Dual timeline, suburban life post-war and alternating with WW2 timeframe. Arts, promises, and dynamics post-war.
This was OK, but a bit slow.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Let's start with the good.

The premise of this book drew me right in. Ida Whipple, a British war-wife, lives in the idyllic Eisenhower-era suburbs with her husband, Sydney, and two daughters, or rather, she's being suffocated by life in the idyllic suburbs. The secrets and trauma she carries from the war are refusing to stay buried. They're bubbling beneath the surface just waiting for the right trigger to set them off.

That trigger turns out to be her neighbor's latest art acquisition, an original photograph by surrealist photographer, Man Ray. Upon seeing it, something inside Ida breaks. While her husband is sleeping, she steals the photograph and embarks on a mission to discover the previous owner, convinced that doing so will finally bring her closure regarding her late best friend, Arlette.

The theft is the first in a series of dominos that has both Ida and Sydney examining their relationship, their lives, and the decisions they made both in France and at the war's end.

Woven into this story is a second timeline set in France where we meet a young Ida, who longs to escape her abusive family and dead-end life. A chance meeting with a young woman named Arlette, an assistant to Peggy Guggenheim, gives her that opportunity.

Arlette is enigmatic and self-centered. She does what she wants, how she wants, and doesn't care who is affected. Even her selfless acts fail to take into account the cost to others. Ida is the worshipful puppy, following Arlette around Europe while silently longing for her love. Their adventures culminate tragically in a French farmhouse during WW2. Given everything that happens to her, it's no wonder Ida can't wish the memories away.

Now the bad parts. Oh yeah, I didn't have any. Burdick does a great job of depicting both Ida's need for a family and the post-war disillusionment so many survivors pretended didn't exist. Her portrayal of the pre-war Surrealist community was wonderful too.

Ultimately, A Promise to Arlette is about the different kinds of love — good love, toxic love, maternal love — and forgiveness. Neither Ida nor Stanley can move on until they forgive themselves for the decisions they made during the war.

WARNING* There is a (tasteful and chaste) same-sex love scene.

I received this book in advance in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well crafted historical fiction set in France during the Vichy Government/ Nazi Occupation. with a dual timeline in America during the 1950s. A former GI and his French wife, Sidney and Ida Wimple, return to the states and restart their lives after the believe their friend, a Jewish resistance fighter, Arlette, has not survived. When a Man Ray photograph depicting Arlette appears as a neighbors' purchase from a famous New York gallery, Ida disappears from their home and family in an effort to track down Arlette. Soon Sidney is on a road trip with two young daughters he barely knows to find Ida and bring her home. Beautifully written.

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️

Picture this: a perfect 1950s suburban couple, Sidney and Ida Whipple, living that cookie-cutter American life—kids, white picket fence, the whole deal. But then their smug neighbor flashes a rare Man Ray photograph at a dinner party, and BAM. Ida’s face does this terrifying thing where she looks like she’s seen a ghost, and the next morning. Poof. She’s gone. So is the photo. And Sidney’s left standing there with their two confused kids like, *"Wait, what just happened to our lives?"
Turns out, this isn’t just about some fancy art snobbery. Nope. It’s about a promise they made back in WWII France—one of those *"we’ll never speak of this again"* deals that, surprise, comes roaring back to wreck their tidy little world. The story jumps between their polished ’50s facade and the messy, desperate choices they made during the war, and let me tell you, the contrast is perfect 🤌🏽One minute, Ida’s hosting a bridge club, and the next, we’re knee-deep in her past, watching her make decisions that’ll haunt her forever.
Sidney has no idea what’s happening. He’s just this bewildered husband suddenly playing detective, dragging his kids on a cross-country chase to find his wife before their whole life implodes. And the whole time, you’re screaming at the pages because *what did Ida do?!* And *why is this photograph such a big deal?!* And *how much does Sidney actually know?!*
The tension is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. There’s betrayal, there’s lost love, there’s this aching question of whether some secrets are better off staying buried.
If you’re into historical fiction that’s less *stuffy period drama* and more *"holy cow, these people are a mess and I can’t look away,"* this is your book.
I will never look at a vintage photograph the same way again. 10/10, no notes—just give me the sequel already.

The art scene in 1930s and 1940s Paris took the world by storm. But World War II destroyed it. Surrealism was de rigueur and the murmurs of war caused American and French artists and buyers to snap up what they could while they could. Some fled France, others continued to work. Notable people including Peggy Guggenheim bought whatever possible and left Paris for Southern France. War restrictions in Nazi-occupied France affected ordinary citizens and artists had to get creative. The Resistance started. This is the backdrop of one of the timelines in this novel.

Ida grew up in a loveless home and rebelled as a consequence. Her only passion was playing the violin. In desperation, she fled home and encountered Arlette, a flamboyant and confident woman who invited her to visit. Ida found herself in home where the occupants lived easily in their own skin, yet one really never knew what was true and what was not. Peggy Guggenheim was part of that circle, as was Man Ray. Ida was drawn to this group until war scattered them, though not before she became close to Arlette.

Later, in 1950s America, Ida was married to Sidney and the couple had two children. On paper, they had it all. There was even a neighbourhood Literature, Culture, Cuisine and Art club. But Ida was bored. She yearned for bits of her past, yet stuffed it deep within. When a photograph showed up, she was thrown into a tailspin. She was compelled to face her past and unravel secrets.

The vivid writing is absolutely gorgeous, poetic, emotive and wonderful. I felt as though I were in France and American with the characters. What bothered me was the unnecessary inclusion of graphic scenes which detracted from the fascinating story. As beautiful as the writing was, I could not finish the novel for this reason.

The ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I opened "A Promise to Arlette" expecting another WWII novel but found myself holding something that unfolds ever so delicately—seemingly simple at first glance, then revealing intricate folds of history, friendship, and redemption with each page I turned. The cover's haunting beauty mirrors the story itself—a photograph that jolts Ida's comfortable 1950s New England life, pulling me into a narrative that breathes with both elegant restraint and raw emotion.

I was immediately struck by how Ida stands apart from the other mothers in her community, marked by an invisible history they cannot see. The dual timeline structure brilliantly connected threads between past and present for me—her artistic beginnings in England, her transformative experiences in France, and her current life where she remains perpetually the outsider. What refreshed me most about this historical tale is how Burdick reimagines WWII stories through the lens of female friendship and impossible choices.

I couldn't help but feel that the relationship between Ida and Arlette forms the beating heart of this novel. Their bond, complex and sometimes fraught, transcends mere friendship—I saw it as a testament to how war creates connections that defy conventional understanding. I felt the cold stone of the French manor against my skin as Ida witnessed atrocities that would break lesser spirits, her artistic sensibilities both a comfort and a curse as she absorbed horrors with heightened perception.

When the mysterious photograph appeared, I watched Burdick masterfully unravel a twist that redefined everything I understood about Ida's past. Her promise to Arlette isn't just a pledge—it struck me as a spiritual weight carried across continents and decades, fueled by both guilt and fierce loyalty.

I’m still thinking about this book, about Ida’s experience, long after I’ve put it down.

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my E-ARC.

After devouring The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Burdick’s latest creation - A Promise to Arlette.

Ida Davies is the youngest child in her family and the only daughter. She’s treated as an afterthought at best and, understandably, jumps at the chance to get to know a group of artists who’ve taken up residence in her tiny village. When they pull up stakes without saying goodbye, she follows them first to London and eventually to France, a country on the eve of invasion. There, Ida must face the reality that she’s been used by the one person she wants more than anything to love her back, leaving her trapped in France to survive the war on her own. As Ida waits for the war to end, she’s taken advantage of by the Nazi occupiers in a way that completely breaks her, and only the arrival of a lost American soldier begins to mend some of her wounds.

