Several months back, while I was visiting stores on the North of Boston Book Trail, I got to meet author Christopher C. Gorham. At the time, he was at Whitelam Books signing copies of his last book, The Confidante. I got to chat with him for a while and bought myself a copy. He then asked if I would be willing to read an advance review copy (ARC) of his next book. I eagerly agreed. I’m very glad that I did.

Matisse at War is coming out September 30th and will be available anywhere books are sold. You can preorder now, and purchase options include physical, digital, and audio versions.

Summary:

The full title for this book is Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France. As one might imagine from that title and subtitle, this book is a biography of the painter Matisse specifically focused on the years during the Second World War. This is a period of his life that does not receive much examination. That may be partially due to it being so late in his career and partially because other artists were more overt with their resistance efforts. However, it’s a particularly fascinating portion of his life. Gorham has truly done a phenomenal job of portraying it here.

My Thoughts:

Truthfully, before opening this book, the majority of my knowledge of Matisse came from Art History 101. I could recognize his more famous works on sight. I had a rough understanding of when his most prolific times had taken place, and had heard of his association with other famous figures of the time: namely Picasso. After that brief introduction, I had little understanding of how interesting the man himself really was. He liked to let his artwork speak for him, but those of us who are less fluent in the language of painting may have missed pieces of his messages. Gorham has proved in this book that he is a phenomenal translator in that regard.

Gorham has a remarkable way of making the reader feel like they’re a fly on every wall. It’s possible to see minute mannerisms perfectly without the descriptions becoming cumbersome. Facts never feel cold or dry on his pages. They are the details the enrich the setting of the story he’s writing. He truly is a masterful storyteller. I would even recommend this to those who struggle with nonfiction. Gorham will keep you on the edge of your seat even when you know how how the story ends for every character. There are many more twists and turns than you’ll expect, all threaded into a riveting but thoroughly coherent narrative.

The timing of publication makes the story all the more poignant. Countries worldwide are seeing resurgences of fascist thought. This glimpse into occupied France shows what that form of government looks like when in effect. More importantly, it showed the many different ways that citizens react to it taking hold. While it’s a terrifying thought that one’s neighbors might take actions to support such a system, the overall message is more optimistic. Not only do we see a huge number of people resisting, but they do so in an enormous variety of ways. Matisse himself is bedridden for much of the war. That certainly complicates his efforts, but doesn’t stop him.

This is at times a difficult read. That’s not because of the occasional French terminology sprinkled in; context always makes that very easy to decipher. The historical events happening in this time and place are hard to bear witness to. They’re starting to look all too familiar at some points as well. If anything, that makes it all the more important. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Content Warnings: War, Genocide, Torture, Imprisonment, Descriptions of Medical Procedures & Recovery, SA, Infidelity, Racism, Classism, Sexism, Holocaust, Fascism, Concentration Camps & Death Camps, Gun Violence, Murder, Blood

After I Finished Matisse at War

Because many of the topics that arose in Matisse at War were so heavy, I looked for something lighter next. I had another ARC in my inbox that I thought would fit that bill perfectly. It’s a reimagining of a story that I’ve loved for a long, long time: Robin Hood. This is a genderbent version of the tale that swaps out the original white male lead for a young black woman who also happens to wield magic. It sounded like the perfect romp with the exact right tone I was looking for.

My next review will be for The Outlaw Witch of Sherwood by Brittany Hansen.