Catherine Ostler – författare

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Chosen by the New Yorker as one of the Best Books of 2026 So Far‘Remarkable and haunting . . . a revelation’ Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes‘A dazzling achievement, heartbreaking, glamourous, elegiac, revelatory and utterly gripping’ Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity‘Truly beautiful and melodic . . . a joy to read’ Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and Story of a Murder‘Thrilling . . . essential reading for our times’ The Times, Book of the WeekAn astonishing true story of splendour, scandal and tragedy in Golden Age Paris.In 1881, Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted two young sisters from a Jewish banking dynasty at their home in Paris’s grand 8th arrondissement. Pink and Blue, a portrait of Elisabeth and Alice Cahen d’Anvers, captures a fleeting moment of innocence and beauty, and today it is one of Renoir’s most celebrated works. His portrait evokes the glamour of the Belle Époque: days at the races, nights at the opera, sun-soaked chateaux, brilliant salons filled with art, music and conversation. Paris at its most dazzling.Yet beneath the glittering surface was a surging current of resentment. Renoir’s Impressionist masterpiece, radiant with light and colour, hides both a family secret and the tensions of an era poised for rupture. The same society that was illuminated by progress and culture was cast into shadow by division, prejudice and rising antisemitism. The Cahen d’Anvers, prominent patrons of this Golden Age, would come to embody both its glory and its tragedy.In The Renoir Girls, Catherine Ostler paints a vivid and immersive portrait of intimate individual lives against the vast sweep of a changing Europe. Drawing on letters, diaries and exclusive new research, Ostler uncovers revelatory truths about a family at the heart of modern Europe’s struggles. From the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War to the Dreyfus Affair and the devastation of two world wars, this is a powerful story of love, courage and identity in conflict with the forces of history. Catherine Ostler, New York Times bestseller, July 2026

A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARA VOGUE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. . . and her research is impeccable' Evening StandardWhen the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence.A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others.As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale – that of Elizabeth’s fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss.Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth’s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society’s expectations of her.

A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR A VOGUE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. . . and her research is impeccable' Evening StandardWhen the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others. As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale – that of Elizabeth’s fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss.Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth’s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society’s expectations of her. 

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Chosen by the New Yorker as one of the Best Books of 2026 So FarRemarkable and haunting . . . a revelation Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber EyesA dazzling achievement, heartbreaking, glamourous, elegiac, revelatory and utterly gripping Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of HumanityTruly beautiful and melodic . . . a joy to read Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and Story of a MurderThrilling . . . essential reading for our times The Times, Book of the WeekAn astonishing true story of splendour, scandal and tragedy in Golden Age Paris.In 1881, Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted two young sisters from a Jewish banking dynasty at their home in Pariss grand 8th arrondissement. Pink and Blue, a portrait of Elisabeth and Alice Cahen dAnvers, captures a fleeting moment of innocence and beauty, and today it is one of Renoirs most celebrated works. His portrait evokes the glamour of the Belle poque: days at the races, nights at the opera, sun-soaked chateaux, brilliant salons filled with art, music and conversation. Paris at its most dazzling.Yet beneath the glittering surface was a surging current of resentment. Renoirs Impressionist masterpiece, radiant with light and colour, hides both a family secret and the tensions of an era poised for rupture. The same society that was illuminated by progress and culture was cast into shadow by division, prejudice and rising antisemitism. The Cahen dAnvers, prominent patrons of this Golden Age, would come to embody both its glory and its tragedy.In The Renoir Girls, Catherine Ostler paints a vivid and immersive portrait of intimate individual lives against the vast sweep of a changing Europe. Drawing on letters, diaries and exclusive new research, Ostler uncovers revelatory truths about a family at the heart of modern Europes struggles. From the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War to the Dreyfus Affair and the devastation of two world wars, this is a powerful story of love, courage and identity in conflict with the forces of history. Catherine Ostler, New York Times bestseller, July 2026

