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The Christie Affair
Nina de Gramont
Published February 1, 2022
By St. Martin’s Press
320 Pages
Find it on Amazon | Goodreads | BOTM
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The Christie Affair was one of my choices for February’s BOTM. I’ll admit that I took a bit of a risk here since I’m actively trying to read more historical fiction novels these days (BOTM has been making that easier on me). While this novel is based on a real person (Agatha Christie), it is a work of fiction. Meaning that Nina de Gramont does not promise that this novel is true.
I went into The Christie Affair with cautious optimism. It’s been a while since I read a fictional novel based around a real person. That always creates quite the experience, even if I walk away without falling in love with the book.
The story itself is full of many perspective switches (between Agatha, Nan, and a few other characters) and time jumps. It can be a little confusing at times, though thankfully, the chapter headings always inform readers of the who and when of it all. I relied on those headers more than I would like to admit.
There are a lot of surprisingly heavy subjects in The Christie Affair, including the history/treatment that Nan experienced. I would say that this is not a book ideal for all readers. Nan’s story is intentionally disturbing, and it is challenging to avoid. Likewise, some may find the basis of Agatha’s story upsetting, though for a different reason. Then again, not everyone wants to read a fictional story about a historical figure, so this book likely never set out to please everyone.
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