Book Talk
LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS ... A special craft and storytime event for kids will be held April 16 at 10 a.m. at Mitchell Park Library’s temporary location, 4050 Middlefield Road. Local author Meg Waite Clayton will present her new book, “The Four Ms. Bradwells,” April 20 at 7 p.m. at the Children’s Library Tree Top Room, 1276 Harriet St.
Title Pages A monthly section on local books and authors, edited
by Karla Kane
STANFORD EVENTS ... Upcoming authors at the Stanford Bookstore, 519 Lasuen Mall, include Steven Schlozman, “The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse” (April 20, 6 p.m.). Information: www.stanfordbookstore.com AUTHOR TALKS ... Upcoming Kepler’s author events, at 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, include Wayne Pacelle, “The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them” (April 15, 7 p.m.); Joel Brinkley, “Cambodia’s Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land” (April 20, 7 p.m.); Jayne Ann Krentz, presenting a fiction-writing workshop (April 26, 7p.m.); Lisa Harper, “A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood” (April 28, 7 p.m.); Mary Gordon, “The Love of My Youth” (April 29, 7 p.m.); John Flanagan, “Ranger’s Apprentice - Book 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja” (April 30, 2 p.m.); Neal Shusterman, “Everfound” (May 3, 7 p.m.); and Joan Hill, Katie Mahon and Mary Beth Phillips, “The Miracle Chase: Three Women, Three Miracles, and a Ten Year Journey of Discovery and Friendship” (May 5, 7 p.m.). Information: www.keplers.com.
Items for Book Talk may be sent to Associate Editor Carol Blitzer, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 93202 or e-mailed to cblitzer@paweekly.com by the last Friday of the month.
VY\]bX
“Madame Tussaud: a novel of the French Revolution” by Michelle Moran; Crown Publishing Group, New York; 448 pp; $25 by Karla Kane he name Madame Tussaud conjures images of the famous London wax museum, showcasing eerily lifelike wax models of celebrities, world leaders and notable characters. But what about the real person behind the name? In Palo Alto author Michelle Moran’s new novel “Madame Tussaud,” the titular Tussaud herself gets a voice, and the tale she has to tell is fascinating. Moran, who’s tackled iconic females from history in previous novels (“Cleopatra’s Daughter,” “The Heretic Queen,” “Nefer-
T
titi”) once again delivers an engaging, first-person narrative. The setting is Paris during the tumultuous French Revolution, a period that saw the overthrow of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, the suppression of religion and the rise of the guillotine. At novel’s start, pragmatic Marie Grosholtz (her marriage to Mr. Tussaud comes later) is living with her mother in Paris and helping her mother’s partner (and Marie’s mentor) run the family wax museum, which showcases replicas of Paris’ most famous citizens and visitors. After a much-anticipated visit by the glamorous royal family, Marie, much to her shock, is asked to tutor the king’s religiously devout
Shop Local
Veronica Weber
MORE TALKS ... Upcoming authors at Books Inc. at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto include Scott Gummer, “Parents Behaving Badly” (April 19, 7 p.m.) Information: www. booksinc.net. Phyllis Lynch, author of “GiGi The Funny Little Dog,” will appear along with GiGi and sign her book at Diddams Party Store, 1952 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View (April 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). N
H\Y kcaUb h\Y kUl
Palo Alto author Michelle Moran specializes in female-driven historical fiction.
ÀAUXUaY HiggUiXÁ Vf]b[g \]ghcfm hc `]ZY
(continued on next page)
Good for Business. Good for You. Good for the Community.
Discover and enjoy the rich diversity of local businesses at ShopPaloAlto.com, the new online guide to all local businesses featuring listings, customer opinions, web links, photos, maps, coupons, special deals, gift certificates, promotional event listings and much more. For more information call 650.223.6509
*> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ «À Ê£x]ÊÓ䣣ÊU Page 35