Suspenseful and Majestic THE LAST MASTERPIECE by Laura Morelli

The Last Masterpiece by Laura Morelli is a phenomenal art history of the men & women who saved the world’s most iconic art from destruction during #WWII. I found it suspenseful and majestic!! The dual narratives of Josie, a WAC from the US, and Eva, a German photographer, Morelli develops the suspenseful plot of saving the art history treasures of Florence and Italy from destruction. Morelli has a brilliant technique of weaving art history into the world and creating a love of the artist and the artwork while yo

u read about the events of the plot. I enjoyed reading the female protagonist’s perspective on the Monuments Men program of WWII, which saved countless art treasures from being destroyed or stolen by the Nazis. I also liked the way Eva’s story showed the cult like following of Nazi partypolitical machinations. And I think the roles of women in war time are highlighted by Paloma, the Florentine woman who helped the Allies and befriended Eva too. Fabulous novel and engaging history!! The history of the salt mines in Austria had been mentioned in other books but I learned more about the scope of the work here. Thanks to #Netgalley and #WilliamMorrow for the ARC.