The Art of Traveling Strangers

So this was one of those reads that blew my mind and surprised the f out of me. Because I absolutely loved it. The story was so phenomenal and engaging that I couldn’t put it down until and unless I was done with it.!

I read this in the dove of roughly 24hours! Granted we are all home with CoVid, but still I thought it was a page turner.

I went in not being sure it it was my kind of book. I thought it was just going to be the tale of a mopey woman running around Europe but it was so much more than that.

The characters are very real and are confronted with their obstacles and life difficulties and through art they begin go heal and find some comfort.

There’s a good bit of information about art history without it becoming boring. It also touches on the AIDS crisis in the 80s, changing roles of women and family dynamics as well as how legitimate different ways of learning as well as coping are.

It was a very easy and entertaining read with depth too it.

What a most appealing surprise this book turned out to be! being locked up with Covid-19 quarantine and feeling quite ill (despite all vaccines and booster), I desperately needed something to keep my mind occupied as I rested in bed. Thank you Zoe Disigny for not only writing a most entertaining and informative book, but also for letting me revisit all the beautiful cities and museums in Italy and the city of Paris again in my imagination.

Claire, an art historian, is in an unhappy marriage, followed by a daunting love affair with her former therapist, when her summer seminar in Rome for college students falls through and leaves her hanging. Enter Viv, a student from the cancelled trip (married to a bookie) offers to pay for both their trips for a private tour. Viv is quite a character, ditzy yet sharp, whose interests lie not in Michaelangelo and Brunelleschi, but in Coco Chanel and Dolce and Gabanna. She is a fashionista of the first water. Early frustrations with Viv give way to some life-changing insights and education for both Viv and Claire.

The characters are well-defined, and Viv turns out to be comic relief in buying designer outfits that don't fit her. Claire learns more about haute couture than Viv does about art, but you will undoubtedly learn more about both.

This one caught my eye thanks to the art historian character travelling in Italy. I work as an art educator in Rome so I’m quite invested in this topic!

I enjoyed the travelling nature of the story and loved the visits to different cities.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

"I know that sounds like I'm making excuses for my behavior, and I guess I am. But it is curious how transgressions within a marriage are viewed differently than those outside it. Somehow psychological and emotional abuses between husbands and wives don't carry the same weight. They're not seen as betrayals. They're considered minor offenses, little slip-ups, something a good spouse should learn to forgive for the sake of the marriage." -- Claire

This book is a rare gem that not only offers soft love, friendship, and a bit of thrill, but also lots of educational facts that don't feel like they're being crammed down your throat! I absolutely enjoyed reading about the life of the artists and their well-described artworks that the author managed to fit perfectly with the narrative of the story. I can't even begin to think of how much research that would take.

I also tried very hard to find a big fault in this book, but I couldn't. The pacing is good and not forced at all, especially when Claire finally opened up to Viv. Well, it's not only about her opening up, but it's Claire’s gradual change! It's not one of those stories where a character decides they want to change and immediately does. Claire's progress feels more real. Sure, she's made mistakes, but where would the dilemma be if she didn't? It’s what she learns from them that adds more to her character.

Though if there's anything I would have wanted to see in this book, it's (1) having pictures, or even doodle-y illustrations, of the artworks discussed and the places they've been to. While having them won't affect the story at all, it would've been nice to comment along with Viv and Claire. And (2) Kurt and Claire bearing with each other as they try to raise their daughter with as much likeliness as a normal household's, two parents. After all, they are her parents, and I'm sure that she'll miss having them around together. They both made mistakes, though only Kurt didn't acknowledge them.

Had a wonderful time reading this as I was commuting to work! A good travel read 💜
Thank you to #netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I mainly picked this up for the book cover but god DANG this was such a fun ride! It was great curling up in my bed while doing online school and just getting sucked into the characters’ world and their relationships

Highly recommend!! This book is a definite page-turner! You'll be left thinking about the story long after you put the book down. First book to read by this author but definitely not my last!