Phoebe and the Ghost of Chagall

Phoebe and the Ghost of Chagall
Jill Koenigsdorf
October 26, 2012
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-59692-383-6
$26.00
380 pages

Many artists literally "squeak by" financially. Yes, the talent is there.
Yes, the diligence and productivity is there. However, starving artists seem
to connect more with their art and talent when times are difficult. It seems that many artists connect better with their inner self when times a re rough. Of course, even an artist could benefit from a helpful ghost who seems almost like a guardian angel who had previously been the masterful artist, Marc Chagall.

Phoebe Rosen is an artist who designs wine bottle labels. Since the economic
downturn, the winery has cut her hours which causes her to fall behind on her
house payments. This is her dream house which seems to perfectly match her artistic nature. She loves this house which she shares with her teenaged daughter ready to leave for college.

Her daughter plans a surprise birthday party for Phoebe but what surprises her
most is the lone guest in the corner. An older man in a paint shirt with gray curly hair who looks curiously familiar. No one else seems to notice him. No, it can't be one of her favorite artists, Marc Chagall. He has been dead for years but it certainly looks like him?

Why would Marc Chagall be sent to help someone? What can a ghost do? How can a deceased artist assist in any way?

Phoebe and the Ghost of Chagall is a well-thought-out tale interweaving the
stolen art from World War II, the Russian rebellion, the Jewish issues in
Russia, the black market of stolen and hidden art by private collectors, the
life of an artist, lessons about Chagall and his life and interactions with
other artists, while solving a mystery with a touch of romance.
Even with all this, this story is engrossing especially about the history of
Marc Chagall while exploring the French countryside at a rural bed and breakfast
complete with local witches, bee keeping, and guilt about a choice made as a
child during the German occupation of the past war.

Phoebe and the Ghost of Chagall is the debut novel for Jill Koenigsdorf.
Previously, Ms. Koenigsdorf has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has
published various fictional short stories as well as non-fiction. She resides
in Sonoma, California and Santa Fe, Mexico.

How about reading an intriguing novel that is a page turner while also learning about the artistry of a true master? Read Phoebe and the Ghost of Chagall.