tale is an enduring romance of lovers fighting impossible odds to be together. The author deftly makes us champion this pair despite dilemmas and choices they make that some might consider amoral. The impact of those choices reverberates to the next generation and the generation after that. The story is presented as a journey of self-discovery by a contemporary divorced French woman—Cassandra-- who lives in Los Angeles and has to go back to Paris for a family emergency. Cassie’s life is unraveling at the same time she is unraveling the secrets of her family’s history.
Gantz has come a long way since her sunny debut novel 'Hidden in France'. This new series showcases her flair for dialogue and descriptive phrasing as well as structuring complex plot lines. I felt I was reading about a friend’s actual family history glammed up a bit. She made me care. That’s quite an accomplishment for any fiction writer. I highly recommend 'The Curator of Broken Things' trilogy of books for your summer reading list- it will keep you thoroughly entertained.
March 23, 2019
Fascinating information look at the end of the Ottoman Empire
This book takes place in two times. One story line is about a Jewish boy living in a village outside Smyrna, Turkey. The more modern story takes place in Paris. The story of the Armenian genocide in Turkey is one that has not been told often enough. The author does a good job describing the horror, the panic and the lack of compassion towards refugees that we are now seeing in our own country.
As the two story lines converge, the themes of family role and family secrets emerges. You can picture the settings and the people as though you were there in Paris.
I didn’t realize that this was the first in a series so was surprised when the story abruptly ended without anything being pulled together. I guess I’ll be reading the next book because otherwise the characters will haunt me for months to come.
This book takes place in two times. One story line is about a Jewish boy living in a village outside Smyrna, Turkey. The more modern story takes place in Paris. The story of the Armenian genocide in Turkey is one that has not been told often enough. The author does a good job describing the horror, the panic and the lack of compassion towards refugees that we are now seeing in our own country.
As the two story lines converge, the themes of family role and family secrets emerges. You can picture the settings and the people as though you were there in Paris.
I didn’t realize that this was the first in a series so was surprised when the story abruptly ended without anything being pulled together. I guess I’ll be reading the next book because otherwise the characters will haunt me for months to come.
November 25, 2019
An epic trilogy - so good, I binge read all three books. The story weaves back and forth in time and place as it develops a cast of characters whose lives are connected in unexpected ways. There's love and bitterness, secrets and family drama with a capital D. Well crafted, diligently researched, impossible to put down. In addition to being a great read (and honestly I don't mean to diminish that triumph at all) it's a super engaging history lesson. I admit to having been woefully ignorant about both the Jewish resistance in Algiers as well as the details of the Armenian Genocide. Fascinating locations and storylines.
Brava! Ms. Gantz.
Brava! Ms. Gantz.
April 7, 2021
In the end, I enjoyed it, but I had to skim over some very verbose parts to keep the narrative going. The author might want to look for an editor with a slightly heavier hand and a good proof-reader.
Having said that, it offers a clear (and historically accurate) account of the end of the Ottoman Empire and the collapse of a society that had been relatively tolerate of religious differences. If you want an even better version of the Armenian story, read The Sand Castle Girls.
And when is it not simply fun to read a book that is set partly in Paris and follow the main character to some landmarks and into a variety of neighborhoods?
Having said that, it offers a clear (and historically accurate) account of the end of the Ottoman Empire and the collapse of a society that had been relatively tolerate of religious differences. If you want an even better version of the Armenian story, read The Sand Castle Girls.
And when is it not simply fun to read a book that is set partly in Paris and follow the main character to some landmarks and into a variety of neighborhoods?
June 9, 2019
A beautiful tale spanning continents and decades
As an unapologetic Francophile I was eager to get my hands on another piece of work by this fabulous author. This book was a wonderful surprise. The emotions of the characters are well developed and both stories contained within are wonderful. One story, however, is very intense and definitely not light reading. I say this only for someone who might be looking for a light read about Paris. This is not meant at all to dissuade. The story is is told well and beautifully. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
As an unapologetic Francophile I was eager to get my hands on another piece of work by this fabulous author. This book was a wonderful surprise. The emotions of the characters are well developed and both stories contained within are wonderful. One story, however, is very intense and definitely not light reading. I say this only for someone who might be looking for a light read about Paris. This is not meant at all to dissuade. The story is is told well and beautifully. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
September 30, 2019
Slow start, but it kept getting better
This was the first time I read anything by this author. It seemed slow at first, but picked up and became much more intriguing as the story leapt back in time to the back story in turn-of-the-century Smyrna! I don't always like when books don't end, instead seaguing into another book, but I've already ordered part two. Can't wait to continue finding out Cassie's story!
