An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian had cultivated a life of art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her impoverished childhood. With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with her granddaughter Solange, revealing her innermost secrets by using her prized possessions, including a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent portrait of Marthe painted by an Italian artist. As Marthe's tale unfolds like velvet, it helps to guide Solange on her own path. The author, inspired by a true account of an abandoned Parisian apartment, brings to life the young woman forced to leave her grandmother's legacy behind to save all that she loves.
