4.5 stars. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is the perfect blend of historical fiction, fashion, and mystery. Natasha Lester weaves these threads together perfectly (pardon the pun) into a book I devoured in a single day.

Historical fiction set in the fashion world is a weak spot of mine, and Lester's latest had me madly Googling to find more books just like it so that it didn't have to be over.

This is my first Natasha Lester novel, though I have had my eye on her books for a while. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the multiple timelines, for the most part, and the fashion world is very entertaining and Lester clearly is knowledgeable. I struggled with the insertion of the Mizza story line. For the first quarter to a third of the book, the structure clearly follows an Astrid/Blythe/Astrid/Blythe pattern and then all of a sudden we have the insertion of two or three Mizza chapters in a row, when we haven't seen her perspective at all. I appreciated the info we got, but did not like how it suddenly felt dropped in. I loved the author's note that clarified what was real and what was made up. This is certainly a step above the usual "forgotten woman of history" novelizations that have been so popular over the past 10 years.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard exemplifies the best of historical fiction, seamlessly blending real events and people with fictional characters whose lives intersect. It combines a family saga, the mystery surrounding both Astrid’s disappearance and the identity of her father, and an exposé on the misogynistic toxicity of the fashion industry.

In the author’s note, Lester mentions that Mizza Bricard, Astrid’s biological mother, was a real person, knowledge which led me down a Google rabbit hole. Fictional Mizza was the first generation of Bricard women who gave birth out of wedlock (what an archaic term), thus passing on the common surname, but that’s not where the commonalities end. Beautiful MIzza, who began her fashion career almost by accident, grew up fast in the salons of Paris on the eve of World War I, rubbing elbows with everyone from Coco Chanel to Pablo Picasso. Despite her incredible design talent, she was relegated to being a “muse” to Christian Dior with a sordid reputation thanks to the misogynists with fragile egos who rule the world of haute couture, both then and now. As Lester mentions, “I believe the truth is more likely to be found in the accounts of those who knew her, rather than men reporting on her thirty or forty years after her death who’ve decided that the racier the anecdote, the more chance they have of being published.” If you’d like to read more about Mizza, I’ve included a link at the bottom of this review to an article written by Lester for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mizza’s fictional daughter Astrid, who was raised by her adoptive parents, enrolled in Parsons School of Design in NYC in 1970 at age 24, and, despite not being raised by Mizza, she suffered a similar fate by virtue of association. Hawk Jones was a wunderkind who started his own design house right out of school. From the moment they met in the Parsons Archives, the pull between them was undeniable and unavoidable. Although Astrid’s designs inspired Hawk and he was adamant about giving her credit, the toxic and petty fashion patriarchy persisted in undermining her talent and painting her as a muse as well. Like her mother, whose famous, somewhat scandalous photograph sealed her fate, Astrid was captured wearing a silver lamé dress and nothing else while dancing at a disco. As months passed, she and Hawk pumped out hot-selling pieces while rubbing elbows with the likes of Mick Jagger, and ultimately fell in love. When it all came to a head at the Battle of Versailles in 1973 (an actual event that had the established and favored French designers competing against the upstart, risk-taking American designers), Astrid disappeared, and no one knew if she was dead or in hiding for the next 40 years.

Blythe Bricard, daughter of Astrid and Hawk and divorced from fashion mogul Jake Black, is at the tipping point of her fashion career. Like her parents, she and Jake met in design school and vowed to support each other’s dreams. However, the pressure and fickle nature of the industry has led her to the point that she must decide if she will continue designing costumes for film (which would mean giving up her dream) or revive her mother’s fashion brand, Mizza, either with Jake’s competitor, with Jake’s company if they can first overcome their personal differences, or by taking the reins herself with investments from other women. In a world heavily populated by female customers, workers, and talent but still run mostly by men, it’s a point of pride and ownership she craves. And, of course, she wants to be the first in her family’s line to get credit for her work and shed the heavy mantle of “muse.”