This was the first time I read anything by this author. It seemed slow at first, but picked up and became much more intriguing as the story leapt back in time to the back story in turn-of-the-century Smyrna! I don't always like when books don't end, instead seaguing into another book, but I've already ordered part two. Can't wait to continue finding out Cassie's story!
August 12, 2022
Historical novel
After an interesting but slow, star,t, I could not turn off and put my kindle down.
Great historical novel. Great description of life in Smyrna and how war dramatically changed everything.
Not an unfamiliar subject to me but I was beautifully told. A sad story full of hope and wonderful characters.. Can't wait to start the wind book,
After an interesting but slow, star,t, I could not turn off and put my kindle down.
Great historical novel. Great description of life in Smyrna and how war dramatically changed everything.
Not an unfamiliar subject to me but I was beautifully told. A sad story full of hope and wonderful characters.. Can't wait to start the wind book,
May 9, 2022
This is a rip off! It ends with no conclusions to anything so you have to buy book 2 and I’m assuming that will end the same way so you have to buy book 3. Why not just make this whole trilogy 1 book?! I’m assuming it’s so the author can make more money on 3 separate books.
June 4, 2022
Every once and a while you find a book that captures your imagination and doesn't let you go. This was the first in the trilogy of "The Curator of Broken Things".
July 10, 2022
Disappointing
A huge disappointment. The author was too lazy to give a conclusion and too money hungry to tell the story in one book.
A huge disappointment. The author was too lazy to give a conclusion and too money hungry to tell the story in one book.
July 27, 2022
A beautiful story. Just binge read all 3 books in the trilogy and loved it - highly recommend!
May 15, 2022
At the time of this review, there are only 98 ratings, 8 reviews. Soon to be many more! I don’t remember how I came to find this author or the trilogy but I am pleased that it came to me, somehow. At the onset, it seems to be two distinct novels and stories. Each chapter moving from one to the next. Often I am annoyed with this writing technique however this is very well done. I found myself engrossed in one story and it was time to switch to the other and in no time, I was equally interested in both. Disparate stories is an understatement. From the Ottoman Empire and the city of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) and the wars between the Greeks and Turks and any other nationality of residence in the area to modern France with an ex-patriot now living in the U.S. Sometimes you will live the horrific story with the characters and all the turmoil and emotions that accompany the incidents. At other times you will follow and feel their passions and fiery beliefs and actions, rationalized. It reads like historical fiction so I learned a bit about world history in a part of the world I certainly knew little about. History repeats itself so you may recognize and relate to current events. If you have any French connection, you will relate to the French way of life and differences. On to book two of the trilogy for me.
March 19, 2023
2.5-3 Rather slow start to this book but thankfully it picked up about 3/4 of the way through. At first I was much more interested in reading Cassie's chapters but the way this book ends you really are missing a Huge piece of Albano's story and so was missing reading his story more. You know from the start of the book that both of the finials make it to present day how they get there is what is missing. Also we know that Xandra didn't die in the hospital as Albano believed she did when Smyrna burned. We learn from Cassie's conversation with her Aunt Marceline that her grandfather was Albano! I did have to go back and look up who Albano was married to cuz was wondering if it was Xandra but nope. But then we find out during the Aunt's story telling that when she was 7 and Cassie's father Gustave was 5 that that he got a new nanny, a refugee woman with a heavily accented voice who was scarred on her entire right side of her face whose name was Sandra - well now we know Xandra and Albano did somehow reconnect and that must be how the finials got back into the family's possession. Some foreshadowing is when Gustav was talking in his drugged sleep state and tells Cassie that he saw Baba's (his father Albano's) ghost and that it wasn't his fault and she needs to find Baba and she'll see Baba will share that it wasn't I his fault. As well I predict that the motorcycle riding guy Herve flirting with Cassie will end up being the hospital administrator. Guess I'll need to read the 2nd book to get some of the answers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2021
A Jewish boy witnessing the fall of the Ottoman Empire and an American woman in Paris in modern times seem to have little in common. As the story unfolds the reader can only presume the dual timelines will come to intersect. The question becomes how they will connect.
I enjoyed both storylines and particularly liked learning more about the Ottoman Empire and its ultimate fall. Since I'm a bit of a nerd, I found myself delving deeper into the history of the time and the geography of the area. Definitely a great starting point for an interesting part of the past.
A lovely trip through multiple cultures, multiple lives, and ultimately the connecting of the storylines.
I enjoyed both storylines and particularly liked learning more about the Ottoman Empire and its ultimate fall. Since I'm a bit of a nerd, I found myself delving deeper into the history of the time and the geography of the area. Definitely a great starting point for an interesting part of the past.
A lovely trip through multiple cultures, multiple lives, and ultimately the connecting of the storylines.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews