Mistress of the Ritz
“…it is growing more and more evident that there is no room, in wartime, for tending to a marriage.”
When the Nazi’s occupied Paris the Luftwaffe (including Hermann Goering) took over half of the Ritz as their headquarters. The other half was inhabited by civilians among them Coco Chanel. Claude Auzello, director of the Ritz, and his American wife, Blanche, are forced to continue to operate the hotel to the usual stellar standards in order to survive.
Based on a true story that is mostly unknown, Mistress of the Ritz brings to light the marriage and resistance work undertaken by the couple. As not much is written about the real-life Claude and Blanche Auzello, Bemjamin did fictionalize their lives, while working from the sparse details known about the actual couple that these characters are based upon, their contribution to the Ritz and the war effort. While reading this, I couldn't help but admire their bravery and the fact that they both risked their lives to help others every day.
Claude and Blanche have a tumultuous relationship, Blanche constantly feeling Claude’s attention is focused on everything but her, while spending her days drinking and mingling with the glamourous guests (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Capote) who visit the hotel. All the while Claude caters to his guests every whim. This is the backdrop for their dysfunctional marriage. Most WWII books focus on plots that are driven by lives risked, lives lost, and lives saved. Now, all three of these things happened in Mistress of the Ritz, but the real force of the narrative is driven by a couple who married early without really knowing each other. Then, as their marriage progressed, they made assumptions about what the other thought, what drove their lives, and what is acceptable in a marriage. Both Claude and Blanche continued on this path without truly listening to each other or properly communicating with each other. From here they worked independently instead of together as they both risked their lives as part of the French Resistance.
Creating a story around a dysfunctional marriage during the war was an interesting angle to build and develop characters from…and the characters were all well developed. Communication and listening are the keys to making real and lifelong connections. This is something that we all can work on in order to learn that there are deeper dimensions to those we already assume to known. Personally, I think this book can teach us about ourselves as well, and how blind we can easily become or remain as familiarity dulls our connections with others.
The first half of the story really built the setting, plot and characters so that the reader can really get to know the inner workings of the Ritz and the German occupation. From there, the second half of the book takes off, and I flew through it wanting to see the secrets and lies unfold. I was completing captivated by Blanche and Claude as they learn the truth about each other.
Overall, this is an interesting, engaging, and honest book. Melanie Benjamin is an absolutely captivating storyteller. She takes her time in building her story, which shows through her through research of the times and attention to details. The plot and writing style flow making the story easy to read without wanting to put it down. I’m so glad to have picked up Benjamin’s book and am now a fan for life. If you are a fan of historical fiction you will want to add this book to your collection.