Although this isn’t a romance, the relationships each woman had are intrinsic to the plot and it’s impossible not to root for both Astrid and Blythe to find some happiness. However, the over-reaching theme is the damage caused by generational trauma and parental neglect and abandonment as well as the repeated messaging that talented women in fashion, especially ones who are trying to be innovative (like Astrid with her mix-and-match separates for ‘working women’, modeled after Anne Klein, the actual female designer at Versailles) will be suppressed, rejected and ridiculed by both petty journalists (like real-life Women’s Wear Daily’s John Fairchild) and most male designers.

Dior didn’t know Mizza would be reduced in later years. And she was his muse. But she was a designer too. History forgot the second half because it’s a man’s name on the awning. History kept the first half because that’s the way stories of male creators working with women are written. (Blythe's niece Coco in response to her question about why Dior allowed the press to slander Mizza)

Lester has written characters so compelling and well-rounded and settings so alive with imagery that you can’t help but put yourself in their place. As the mother of a fashion model, I was also affected by the knowledge of how men treated female designers because they were threatened by their talent. I really appreciate Lester’s extended author note, showing readers the depth of her research and findings.

The only slight criticism I have is that the multiple timelines got a bit confusing at times, and I personally would have preferred a first-person point of view from each of the Bricard women. It’s a minor quibble that doesn’t negate the power and appeal of this story. Highly recommended.

For more information on Mizza Bricard, read

She Was Known as Christian Dior’s Muse, but Mizza Bricard Was So Much More Than That.

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/she-was-known-as-christian-dior-s-muse-but-mizza-bricard-was-so-much-more-than-that-20230914-p5e4ro.html

I was drawn in by the title, the cover, and the description, but I was hooked from page one. This is a powerful epic story of three unique women in different eras who struggle to make their mark on the man’s world of women’s high fashion. Fighting perception, media, and their own selves forces them to question their dreams and make difficult choices - just as many women in the 20th and early 21st century have done. The author does an amazing job of unveiling the layers of sexism and its lasting impact. We may have come a long way, but there’s still so much further to go, and authors such as Natasha Lester are going to help us get there.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this fascinating epic family story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This book checked many boxes for me: fashion, a mystery, France and New York, historical fiction – and it’s written by one of my favorite authors.

Going back and forth between the past and present, the story is told by a few different characters in the timelines of 1940s, 1970s, and 2010s: Mizza, her daughter Astrid and husband Hawk Jones, and Astrid’s daughter Blythe and husband Jake Black. All of these characters are clothing designers who create avant garde items, who love intensely, and live wildly.

The premise of the novel is that the famous (and notorious) Astrid Bricard has been missing since 1973. “Astrid Bricard wasn’t just a model. Nor was she just a designer, nor just a celebrity. It’s impossible to say what she was, just that – if a person could ever be said to represent an era, Astrid Bricard was the 1970s. She was a muse and a myth, and now she’s the biggest fashion mystery of all time. What happened to Astrid Bricard? It’s a question almost as famous as that silver dress Hawk Jones made for her.”

Blythe (Astrid’s daughter) was raised by an adopted family after her mother disappeared. Divorced from Jake Black for two years, she wants to help her kids get to know their father again now that he’s back on the scene. She also wants to come up with a plan for her fashion label MIZZA (named after her grandmother). And most importantly, she wants to find out what happened to her mother, Astrid. Is Astrid gone, missing, vanished or dead? Everyone speculates, and they never stop even after almost 40 years since her disappearance.

While this is a story about mothers and daughters, abandonment, and families set in the world of the fashion industry, it is also a statement about empowerment of women and the gender imbalance in fashion. “The workers were women, while the famous designers and the executives were largely men.” And “Women lose out to men in the strange world of fashion, where the customers are largely women, but the people in charge are men.”

The female characters make many feminist observations throughout the novel, such as Astrid’s fashion mission statement: “I want to take women’s fashion, which is the epitome of this supposedly terrible thing called femineity, and I want to make clothes that are both beautiful and give women back their power – clothes that damn well never make them feel like their only job is to make a man more powerful.”

Author Natasha Lester’s explanation of what inspired her to write this story: “My book is a work of fiction. In trying to tell some parts of a true story, I’ve made up a lot, in order to address how and why women are constantly reshaped by the media into something they aren’t. And why can women only be the inspiration in the creative process, rather than the creator? Those questions drove the writing of this book, and thus required me to invent Mizza’s daughter, Astrid Bricard, and her lover Hawthorne (Hawk) Jones, as well as their daughter, Blythe Bricard. But around the invention is a great deal of fact.”

