Quick take
All that glitters ain’t gold—beneath the glamour of fashion lie forces conspiring to corset women and their ambitions.
Good to know
400+ pages
Multiple viewpoints
Nonlinear timeline
Glamorous
Synopsis
Everyone remembers her daringly short, silver lamé dress. It was an iconic photo capturing an electric moment, where emerging American designer Astrid Bricard is young, uninhibited, and on the cusp of fashion and feminism’s changing landscape. She and fellow designer Hawk Jones are all over Vogue magazine and New York City’s disco scene. Yet she can’t escape the shadow of her mother, Mizza Bricard, infamous “muse” for Christian Dior. Astrid would give anything to take her place among the great houses of couture—on her own terms. I won’t inspire it when I can create it.
But then Astrid disappeared…
Now Astrid’s daughter, Blythe, holds what remains of her mother and grandmother’s legacies. Of all the Bricard women, she can gather the torn, painfully beautiful fabrics of three generations of heartbreak to create something that will shake the foundations of fashion. The only piece missing is the one question no one’s been able to answer: What really happened to Astrid?
Free sample
Why I love it
Fiora Elbers-Tibbitts
BOTM Editorial Team
An important thing to know about me is that I’ve spent years devouring shows like Project Runway. Unfortunately, by comparison, books about fashion are pretty few and far between—believe me, I’d have found them—so it was to my utter delight that I discovered The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, a historical novel set in the glamorous worlds of New York and Parisian fashion.
Three generations of women stretch across this book, starting in the 1910s with Mizza Bricard. Mizza works her way through French couture houses for decades until she catches the eye of Christian Dior and, subsequently, rises to fame. In 1970s New York, Mizza’s daughter Astrid also launches to stardom, but not the kind she wants. Rather than making a name for herself as a famous designer, she remains in the shadow of her lover, Hawk, billed as his “muse” and never getting credit for her own designs. After years of frustration, on the cusp of what could have been a career-making fashion event, she disappears into thin air. In present-day France, Astrid’s daughter Blythe has done all she can to distance herself from the legacies of her talented-but-complicated family, but she can’t outrun her natural-born gift forever…
I had such fun reading The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. At its heart, this book is about women finding their voices. Layered over this deeper meaning is quippy, clever dialogue, gorgeous descriptions of elegant dresses, an irresistible backdrop of global fashion capitals, and an intriguing mystery that glimmers like a disco ball.
Member ratings (723)
Hannah B.
Walker, MI
This book was INCREDIBLE!!! I was completely captivated by it! Could NOT put it down! I loved the multiple viewpoints. It made me want to keep going until I knew the entirety of each character’s story
Kaitlyn F.
Jersey City, NJ
3.5/5 knocking it down bc at times with 3 timelines and many characters could be hard to keep track of who was who (mainly who was reappearing in astrid and blythe life) and because didn’t love blythe
Vivian H.
Winchester, VA
Historical fiction at its best! Based on the life of Dior’s assistant Mizza, this is a portrait of how men have dominated the fashion industry & marginalized, defamed, & denigrated women designers.
Mary L.
Pottsville , PA
Stunningly intricate study of women in a world domineered by men. Lester dazzles her readers with the fashion industry of 1970's and the multigenerational journey of the fashion designers connected.
Erin C.
Longmont, CO
I absolutely devoured this book! The 1970’s era fashion industry gave off “Daisy Jones” vibes, plus add in a little mystery, family drama, and snippets of WWII and you have a page-turning read!