‘The Muralist’ sends readers on a fascinating trip to the past

B.A. Shapiro’s “The Muralist” delves into the lives of two young New York painters, Alizee and Danielle — one in pre-World War II and one in 2015.

Both characters are looking for artistic inspiration and yearning for lost family members.

But only Alizee, and her historic setting and plot line, captured the imaginations of participants at the latest gathering of the FYI Book Club.

More than 40 readers met recently at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to tour some of the abstract expressionist works and then discuss how those works reflect the political, social and personal issues in the novel.

[ Read our interview with author B.A. Shapiro ]

Several of the artists on view in the Nelson’s modern art gallery appear as characters in the emotionally charged historical fiction, including Willem de Kooning, Arshile Gorky and Mark Rothko.

Evelyn Summer of Raytown said she wished Alizee had really existed alongside them. “I spent a lot of time imagining what those paintings looked like,” she said. “The paintings were so well described, I wanted to see what Alizee was creating.”

Attendees made connections between the novel and the current Syrian refugee crisis.

“This book became even more real with its refugee and immigrant questions from 1939,” said Kathy Lindsey of Kansas City. “I liked the portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt and how she stood up to her friends who were condescending about Alizee’s artwork and her struggle to secure visas for her family.”

But Sandy Stuart of Kansas City said, “That element of the book was definitely important, but the author may have belabored the point at the expense of the story in places.”

A reader pointed out that it was surprising some of the artists in the book thought art couldn’t be political, especially when Alizee asks for their help in creating a secret mural with a highly charged political message.

“I actually had a hard time with this plot point,” said Sue Amodeo of Blue Springs. “Abstract expressionism is about an artist’s own impressions placed on canvas. I couldn’t quite picture how Alizee could instruct the other artists in creating a mural she envisioned.” Joni Green of Kansas City agreed: “Especially when they all didn’t believe in what Alizee was doing.”

Howard Wilkens of Kansas City pointed out that “the author did talk about the styles of the mural changing, depending on the part each individual artist was painting.”

Sharon Hildebrand of Kansas City said, “It was her artist friends’ loyalty to Alizee that made them want to help her. Even though they didn’t align with her cause.”

Colette Panchot of Lenexa reminded readers of Jackson Pollack’s anti-Semitic remarks while helping with the mural. “He had so little sympathy for Alizee and her situation. Like Breckinridge Long and his refusal to help the Jewish refugees aboard the Saint Louis. The author did a great job tying in all the historical facts with her fiction.”

Eventually, Alizee truly suffers for her art, and readers wondered whether her hallucinations and frenzied work were part of her artistic process or stress-induced mental illness. One reader pointed out that Alizee went hungry and was cold. She was obsessed with helping her family escape Europe.

“That may have contributed to Alizee’s revolutionary tendencies, but thinking differently is not a sign of mental illness,” said Jon Moss of Lansing, Kan. “It’s a typical trait among artists.”

Readers disagreed over whether they liked the ending of “The Muralist.” But Sandy Trotter of Kansas City noted, “In the end, Alizee’s art endured no matter what. That’s the theme of this book. All throughout history, art is the heart of our civilizations. It inspires us and it saves us.”

Said Ginny Battaglia of Kansas City: “Art endures because it’s always telling us something about history. And not just our pasts; art tells us where we are going.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 12:36 PM with the headline "‘The Muralist’ sends readers on a fascinating trip to the past."