One negative aspect was that I found it difficult to keep straight all the characters and time periods – which was the mother, the grandmother, the daughter? Who was married to whom? I had to stop and remind myself every few chapters. It was helpful that the chapter titles featured those characters (and often included the dates).

What made the book a fun read was the inclusion of so many facts, including many real-life fashion designers (i.e. Christian Dior and Mizza Bricard) as well as rock stars (i.e. Mick Jagger), music from the 1970s, and the emerging women’s movement.

Many thanks to both Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, by Natasha Lester. The expected publication date is September 7, 2023.

History said she was just a man's muse. History was wrong.

Mizza Bricard, at a party surrounded by the most scandalous women in Paris - including Coco Chanel - sees what society expects of a woman alone in the world. That night, she vows to never be gossiped about because of who has paid for her pearls, a vow that drives her through decades and couture houses until finally her name is remembered and a legend created.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is a fascinating deep dive into the fashion industry from the 1900s, through to today. Mizza Bricard existed in real life and started as a pattern maker for Dior in 1946, eventually becoming known as his muse.

Mizza's fictional daughter, Astrid, arrives in New York determined to change the fashion world forever but becomes best known for her dance on a table while wearing her daringly short, silver lamé dress and no underwear. And then Astrid disappeared…

Astrid's fictional daughter is Blythe, who has fashion-designing dreams of her own and is determined not to be anyone's muse.

The author did an incredible job combining a real-life character with a handful of fictional ones in order to spotlight what fashion designers had to accept at the time - being invisible as men got the credit for their ideas.

I felt the story lost some momentum during the star-crossed-lover bits Astrid and Blythe, both suffered through. (There's no doubt in my mind, however, that romance lovers will think that's the best part of the book!) For me? It was the fashion industry parts of the book that were the most captivating.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester.

Three generations of women, all tangled in the fashion world, and all desperate to make a name for themselves on their own merit.

This is somewhat formulaic, if you've ever read a Kate Morton, or something similar, then you know the type. Absolutely nothing wrong with the formula though! I loved all of the fashion references, Halston, Chanel, Dior, you see them all, and I'm not even a fashionista, but I do love pop culture and history.

This was a finely woven story about three women, and it's articulate and well done. My personal struggle with the story, having listened to it, was keeping all of the Bricard women straight, and remembering what men belonged to whom, and how exactly they were connected to one another.

This book was very exciting and riveting. I believe it is the second book I have read by Natasha Lester. If you like historical fiction books, you will enjoy this book for sure!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.



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Thank you!

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is my first book by Natasha Lester. The story, which is told from the perspective of three generations of women in the fashion industry, focuses on gender inequality. I thought Lester’s writing was beautiful and the stories were interesting. I would absolutely read another book from the author, but ultimately, I just didn’t connect to the overall story. Maybe all the glitz and glamour just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow I love this book so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a huge historical fiction fan and somehow this is my first Natasha Lester book but it certainly won't be my last. Going to binge read her others now.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
Historical fiction. Multiple time line within the same family.
Blythe Bricard is the daughter of a famous fashion icon and the granddaughter of the famous Mizza Bricard. The story follows Blythe as she tries to find the true story of what happened to her mother, as well both Astrid and Mizza as each become part of the fashion industry. None of their lives are uncomplicated or private.

Women trying to make a difference in a world dominated and managed by men for women's fashion decided on by men. Glass ceiling, obligations of war and surviving, and undiagnosed medical issues devastate the three generations as each simply wants a successful career. And each wants the love and best life for their children.
It’s devastating. It’s poignant. It’s uplifting. It’s truth. It’s history.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I purchased copies to read again.

