My guest this week is the lovely Helen Fripp whose latest novel “The Painter’s Girl” whisks us back to Paris in the 1860s. Helen is drawn to strong women who defy societal pressures and the expectations of their time. In “The Painter’s Girl,” we meet Mimi Bisset. Born in the slums of Montmartre and forced to give up the child she had out of wedlock as a teenager, Mimi could easily have become a drunk, an absinthe addict, a sex worker, or all three, like so many around her. But Mimi’s dreams are too big for her tiny corner of Paris and we’re carried along as she joins a circus, becomes a muse to the great Impressionists, is reawakened as Edouard Manet’s lover, and fights to become an artist in her own right.

In our conversation, Helen shares what sparked the idea for her striking opening scene with a zebra running through the streets of Montrmartre, what her research uncovered about the Impressionists we think we know, how setting a story in the past sets her free, what draws her to strong women - and what they may have in common - and more. Then, she treats us to a reading from “The Painter’s Girl.”


https://www.helenfrippauthor.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/hfrippauthor
https://twitter.com/helenfripp
https://www.instagram.com/helenfrippauthor/



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Credits
Host and Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Hip Hop Rap Instrumental (Crying Over You) by christophermorrow
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Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2AHA5G9​
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About Us
Since well before Victor Hugo looked up at Notre Dame and thought, "Huh... what if a hunchback lived in there?" authors have been inspired by Paris. The Storytime in Paris podcast will help keep this tradition alive with short interviews and readings from your favorite contemporary authors with a French connection.
 
Every episode will feature five questions, asked by you, our authors' biggest fans, and answered live on air. Then, our authors will treat us to a reading of an excerpt from their book. Who knows? Maybe you'll even be inspired to write your own Great French Novel. Happy listening!