Studio Saint-Ex
This story begins in 1942 and skips ahead to 1967. The heroine, an aspiring fashion designer in Manhattan, is a fictional character named Mignonne. The hero is the very real French aviator and author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The antagonist is his real wife, Consuelo. These three form a love-hate triangle. The charming Antoine thrives on the admiration of everyone around him, especially Mignonne. As the novel moves along, however, one sees him as spoiled, self-indulgent, and egocentric. He is pettish about being grounded and works tirelessly to be allowed to enter World War II as a pilot. His marriage to the beautiful Consuelo is a masterpiece of symbiosis. For an undisclosed reason, Antoine either cannot, or chooses not to, make physical love to the adoring Mignonne. At the same time, Consuelo tries to distract Mignonne with a lesbian attachment. Eventually, Mignonne and Consuelo form a partnership, encouraged by Antoine, and open a fashion salon, Studio Saint-Ex. The culmination of this collaboration is a fashion show based on The Little Prince.
Szado obviously admires the exploits and charms of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, as do the many fans of The Little Prince. While this novel is well written, its construction is a bit confusing as real and fictitious characters interact, real places are found in fictitious locations, and the action goes back and forth in time. Too much of the narrative is spent on the designing and production of dresses. This book promises but disappoints.