This review will be posted on February 2, 2024 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

The beginning was a bit muddled for me. There were three timelines and a LOT of characters and plot points to keep straight. Something clicked for me when I was more than a third of the way through (I think it was when the mystery surrounding Astrid really got going). The plot was robust though and immediately sucked me in for the last two-thirds. Each Bricard woman (Mizza, Astrid, and Blythe) worked *so* hard to fulfill their creative visions and to be recognized for being the artists they were. There were also some wonderful lines of prose about history, patriarchy, and women's equity that felt so resonant (even still in 2024). I especially appreciated the beautiful descriptions of the fabric and colors in the fashion designs, even if I struggled to picture some of them. (I so so wished the sketches and/or pictures of the Bricard women's completed designs were included.) The only sub-plot I didn't care for was Blythe's will-they-won't-they-reunite romance with Jake. She was interesting enough, strong enough that her plot didn't need to be bogged down with romance. #TheDisappearanceOfAstridBricard Rating: 🙂 / liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on January 30, 2024. Thank you @readforeverpub for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I loved the idea of this book – three generations of women in a fashion dynasty working to prove themselves as more than muses to the men in their lives and to keep history from repeating itself.
In her author’s note, Natasha Lester writes about the driving factors behind this book: “How and why are women constantly reshaped by media into something they aren’t? And why can women only be the inspiration in the creative process, rather than the creator?” Natasha Lester explains that these are the questions that required her to invent Mizza’s daughter, Astrid Bricard, Hawk Jones, and their daughter Blythe Bricard. But, she says, “around the invention is a great deal of fact.”
I love that she wrote about women throughout three generations that were perceived as muses, but were all actually brilliant creators, and how they worked to be seen as such – by the men in their lives, the media, the fashion industry, and the public – all in different time periods. To prove this misconception, at one point, Astrid says to Hawk, “I need you to stay far away from my clothes otherwise the press will make them yours.”
However, and this is likely an unpopular opinion, something was just missing for me. It almost felt like I had been dropped in the middle of the plot and I was missing things. I also just skimmed most of Mizza’s chapters as they didn’t feel quite as relevant to the story. I know that Mizza was the real character in this novel and was considered the muse of Christian Dior. However, I’m not sure her chapters did as good of a job as I would have liked of establishing that she was more than a muse. I thought overall, the book was slightly too long or maybe just imbalanced, and could have used some additional editing – both for clarity and relevance.
Also, I just have to say, Blythe’s husband seemed like a total jerk and I didn’t really buy the explanation for why. Also I was so worried about their kids, Eva and Sebby, at the beginning. I even read ahead to check on Sebby before I read the rest.

The author does a wonderful job of building a fictional story around a true life person. This book is great for fans of fashion, mystery, and historical fiction. The story of three generations of strong women making a life for themselves.

This historical fiction set in the fashion world of New York City during the 1970s spans generations of women in the Bricard family. The strong female characters, vivid descriptions of New York and details about the fashion industry combine to create a tantalizing read.

Astrid Bricard is an upcoming fashion designer in the middle of her degree when she meets fellow designer Hawk jones. The two become the city’s latest “it” couple. Between their nightime party scene and their innovative new fashions, the press and public can’t get enough. Astrid struggles to be seen as more than a muse, to escape the shadow of her famous mother, Mizza, and to be taken seriously as a fashion designer of her own. Now Blythe, Astrid and Hawk’s daughter, is trying to solve the years old mystery of the disappearance of her mother.

The inequalities faced by the women in this family and the history of male dominance in the fashion industry are woven together in this well written novel. Natasha Lester both educates and entertains in The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and family sagas.

Thanks to Forever for an advanced copy of The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester which came out yesterday - January 30th.

Natasha Lester's historical fiction are some of my favorites. I love how she weaves fashion into her books and this book is about 3 generations of women in fashion.

Three generations. One chance to prove themselves. Can the women of the Bricard fashion dynasty finally rewrite their history?

I liked the book and was so curious to see what happened to Astrid. I really loved her story and the modern one with Blythe. I felt like the Mizza chapters didn't necessarily flow but once I read the author's note I wanted more Mizza since she was the real person!! I liked how this was a great mix of fictional characters with real ones. This book didn't feel as historical fiction as Lester's past books but I loved the drama and intrigue, especially towards the end.
I also loved seeing Alix St. Pierre as a side character!

If you are a fan of Natasha Lester or love fashion you'll enjoy this!

