13 Rue Therese

Written by Elena Mauli Shapiro

Narrated by Jefferson Mays and Mia Barron

French-born author Elena Mauli Shapiro vividly recreates Paris during World War I in this captivating novel. 13 rue ThErEse follows Trevor Stratton, an American academic working in Paris who discovers a keepsake box dated back to the Great War. The box, Trevor discovers, belonged to a piano teacher named Louise Brunet. Inside it are mementos that give Trevor clues to Louise's life, including the love she lost in the war and her affair with a neighbor. Mesmerized, Trevor begins to imagine what life was like for the mysterious Frenchwoman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781449867690

Reviews for 13 Rue Therese

[etxgardener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The author of this book. Elena Shapiro, grew up in Paris and lived in an apaartment below an old woman named Louise Brunet who died along and without any family members to inherit her possessions. The building's landlord invited hi other tenants to go through her apartment and take what they wanted. The author's mother gathered up some ephemera in a small bos: love letters, pictures, a rosary and mesh gloves. This box and its objects fascinated Shapiro and as an adult, she decided to incorporate the into a novel.Trevor Stratton is a visiting American professor in Paris who finds a tin box full of momentos in the back of his file cabinet. Where did it come from? And who is the woman,Louise Bernet, who ownd all the objects contained therein? He starts investigating, becoming increasingly obsessed with her story: her love for her cousin who was killed in the First World War, her comfortable marriage to a man who worked for her father, her fantasies about the man who moves in downstairs. He becomes almost deranged thinking about her story. He also becomes almost deranged by the department secretary Josianne. And what connection does she have to the box and its mysterious contents?Memory, imagination and fantasy are all intertwined in this imaginative novel that explores the fine line between what is real and what lays in the mysterious recesses of the mind.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure what I just read, and I'm equally unsure whether I liked it. It is, as the back cover states, a puzzle story, and I'm not sure what I make of it. I found it disorientating, often unpleasant -- I didn't like Louise, and I found myself doubting the existence of all of the characters, wondering who was making up who and what.

The actual concept is fascinating to me, but the execution just left me confused -- and often, not at all sure I wanted to stay in the headspace of the characters.

On the other hand, for what it's worth, I stayed with the book right to the end.

[sbsolter · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not finish this book. I really liked the idea of it - a story based around the few possessions left from someone's life in the past. However, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't bad, I just found it boring. The characters did not interest me. I have some idea that there is a twist of sorts at the ending, but the lead-up to it was so vague that it did not grab me or keep me wanting to know more at all.

[Mary Powell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intriguing from the first word. I'm a bit stymied by what I read, and was so engrossed I'm going to listen again to fill in the pieces.

This is art as opposed to just a book.

[kp9949 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story. Not my normal cup of tea, but it kept me interested. The novel centers around the life of Louise Brunet and takes place in two totally separate time frames. Trevor Stratton begins examining relics stashed in a box which all relate to Louise's life and her loves. His imaginings begin to take over his own life. Sometimes, I felt like I couldn't get through this story and other times I couldn't put it down.

[rdra1962 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very different telling of the story of a woman's life. Based on actual letters, photos and other items the authors mother saved from a deceased neighbour's apartment, the author has a young American living in Paris delve into her story. A very creative method of storytelling that morphs as the novel progresses. Cannot say more without spoiler alerts!

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A young American translator settles in to his new office in a University in Paris. He finds a box of mementos, letters and personal items of WWI vintage apparently left behind by a predecessor, and becomes intrigued by what they all mean. As he goes through the box, he invents a life story for the woman who saved all these things. Then, there is a modern "romantic twist". I generally do not appreciate books built on such models. The framework is too obvious, the author too present. The whole thing feels like an exercise based on a professor's prompt. Such is the case once more with this novel. The physical book is quite lovely, and there is a clever tie-in with a website, but as a novel, it just does not work for me. However, if you enjoyed [People of the Book], or [The Geographer's Library], or even [Sarah's Key], then you're likely to appreciate this one more than I did.Review written June 2012

[pussreboots · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

13 rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro is the story of a man brought into study a box of mementos collected through both world wars. The man in turn imagines a the life of the woman whose things are contained within. And that then leads him to a present day relationship with the very person who gave him the ephemera.Oh this could have, should have been my kind of book. But the imagined life of Louise Brunet didn't work from the very get go. Her scenes are written in a very stilted homage to French literary greats like Emile Zola and Gustave Flaubert. Except our modern day author doesn't otherwise write in their styles. It's not a smooth transition from old and new styles of writing either. It's awkward, painful and oft times dull.The book also includes color photographs of the things described. There's an associated website listed to see them in higher resolution, giving this book an unfortunate Scholastic Books mystery feel (39 Clues and more recently TombQuest). Sure, there's a social media aspect to reading now but it's just a natural evolution of the in person book clubs and other word of mouth ways people have shared their favorite books since the rise of the novel.

[mlake_22 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on. I also do not like books with infidelity in them. I did finsh it, so that is something...

[diana1952 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Would have rated this higher if it had not contained sex scenes and offensive language which degrades the quality of the story. Is a fascinating story built around a box of real momentos rescued from the apartment of a woman who died alone at 13 Rue Therese. Too bad that the authoress decided to cheapen her tale.

[schwager_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Started out loving this book, and then lost interest.

[countrylife_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Author owns box of mementos from a deceased neighbor lady who survived both wars; author weaves story imagining the lady’s life using these items as touchstones in her story. I should not have based my expectations on so little. A love story through the years of the Great War, Louise’s main story in 1928, and the ‘research’ about Louise happening in current times, all converge in a time warp to tell a warped story. I am not the reader for time warp fantasy, nor steamy sex romps, neither of which I was expecting when I picked up this book. (I’ve added an extra star in case it’s “just me”.) Fading in and out from the future to share the body of a character in a previous time in order to report the findings of the story. No. Reciting the Lord’s Prayer while engaging in illicit lovemaking. Heavens, no. To wind it all up at the end as a frivolous little prank. Really? I just wasted my time on that? Gack! No! I wish someone had told me, “No. Don’t waste your time.” So, I’m telling you.

[sylvia7749 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book about 40 pages into it. The ending was a little ambiguous but an entertaining and quick read over all.

[nicx27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is such an unusual and intriguing read. I know it has had some poor reviews, but I had a feeling I would like it and I did. Trevor Stratton, an American professor living in Paris, is given a box of mementoes from the life of Louise Brunet, by his assistant, Josianne. She happens to live at 13 Rue Therese, where Louise also lived many years earlier. The book goes through the items in the box (including pictures) and also links in the story of a particular time in Louise's life, in 1928. Something quite bizarre happens towards the end, a moment of realisation for me as a reader. Quite odd, but I loved it and it made the whole thing make more sense somehow. I think anybody who enjoys dual time frame novels, ephemera and family stories would like this book. I'm very glad I read it. It's quite clever really, very unique.

[alexann_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A box of memorabilia--letters, photos, calling cards--is left in the office of a visiting American professor when he begins his term at a Parisian university. The items, which are lovingly reproduced in this book, come with no explanation, so the professor, Trevor Stratton, decides to piece together their story. He fabricates a complex tale involving the woman who lives at 13 rue Therese, her husband, and the ever-so-attractive man who moves into their building. Trevor's story is very complex--filled with duplicity and titillating detail. But for whom is he writing it? Who is the "Sir" who receives his letters?We know that the lovely college secretary who currently lives at 13 rue Therese initially found the box, and has tried it out on several visiting professors in the past. It's a puzzle, both to Trevor and the reader, which may or may not be solved to one's satisfaction. It struck me as a bunch of tomfoolery. It took too long to read, and served no purpose. It's finely written, and certainly will appeal to readers who enjoy stories set in Paris and filled with that French ambiance. Not my cup of tea!

[vietnambutterfly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What an interesting novel, one that involves the reader in opening a box of mementoes and following the story of Louise's life and loves. The intermeshing of the past with the present was presented in a intelligent way. Well worth the read.

[bearette24 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting, strange book. The author inherits a box of possessions from a dead woman and spins a story out of the objects therein. The ending was a bit abrupt but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[lauralkeet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When author Elena Shapiro was a little girl, she was given a box of mementos that belonged to Louise Brunet, a woman in her apartment building. Louise had recently died, so Shapiro had no way to learn about the mementos or their owner. The contents of the box fascinated her and she turned them loose in her imagination. Years later she wrote a novel that tells Louise's story through the trinkets found in the box.Louise grew up in wartime France; her father, brother and a cousin/boyfriend served at the front in World War I. She married Henri Brunet, a quiet and unassuming man who worked in her father's jewelry shop. Unable to have children, Louise became resentful and bored. She derived satisfaction from teaching piano to Garance, a very talented 15-year-old girl. And Louise had a mischievous side, combating boredom by gleefully making up outlandish, erotic stories to shock priests in the confessional. When a new family moved into her building at 13, rue Thérèse in Paris' 1st arrondissement, Louise was attracted t0 the husband Xavier, and envious of his happy marriage and children. Louise's story is an emotional one; she experienced loss not uncommon for that time period, but searingly painful nonetheless.But there's another story wrapped around that of Louise. In the present day, American professor Trevor Stratton is working in Paris and finds a box of mementos (his secretary Josianne left it for him, but he doesn't know that). There are love letters from a young man, gloves, coins, photos, jewelry, and a handkerchief. As he pores through the box, his imagination runs away much as Shapiro's must have done. He begins constructing Louise's story, but it's often unclear when the story is true to the contents of the box, and when it reflects Trevor's imagination or even fantasy. What develops is a story within a story intertwining past and present in a most intriguing way. What really happened to Louise? What has Trevor made up, perhaps to satisfy his own longings? His findings are reported in letters to "Sir," who I presumed to be his superior, perhaps back at the American university. But he poured out his feelings so candidly and completely, I could not imagine such letters written in a professional context. When the relationships between Trevor, "Sir," and Josianne became somewhat clearer, the "story within a story" aspect of this novel turned out to be even more complex than I'd thought.This book left me with lots of unanswered questions about Trevor and Louise which, like the box of mementos, are now left to run amok in my imagination.

[priscillam_80 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

'13, rue Therese', did not live up to my expectations. The cover design and premise encouraged me to purchase the book, and I had recently been to Paris. Maybe it was the slightly disjointed style of writing I didn't like, or maybe I was affected by the character of Louise Brunet, who although appearing to those who new her to be a happy vibrant woman, to me she was inwardly a very sad person. At times very erotic, but I feel this was partly her searching for love to compensate for her heartache.

[tututhefirst_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the most innovative, imaginative novels I've read in a long time, 13 rue Thérèse is a story within a story, a puzzle, a mystery, and a charming portrait of Paris from World War I through WW II, and up to the present.Elena Mauli Shapiro, the author actually lived at this address, and found a box of 'treasures' long abandoned there. There's a wonderful conversation on the books webpage where she explains how she came to write the story Using the contents of the treasure box--old pictures, playbills, postcards, lace gloves, a scarf, a rosary, a crucifix necklace, etc--she rebuilds the story of Louise and Henri Brunet the previous occupants. But she also gives us the story of Trevor Stratton, the contemporary American researcher who 'discovers' the box, after it is planted by the office secretary Josianne, and his strange reactions to the artifacts as he writes about them. This part of the story-- the relationship between Trevor and Josianne, and his letters to an unnamed "Dear Sir" are the weakest part of the story, but not weak enough to detract from the overall weave of the story.We are treated to unrequited love, illicit love, an everyday marriage, and a bizarre compilation of coincidences, conflicts and puzzles. We have a wonderful picture of Paris in the 1930's, of women's roles in that period between the two World Wars. It's amazing, fun, and thought-provoking. In addition, Ms. Shapiro has given us a series of QR codes (I had to look that one up!): "Quick response codes" that readers who have such an app on their smart phones can use to bring up enhanced pictures of the treasures in the box. For those of us who don't have such up-to-date skills and/or technologies, there are enhanced photos, audio and video clips available on the books webpage. It's a veritable treasure box itself. It's a tough book to categorize or summarize, just as working a puzzle is difficult to explain. It's a book that is to be experienced rather than read. There is quite a bit of french in the story, but the author does an admirable job of translating without disturbing the flow of the story.

[njmom3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The basis of this book is an actual box of letters and mementos that the author has. Through each of these items, the author concocts an imagined life for the woman to whom box belonged. The book includes color illustrations of the items and smart-phone codes to links to more information about each item.Unfortunately, I got lost in the writing style and the story - and not in a good way. I found it difficult to keep the characters and the time period straight. The stories from the past and the present intermingled. The imagined history of this woman includes a love that her father did not approve of, a love lost in the war, a practical marriage, and an affair that results from the unhappiness of that marriage. The same items could have resulted in a very different story. I simply did not enjoy the one the author had to tell.

[autumnblues · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A mysterious allure into the past so enticing with a hint of eroticism. The book is fiction, but the mysterious box on which it is based is real. Every item inside it, described in the book in intimate detail and photographs, exists. We may never know the real story behind each of them, but the items themselves offer a peek, and it inspired a woman to catch that mystery, wonder, and inspiration in this lovely, movingly descriptive novel. What an exceptionally intriguing novel this has been, from start to finish. From the beginning I was fascinated by the objects found in the box. Such simple things yet they can tell so much of a life. Louise and her husband seem to float by each other daily as if not even connected. The true essence of their marriage drained away like a bottle of whisky is drained by an alcoholic street urchin. With such boredom in her marriage it does not surprise me when Louise turns into such a naughty wife later in the book. The relationship of Louise and her cousin although strange was not something uncommon in the early 1900. However I could feel her father's rage and frustration at hearing such news. But did her father really feel this way? We shall never know. I found it rather odd when her piano student seemed to have lost her mind and proclaimed her love for Louise is such a weird way. My favorite part in this book was when Louise took off for the old farm to be alone. It struck me as something I would have done if I was her. 13, Rue Therese is at times sad and at others quite funny, mixed with a bit of sexual scandal and weirdness. Trevor seems to be in a trance half the time and is very comical at others as he studies the objects in his possession. The most intriguing part of this book is when Trevor crosses paths with someone from the past, that someone who is very much a part of the objects from the box. Is it a ghostly figure? Or has he crossed into another dimension, into the very past of which he is probing. Find out by reading 13, Rue Therese, I promise you will not put it down until the very end.

