Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Combining the worlds of art and literary history, this is the story of Khayyam who’s trying to find a connection between the rumored painting that Delacroix gave to Dumas and to use this research to help her get into Chicago’s Art Institute Young Scholars program.Whether you know who Delacroix or Dumas are, this is a fun read that takes you into paintings, poetry, letters, and the streets of Paris.
During her investigations, Khayyam comes across two individuals who will impact the course of her quest: Leila and Alexandre. Leila, the mysterious woman mentioned in poems and letters, inspires Khayyam to think about how women have been silenced for so long in history. Pushed into the background of men’s stories, Khayyam shifts her focus to find out Leila’s story with the result that Khayyam is inspired to tell her story rather than fit herself into the stories of the men in her life.
The mystery surrounding the mysterious woman and finding out who she is and what her story is keeps the plot moving forward in a fun way. Personally, I’m fascinated by the connections between art and literature especially considering that so many artists and writers were friends or associated in similar circles. Even if it’s just based on rumors, knowing that real people and stories inspired the paintings and literature we study makes the pieces standout. It also shows that the artists and writers themselves were imperfect even if they created “perfect” art.
