MISTRESS OF THE RITZ

AudioFile Golden Voice Barbara Rosenblat brings her inimitable style and incredible range to Benjamin's roman à clef based on an actual couple who were resistance fighters during WWII. Claude Auzello, manager of the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris, meets outrageous American Blanche Ross and pursues her so persistently that she marries him. Problems arise almost immediately. Claude has no plan to rid himself of his mistress, and Blanche's American independence irritates him. The Ritz, filled with charm and glamour, welcomes rich and famous clients, including Nazi sympathizer Coco Chanel and macho man of letters Ernest Hemingway. Rosenblat does everything right. No character sounds like any other, and not even the Nazis are caricatures. Rosenblat's high energy and remarkable characterizations make this a listening delight. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2019]