Very interesting history of how the Mona Lisa was stolen and recovered. Inter spaced with the story of Leonardo and the painting. How the policing of the time worked. How the rise of newspapers reflected in how the story was told. Great telling of how the Mona Lisa became such an icon. ( )

Gr 5 Up—Readers will be mesmerized by this gripping account of the 1911 theft of what would later become the
most famous painting in the world. Day's sly narrative, Helquist's expressive drawings, and the mystery of La
Joconde's fate captivates until the last page.

I loved this! It reads like a mystery novel a la Steve Sheinkin's [b:Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon|13170021|Bomb The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon|Steve Sheinkin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1424981656l/13170021._SX50_.jpg|18349336]. I think it would appeal to ages 10 all the way up to adults.

I was impressed by how well the 20th-century art crime plot flowed alongside the 15th- and 16th-century narrative of Da Vinci's life. I imagine when the author first pitched the idea it might have seemed like too much for a children's book. Like, pick one. However, the book succeeds in tying together the two time periods. I particularly enjoyed the author's insights about how the French detectives lacked the inductive reasoning skills of Da Vinci (as in Leonardo would have been able to solve the case because he was a great observer and not hampered by preconceived notions like only a certain type of person would be able to steal the Mona Lisa).

I also thought the book handled the relative lack of information about Lisa Gherardini with sensitivity. It may be eye-opening to some young readers to learn that most women had no agency in Renaissance Italy. Even including the 20th-century narrative, this book doesn't have many female characters, which is disappointing, but I suppose a consequence of the time period. One of the later chapters examines how influential male art critics became obsessed with Mona Lisa. Here's a great quote:

"When Lisa Gherardini sat for Leonardo, she was powerless. She couldn't even choose her own husband. Now, hundreds of years later, her portrait is powerful enough to lure men to their deaths." (page 201)

I learned so much from this book and was entertained to boot. It's a great work of narrative nonfiction for readers young and old. ( )

In Paris in 1911, Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre; its disappearance isn't even noticed immediately. When police are finally notified, they have their own theories (the Secret Admirer, the Lone Madman, the Consummate Professional) and their own methods (Bertillon's system of measurements). They are looking for a story, not a thief, and their records, such as they are, don't make the fingerprints they do have on file easily searchable, as they are in England at this time.

Hundreds of years earlier, curious twists of events mean that Leonardo does not become a notary like his father, and Lisa Gherardini does not end up in a convent; eventually, he paints her portrait, but she never sees the finished product (if Leonardo even considered it finished). Observant, curious Leonardo, his mind and notebooks bursting, is too filled with energy and ideas to be interested in finishing something once he's figured it out.

Fascinating - and far more satisfying than any of the Isabella Stewart Gardner heist books, as those all have frustratingly unresolved endings - this is a breathless narrative of events across time and place, a story of sensational newspaper accounts of an unthinkable theft. It's informative, lively, and funny, looking back on a changing Paris from a modern view.

Quotes

Planes in the air and horse manure on the pavement: the past and the future are all mixed up together....The world is in relentless motion. (Paris in 1911, p. 37)

Leonardo's mother [Caterina] and Lisa Gherardini - the future Mona Lisa - are at the center of this story, yet we know very little about either. This isn't an accident. In the very male Italian Renaissance, the life of any woman is described in the barest terms... (44)

He is always on the outside. This is a peculiar advantage. As an outsider, he learns to see the world more clearly, because he can't afford the luxuries of assumptions or illusions. He has to see the world as it is. (45)

Every contact leaves a trace. (Edmond Locard, early criminologist who believed in fingerprinting, 80)

Leonardo doesn't think the way the people around him do. He starts with the world: he observes that's around him/ Then he reasons: he finds a theory that explains his observations. Finally, he tests his theory.
Most people at the time work in the opposite direction. (94)

In 1911, stealing art was still new. Until recently, art hadn't been stolen - it had been pillaged....Art was stolen by nations. Random people stealing art: that was something different. (110-111)

It's a better story, after all. People will choose the better story every time.
...
They weren't looking for a thief. They were looking for a story. (135)

In a conspiracy theory, belief matters more than facts. Belief in a conspiracy inevitably leads you away from the facts. (238) ( )

Non-fiction can be dry; this book is NOT dry. Traveling back and forth in time and bringing in different characters, this book captures your attention. I listened to this book and think I enjoyed it so much because of the delivery of the narrator. She was fantastic.

This book is the story of the Mona Lisa. Why is it so famous? Is it deserving of it? Who is the lady? Well, in the early 1900s the Mona Lisa is stolen from the Paris Louvre. You would think a museum as famous as the Louvre would have top-notch security. The thief hides, slips out, knows how to get the painting off its nail, and walks out. Simple. No one notices. Once it's noticed, the police are called. You meet the detectives, the painter, the woman in the painting, the people who run the Louvre, and famous criminals of the day. That the painting was every painted is astounding because da Vinci rarely finished anything. He was pursuing knowledge constantly that he constantly moved from idea to idea that he couldn't bother to finish a project. He didn't even like to paint!

I highly recommend listening to this captivating audio of The Mona Lisa Vanishes and learn about the theft of the Mona Lisa and why this painting so bewitches us all. ( )

Any nonfiction work that teaches me about an intriguing topic that I knew nothing about typically gets a solid rating. A book that does so in an entertaining way and without including pretentious “padding” that so often mars books is deserving of an even higher rating. I had no clue the Mona Lisa was the focus of what some call the greatest art heist in history — and that this bold theft contributed to the painting’s global fame. The author blends incisive research with great storytelling and generous splashes of humor. He even provides a timely tie-in as he explores conspiracy theories that loomed over the heist, explaining how and why they gained traction. In this age of misinformation, the more we understand about the conspiracy mindset, the better. ( )

The Mona Lisa Vanishes is a fun and funny book, but filled with facts and history. It begins with a quick overview of the improbabilities of Leonardo da Vinci's life and of Lisa Gherardini sitting for a portrait by Leonardo. The main story is about the theft of the Mona Lisa, a small, inconsequential painting by the master, and how it became the most famous, expensive painting in the world simply because it was stolen.
The book is written in a non-linear fashion. The author enumerates the many talents and eccentricities of Leonard da Vinci and gives a brief history of his life. The reader learns about the Louvre, the famous convoluted museum in Paris which contains many of the world's most treasured art pieces. The book tells stories about the men investigating the theft and the detectives they admired. The author tells of Picasso, his paintings, and his troubles. Much more information is included, all interspersed and intermingled.
The book is humorous, which helps to counterbalance what might otherwise be a plethora of dry facts for young readers. I felt there was quite a significant disparity in the tone. Some parts, particularly at the beginning, were almost silly and felt aimed toward a young audience, perhaps elementary school. Later parts, however, seemed to lose much of the levity and even had some graphic descriptions of violence, making me hesitant to recommend the book to younger than middle school readers. The book was very entertaining and informational. I enjoyed reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. ( )