Thanks to Sidney’s love and trust, Ida manages to put the horrors she’s witnessed behind her, and he brings her home to his tiny, traditional New England hometown. Intent on being the best wife and mother she can be, Ida still struggles to fit into the role of the proper suburban housewife. That struggle starts to make more sense when the reveal of a neighbor’s new art acquisition forces Ida to face her past

While Burdick’s lyrical prose lures the reader in, I found many of the characters in the book hard to relate to. Ivy never really comes into her own until the very end, and while it’s easy to sympathize with Arlette considering the insurmountable challenges she’s faced, she still isn’t the most likable person.

In terms of plot, many of the twists were easy to see coming, and I wish that instead of focusing on so many of those at the end of the story, we could have gotten to see Ida more fully turn the corner and start to live life on her own terms.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: A Promise to Arlette
Author: Serena Burdick
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 17, 2025
Rating: 3.75 ⭐️

I wanted to love this more than I did. The premise was incredibly strong - post War suburban life - the pre War Paris art scene - the French Resistance - complicated romantic relationships - all components that usually grab my attention.

The overall flow of the novel was uneven. It had a slow start, a racing middle, and a slow end that was ultimately very predictable. My second struggle was with character development. Ida and Arlette were complex but without revealing enough about their internal motivations, which kept their dynamic flat.

The Positives: The settings were vibrant and easy to visualize. I loved the real historical figures who came into the story - Man Ray, Peggy Guggenheim etc. The line between survival and collaboration was articulated beautifully - the tension was palpable.


Final Verdict: I wouldn’t be disappointed if I checked this out from the library, maybe a little disappointed if I paid for it.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing an ARC.

It’s the 1950’s and Ida and her husband, Sidney, are living in the suburbs with their two daughters. While at a 4th of July party, Ida sees a photograph that causes her to leave in the middle of the night.

The book begins in 1952 and then jumps back to 1938, pre-WW II, and reintroduces Ida as a young girl who, after a traumatic event, leaves her family home to follow a group of wealthy artists, including Arlette. This decision changes the course of Ida’s life, putting her at the center of the Nazi invasion.

Why did the photograph cause Ida to leave her family? What happened during those years where Ida was caught up in the war? The book has a satisfying and emotional ending where all questions are answered and secrets of the past are revealed.

“A Promise To Arlette” is going to be one of the most talked about books this year, and an incredible addition to the historical fiction genre. It will also make an outstanding book club pick!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read in advance! This has already taken a place as a top read of the year for me.

This historical fiction follows the life of life of Ida where we find her in a Stepfordesque New England neighborhood in the 1950's. She's unraveling as the result of her abusive childhood in England prior to World War II where her only solace was her violin as well as the devastating choices made in France during the war. However, coming face to face with an image from her past catapults her into fracturing the life she has with her husband and children to wade into a search for redemption and her own identity.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This book authentically deals with childhood neglect and abuse. It also portrays the monied classes and how they viewed the world quite well. I struggled getting into the book and came back to it after a break. Since characters had different agendas in the book I grasped for one to fully enjoy and connect with so had an uneasy read. The historical narrative rang true through different decades and continents and the characters were complex.

This was a good and very interesting book! I can tell it tried to be similar to the 7 husbands books, but this one was still very different. I liked the way it made you wonder what was going to happen, and how things tied together in the end. It was a good book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A slow start to this one - the story didn't feel like it really began until a third of the way in. It's an interesting premise but it didn't quite deliver in execution. I think it's because I found Ida so mousy and Arlette so manipulative and bossy. I suppose that was the point, but spending time with these characters was not all that enjoyable. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the concept of this novel. The characters were everything that I wanted in this universe and how everything worked together to tell the story. Serena Burdick wrote this perfectly and thought the thriller element worked overall.