[rmckeown_9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An old saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, that is exactly what I did when I bought this book. An intriguing picture dominates the cover, and the mention of a “box of memories” on the jacket clinched the deal. This first novel was every bit as intriguing and exotic as the jacket.Josianne works as an assistant in the faculty offices of a university in Paris, France. She has in her possession a box with a curious assortment of photos, letters, envelops, coins, gloves, and a few other personal items. Louise Brunet owned the box and assembled the contents. Upon her death, no relatives claimed her possessions, so the box came to Josianne. She places the box in the office of a new professor, Trevor Stratton. He becomes obsessed with the contents, and goes on a wildly imaginative journey, creating lives and events for the individuals in the pictures and mentioned in the letters.The story has an air of mystery and charm, with some tragedy mixed in, along with some love, and several scenes of brief but intense eroticism, and a dollop of magic realism for some spice. Louise’s story becomes Trevor’s, and Trevor’s becomes Josianne’s, and Josianne’s becomes Louise’s story. Separating truth from reality, from fantasy, and from myth make this a most enjoyable read. Illustrations of the contents of the box accompany Trevor’s spinning of the tale.As I read, I became more and more intrigued. In the top of my closet, I have a box of memories. Most of them associated with a pen pal I had over a 30 year period. Photos, postcards, letters, small items, even coins and money make up a story only I know. I got out the box after finishing this novel, and roamed over the landscape of my memories dating back to 1965. Maybe I should write it all down before someone else does it for me. This is a most enjoyable read, and I heartily recommend it. Five stars--Jim, 3/13/11

[voracious_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book for it's creativity and originality. The author came to possess a box of odds and ends saved by a previous tenant that had died in her building in Paris. She used these photographs and artifacts to create a fictional account of the woman's life. Included in the book are photographic images of the artifacts, as she found them. The technology used to replicate these images made this story particularly enjoyable. The story that emerges is one of passion, forbidden love, and loss, centered around the time period of World War I. The story was reminiscent of Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" as the character was willing to engage in risky and sensual behaviors that transcended the scripted roles of the time period. There are also hyperlinks via QR codes that you can use with smartphone barcode scanners to link back to the website and see the artifacts in closer detail. In all, a fascinating idea to fuse technology and storytelling in a timeless story of a woman's life.

[undermyappletree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This beautifully written and illustrated book is a magical tale woven around a box of artifacts owned by the author. They tell the story of Louise Brunet, a woman who lived in the early part of the 20th century, as imagined by Trevor Stratton, an American academic working in present day Paris.Trevor discovers a mysterious box of letters and mementoes in his office that was secretly left there by his secretary. He becomes enchanted by the objects; old love letters, notes, faded photos, pieces of music even a pair of gloves. As he examines each of them he begins to write about their significance in a series of letters to someone identified only as ‘Sir’ and in doing so creates the story of Louise. At the same time Trevor is becoming more aware of his secretary and the role she plays in his discovering the objects.Louise is not what I would consider a typical woman of the 1920′s. Her thoughts, desires and actions are more consistent with those of someone living today. But then I would remind myself that I was experiencing Trevor’s fantasy of Louise’s life. Childless and married to a man of her father’s choosing, Louise suffered heartbreak when the love of her life was killed in The Great War. While she loves her husband, he is not the man of her dreams. She wants a child. She wants passion. She has neither.Louise is an intriguing and complex woman; she also has a naughty streak. Thinking about a pair of lace gloves she is wearing while in church causes her mind to wander off on an imagined sexual fantasy. Another time she makes a false confession to shock a priest. She has a desire to sleep with her new neighbor and writes him anonymous letters while at the same time she invites him and his wife to dinner.Throughout the pages the book is illustrated with color photos of the actual objects which were the inspiration for the novel. Each of the photos are also displayed on an interactive website which can be reached through links in the book, a wonderful enhancement to the story. This is a book that must be seen to be appreciated. Go take a look at that gorgeous site; you will not be disappointed; you will be intrigued.Love story, romance and fantasy, this is a clever and captivating story that is at times both sexy and adult. It is a puzzle that keeps you wondering until the very end when all the pieces ultimately fall into place. An enjoyable read.