Belle Epoque (35 page)

“I’m too lazy and it’s too hot out.” He keeps his eyes closed, and I notice the sun is turning his ears red.

I shake my head. “It will be cooler later on. I want to see it finished.”

Eiffel’s tower is complete. Its body is elegant yet strong, by day an iron giraffe, proud and soaring high above us, and at night a beacon of light. I hope when the novelty fades that the tower will remain standing. I want its unconventional beauty to endure.

The sun is almost setting when Paul and I are finally standing in line for one of the elevators hidden inside each of the hulking metal legs. My stomach lurches as we soar upward in the crush of people. There are many attractions at the Exposition Universelle: Edison’s phonograph, the
galerie des machines
and even an exhibit of an Egyptian village. But it is Eiffel’s tower that people line up for, visiting multiple times.

We step out of the elevator onto the platform of the second level. Only halfway up and we already have a bird’s-eye view. The sky is marked with sorbet colors. And my heart stops as I draw breath. Paris: my city, with all of its beauty and possibility extending as far as I can see.

This is my time, my beautiful era, my
belle époque
.

I was inspired to write
Belle Epoque
after reading a short story called
“Les Repoussoirs”
by Emile Zola (1840–1902). First published in 1866, Zola’s story describes a businessman named Durandeau opening a fictional agency of beauty foils. To me the concept seemed as relevant today as it was in Zola’s time, and I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be one of those girls. Unable to get the idea out of my head, I eventually created my own characters and a story about one girl in particular, Maude Pichon.

I chose to set this story more than twenty years after
“Les Repoussoirs”
took place in the period of autumn 1888 to summer 1889. At this point France was a new republic and had undergone a period of change and upheaval—the fall of the Second Empire, the siege of Paris and a deadly uprising. By 1888 the city was preparing to host the Exposition Universelle, which would put Paris back on the map as a cultural and now technological center.

The Eiffel Tower was instrumental to the Exposition’s success. As I researched its construction, I became intrigued by the fact that at the time—and for many years after—Eiffel’s tower was decidedly unpopular with many Parisians, including some famous artists and architects. It’s hard to believe now that they considered it ugly—a monstrosity, even. The building of this controversial tower, now the most recognizable symbol of the city, became the perfect historical event against which to set
Belle Epoque
.

The art of the period was key to creating this Paris of my imagination. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was an artist and a contemporary of Zola. Depicting venues from the bars and music halls of
Montmartre to the racetrack and the circus, Toulouse-Lautrec drew and painted popular life, its pleasures and its dark side. There is an unvarnished quality to his work, an immediacy that instantly transported me to the era. I found that in his exaggerated, caricature-like figures I could recognize the repoussoirs themselves. Themes of beauty and ugliness were likely central in his work because of his own physical deformities—a series of accidents as a child, combined with a genetic condition, left him a cripple. He told his friend and frequent subject, the famous singer Yvette Guilbert, that “Everywhere and always ugliness has its beautiful aspects; it is thrilling to discover them where nobody else has noticed them.”

The 1880s was also an exciting time for photography. New techniques and innovations made it possible for amateurs to explore the medium. And although she was active decades earlier, the English photographer Julia Margaret Cameron influenced how I felt Maude would connect with this art form. “I longed to arrest all the beauty that came before me” is how Cameron described her passion for photography; her words directly inspired a line in the book. That she preferred to capture beauty rather than be considered a beauty herself was an important discovery for my main character and helped shape her story.

This brings me back to the theme of beauty, as coveted an attribute in 1880s Paris as it is today. What is considered beautiful has changed since those days, just as current tastes will change. What endures transcends fashion. For in every era it is the artists who show us, through their acts of creation and discovery, that beauty truly lives in the heart.

I’d like to first thank my editor, the sensational Krista Marino—her talent, passion and guidance made this dream a reality. A huge thank-you to Beverly Horowitz, who, as a fellow Francophile, shared Krista’s faith in this book. I am appreciative of the whole Delacorte Press team, including designer Stephanie Moss and copy editor Colleen Fellingham.

My agent, Brenda Bowen, is the classiest lady in publishing, and I’m so fortunate to have her vast experience and excellent taste guiding my career.

Beth Ann Bauman was an early champion of Maude’s journey, and I benefited from her unparalleled knowledge of story and craft.

I owe an enormous debt to my critique group for their time and support. In particular, I’m grateful to Hilary Hattenbach and Lilliam Rivera, talented writers and treasured friends. Thanks to Paula Yoo for her inspiring class. I also want to thank the stellar organization SCBWI, especially Kim Turrisi, who helped my manuscript get into the right hands.

Merci
to Laura Davies for her insider’s guide to Paris during my research trip. Thank you to Jennifer Côté for the fabulous author photo.

Thank you to my family and friends, especially my parents. My father’s passion for story, both in literature and film, and my mother’s appreciation for language and all things French were invisible gifts I reaped without knowing.

Lastly, thank you to my husband, Shane … none of this would be possible without you.

Elizabeth Ross studied French at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and between semesters she worked in Paris and Brittany. She lives in Los Angeles. When she isn’t writing, she edits feature films. You can visit her at
elizabethrossbooks.com
.