‘Remarkable and haunting . . . a revelation’ Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes‘A dazzling achievement, heartbreaking, glamourous, elegiac, revelatory and utterly gripping’ Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity‘Truly beautiful and melodic . . . a joy to read’ Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and Story of a Murder‘Thrilling . . . essential reading for our times’ The Times, Book of the Week An astonishing true story of splendour, scandal and tragedy in Golden Age Paris.In 1881, Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted two young sisters from a Jewish banking dynasty at their home in Paris’s grand 8th arrondissement. Pink and Blue, a portrait of Elisabeth and Alice Cahen d’Anvers, captures a fleeting moment of innocence and beauty, and today it is one of Renoir’s most celebrated works. His portrait evokes the glamour of the Belle Époque: days at the races, nights at the opera, sun-soaked chateaux, brilliant salons filled with art, music and conversation. Paris at its most dazzling.Yet beneath the glittering surface was a surging current of resentment. Renoir’s Impressionist masterpiece, radiant with light and colour, hides both a family secret and the tensions of an era poised for rupture. The same society that was illuminated by progress and culture was cast into shadow by division, prejudice and rising antisemitism. The Cahen d’Anvers, prominent patrons of this Golden Age, would come to embody both its glory and its tragedy.In The Renoir Girls, Catherine Ostler paints a vivid and immersive portrait of intimate individual lives against the vast sweep of a changing Europe. Drawing on letters, diaries and exclusive new research, Ostler uncovers revelatory truths about a family at the heart of modern Europe’s struggles. From the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War to the Dreyfus Affair and the devastation of two world wars, this is a powerful story of love, courage and identity in conflict with the forces of history.

A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMESBOOK OF THE YEARA TELEGRAPHBOOK OF THE YEAR A VOGUEBOOK OF THE YEARA rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeths story with admirable style and gustoSunday TimesTerrifically entertaining: if you likedBridgerton, you''ll love this. . . and herresearch is impeccable Evening StandardWhen the glamorousElizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall forbigamyin April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than theAmerican War of Independence. Aclandestine, candlelit weddingto the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on aGrand Tourof Europe,being welcomed by thePope andCatherine the Greatamong others. As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns.Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale that of Elizabeth''s fight toovercome personal tragedy and loss.Now, in thisbrilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth''s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society''s expectations of her.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2026 Beguiling, troubling and ultimately heartbreaking Ostler employs her research skills like an X-ray technician, peeking beneath the paintings shimmering surface to reveal secrets and betrayals at the heart of both a single Jewish family and French society. The New York Times Book Review Immensely rewarding...Ostler transforms historys grand sweep into intimate profile. The Washington Post Three sisters, the daughters of a prominent French Jewish family, all painted as children by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In the turbulent years from the Belle Epoque to World War II, one would marry an English aristocrat and escape; one would become a collaborator with the Nazis; one would die in Auschwitz. This is the remarkable hidden history of the lives behind Renoirs beguiling portraits. Paris, 1881. The artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir knocks on the door of a wealthy Jewish familys home in the 8th arrondissement, the grandest quarter of Paris. He has arrived to paint the portrait of the familys two youngest daughters. The parents, the Cahen dAnvers, are bankers, collectors, philanthropists, and pillars of Parisian society. They go to balls, breed racehorses, and ride in the Bois de Boulogne with their aristocratic friends. But for the Jewish community, the undercurrents of Parisian sentiment are already moving in a sinister direction. The story of the Renoir girls will end in the duplicity and the horror of the Second World War. With an extraordinary cast of characters, from the girls themselves, their mothers lovers, a heroic British General; from the King of Spain to Dreyfus, Proust, and Maupassantthis is a story about one of the worlds most famous pictures, The Pink and the Blue. But really it is a story about Parisone that prefers to be hidden. With access to never-before-seen letters, diaries, and personal recollectionsit is a tale of privilege, beauty, and betrayal almost lost in the shimmering memory of a vanished world.

Discover the adventurous life of the stylish and scandalous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston—a woman whose infamous trial was bigger news in British society than the American War of Independence. “Bridgerton fans take note: For sheer incident and drama, Chudleigh’s story rivals any episode of the popular Regency-era Netflix series. And it’s all true” (The Washington Post).As maid of honor to the Princess of Wales, Elizabeth Chudleigh enjoyed a luxurious life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court. With her extraordinary style and engaging wit, she both delighted and scandalized the press and public. She would later even inspire William Thackeray when he was writing his classic Vanity Fair, providing the inspiration for the alluring social climber Becky Sharp. But Elizabeth’s real story is more complex and surprising than anything out of fiction. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a duke, a lust for diamonds, and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a gossamer dress—it’s no wonder that Elizabeth’s eventual trial was a sensation. Charged with bigamy, an accusation she vehemently fought against, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. “A superb, gripping, decadent, colorful biography that brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life” (Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author), The Duchess Countess is perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Women of Means, and The Crown.

A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARA VOGUE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. . . and her research is impeccable' Evening StandardWhen the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence.A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others.As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale – that of Elizabeth’s fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss.Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth’s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society’s expectations of her.