How I love reading a gripping historical fiction to find out in the acknowledgments that some characters really existed and/or some others are based off real people. This is exactly what happened with this book. Mizza was born in the beginning of the 20th century. Her father dies when she is still young, and her mother remarries. She quickly sends her off to a convent where Mizza has to figure out life on her own. Mizza knows that the convent life is not for her, and she starts hanging out with the elite of Paris. She turns into a fashion superstar, but was never acknowledged as such, just like the vast majority of women at that time. Her work was diminished, she was considered just a muse, just a starlet trying to get attention.. During the second WW, nobody knows what happened to her, but she managed to get a baby. Little Astrid. Astrid was not raised by her mother, but she had fashion running in her veins. A passion for designing. She wanted to graduate from Parsons, but she met Hawk, and then started a whirlwind of a friendship/partnership/romance.. Hawk destroyed her without even realizing it. They ended up having a love child. They named her Blythe. This story is told by those 3 ladies' POVs. It was heartbreaking to see how the story kept repeating itself from one generation to the next. They each suffered the same heartaches and injustice, without being able to stand up for themselves and be able to voice their side of the story, the real story, because of this patriarchal society we live in. It was quite a beautiful novel. I knew that the world of fashion was ugly, but I still learned quite a lot thanks to authors Natasha Lester. And I look forward to doing some research on the 1973 fashion event discussed in detail in the novel, which really happened, and I never heard of it! A single female designer was featured in the event, Anne Klein, in the midst of all those big-egos male designers. She was shred to pieces, just like Astrid did in the story. We still have a long way to go before women can finally feel like they are being treated like equals.
A great multi-generational historical fiction in the world of fashion.

Short synopsis: Multi-generational story following three women and their experiences in fashion, pushing gender roles, and empowering women.

My thoughts: Natasha Lester quickly became a favorite of mine a few years ago after reading The Riviera House. Her writing is compelling and she writes a past/present timeline so well with such amazingly developed characters it’s hard to remember they are fictional.

I particularly liked the discussion regarding womens rights in this one, especially in the fashion industry. Her book the Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre also touched on this concept (which Alix makes a cameo here) but this one dives a little bit deeper into how men were given a lot of the credit for the fashions that women created. And women were simply a muse.

There is such a great balance between historical facts, fiction, and romance that you’ll have a hard time putting this one down!

Read if you love:
- Historical fiction based of real people and time
- Women’s rights
- Multi-generational stories
- The fashion industry
- multiple POV

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

By: Natasha Lester
5🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

I always enjoy Lester’s books and her love of fashion always shines through in the books she writes.
🤍
This sweeping novel follows three women with multiple timelines over decades.
🤍
Gender bias was evident in this novel when Astrid’s cannot show her own designs. They were only thought of as muses.
🤍
If you enjoy fashion, a light romance and powerful women who fight for their rights this is the perfect novel for you. Intriguing and powerful!
🤍
Thank you Forever Pub for this advanced copy. I was also gifted a Netgalley copy. Available NOW!

#thedisappearanceodastrufbricard, #natashalester, #foreverpub, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #bookreview, #stamperlady50

Astute, heartbreaking, and mysterious!

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is a tender, intriguing tale that takes you on a journey into the lives of three generations of Bricard women. Mizza, a young Paris assistant and muse to Christian Dior who spends the wartime helping the resistance; Astrid, a bold, headstrong designer who uses all her energy to try to step out of the shadow left by her mother and prove the journalists wrong once and for all by showcasing her true talent at the 1973 Battle of Versailles Fashion Show, and Blythe a mother of two who, after being abandoned by both her famous parents, dreams of making a success of her own sustainable-fashion brand and perhaps finally discovering what really happened on that night so long ago when her mother seemingly disappeared without a trace.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are talented, tormented, and resilient. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into a poignant, simmering tale of familial dynamics, drama, emotion, secrets, love, loss, lies, heartbreak, introspection, passion, inequality, injustice, and the misogynistic world of fashion.

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Natasha Lester and have read almost every novel she has ever written, and The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is without a doubt another compelling, romantic, affecting tale by Lester but one with perhaps a little more grit, depth, and layers than we’ve had the pleasure of seeing from her before.