On the Shelf: Studio Saint-Ex

STUDIO SAINT-EX | ANIA SZADO | VIKING CANADA (PENGUIN) | APRIL 2013

Set in Manhattan and Quebec City in 1943, Studio Saint-Ex is a fictionalized account of the love triangle among Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, his mercurial wife, Consuelo, and a young fashion designer. Mignonne Lachapelle leaves Montreal for New York to make her name, but is swept away by the charms of France’s greatest living writer. Nothing about their relationship is simple—not Antoine’s estranged wife who entangles Mig in her schemes to reclaim her husband, not his turmoil, and certainly not their tempestuous trysts or the blurring boundaries of their artistic pursuits. Yet the greatest complication comes in the form of a deceptively simple manuscript: Antoine’s work-in-progress, The Little Prince, a tender tale of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss in the form of a young prince fallen to earth.

I devoured this book. From the first page, I knew I would fall in love with the literary prose, but I wasn't too sure about the content. The majority of Studio Saint-Ex's chapters are told from the point of view of Mignonne, a fashion designer, and I was worried that the fashion terms and her obvious love for fabric would be beyond my comprehension. I was completely wrong. Ania Szado somehow makes fashion a passionate art form for even the most "fashion illiterate" of readers. Believe me, this book will make you fall in love with a piece of white silk.

This book weaves a triangle between Mignonne, Antoine, and Consuelo, their devotion and passion taking unexpected turns as the story unravels. As the summary mentions, the creation of The Little Prince changes the relationships between all three characters. The manuscript is used as a symbol of passion for all three of them, although in very different ways.

I love Mignonne. While I don't share her interest in fashion, I do share her drive. She'll do whatever it takes to establish herself as a figurehead in New York City's crowded fashion scene. She's a young girl, quite unsure of herself, trying to make a name in a city that has the ability to ruin.

I detest Antoine - in the best possible way. He comes across as conceited and selfish, but Studio Saint-Ex shows that these personality categories have very fine lines. Antoine is a writer and it is through his anguish and delight for his craft that the story unfolds.

Then there is Consuelo. My feelings for this character are best thought of in a "love to hate" scenario. She's cruel and vindictive, but the few chapters told in her point-of-view show a different side - a different need - of Consuelo. Her passion doesn't lie in any of the arts. Rather, Consuelo craves attention and desire.

A lot of the story is inspired by The Little Prince and its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. While you can read Studio Saint-Ex without having read The Little Prince, I think it's worth the time to read the latter beforehand as it will add a deeper level of understanding to the second half of the book. However, Szado's story is more evocative and truth-telling than The Little Prince itself. It is a beautiful story written in beautiful prose. Studio Saint-Ex reveals the hope within a clouded sky, the beauty in a rose, and the freedom of a butterfly.

Studio Saint-Ex will be available in Canada on April 2, 2013 and in the United States on June 6, 2013. For more information, visit the author's website: http://www.aniaszado.com/studio-saint-ex.html.