The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

"Vogue meets Daisy Jones & the Six," says New York Times bestseller Kate Quinn, in this bold novel of feminism and fashion set in 1970s New York City and the historic designers’ showdown in Versailles.

Everyone remembers her daringly short, silver lamé dress. It was iconic photo capturing an electric moment, where emerging American designer Astrid Bricard is young, uninhibited, and on the cusp of fashion and feminism’s changing landscape. She and fellow designer Hawk Jones are all over Vogue magazine and New York City's disco scene. Yet she can't escape the shadow of her mother, Mizza Bricard, infamous "muse" for Christian Dior.  Astrid would give anything to take her place among the great houses of couture–on her own terms. I won’t inspire it when I can create it.

But then Astrid disappeared…

Now Astrid's daughter, Blythe, holds what remains of her mother and grandmother's legacies. Of all the Bricard women, she can gather the torn, painfully beautiful fabrics of three generations of heartbreak to create something that will shake the foundations of fashion. The only piece missing is the one question no one's been able to answer: What really happened to Astrid?

• “Natasha Lester dazzles in her latest novel, a riveting, multi-generational story of love, loss, and reclaiming one's own power."
  Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room and The Mitford Affair
• “A luscious and enthralling read that follows three generations of women on their journeys of empowerment. These women fight with edgy talent and sparkling cleverness for their place in the fashion world amid backdrops of war and social strife. Natasha Lester has done it again with this dazzling story of fascinating historical detail, gorgeous writing, and strong, compelling heroines.”
  Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author
• "Vogue meets Daisy Jones & The Six, as three generations of women carve their mark in the world of fashion: Mizza Bricard, muse to Christian Dior in the forties; her daughter Astrid Bricard, struggling to define herself as more than a muse as American designers take Paris by storm in the tumultuous seventies; Blythe Bricard, haunted by her mother's Versailles disappearance and wanting nothing to do with the family legacy. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD stitches splashy fashion-world fun together with incisive observations about women's roles as muse and inspiration—and what price they pay when they dare to create for themselves rather than merely inspire the men around them. Natasha Lester's most compelling novel yet!"
  Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author
• “The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is an immersive triumph—as sparkly as a silver Lurex mini-dress, as cool as Mick and Bianca, and as atmospheric as a Seventies disco. Steamy love affairs, to-die-for clothes, and ballsy women make for a heady must-read.”
  Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author of The Manhattan Girls
• “This book is brave, bold, and beautiful, like the three women who narrate it. Natasha Lester’s sentences blaze off the page, and I couldn’t stop reading.  Full of heart and fierce social critique, The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is an inspiring story of female vision and grit in the face of insurmountable odds. I absolutely loved it.”
  Kerri Maher, author of The Paris Bookseller
• "No one does glamour, intrigue, and fashion the way Natasha Lester does. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard depicts a family of talented women with skills and dreams ahead of their time, deserving of all the accolades but struggling to achieve them in a male-dominated fashion industry. At times gripping and others moving, readers will find themselves turning pages as fast as they can. I know I did!"
  Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of Strangers in the Night
• “What an all-encompassing novel! I was blown away. Part mystery, part romance, Natasha Lester delivers a full-on page turner. This author dazzles us by weaving fact and fiction in a propulsive, multifaceted, multigenerational ode to fashion, feminism and love stories that will both break your heart and leave you hopeful. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard belongs at the very top of your To-Be-Read pile.”
  Renee Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl
• “Themes of family, power, resilience, and finding a way back to love will resonate with readers.”
  Booklist