The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

What can you tell us about your new book The Perfume Collector?
Set in London in 1955, The Perfume Collector tells the story of a young woman, Grace Munroe, who inherits a flat in Paris from a complete stranger - the mysterious Madame Eva d'Orsey. Upon going to Paris to rectify what she's certain is a mistake, Grace discovers that Eva was muse to one of the most famous and misunderstood perfumers of his age and that she is indeed the intended recipient of this bequest. Determined to discover how their lives intertwine,Grace seeks out an old Russian perfumer, Madame Zed, who knew Eva. Madame Zed uses the three iconic perfumes that Eva inspired to tell the story of Eva's life. And, in uncovering more about Eva's past, Grace is confronted with secrets and choices about her own life.

The book travels between two decades of 1920's and 1950s, so tell us about your research into these eras?
This is a favourite period of mine - from the 1900's to 1950's because it's so incredibly jam-packed with events, dramatic shifts in world views and innovations. The research itself is fairly easy and straightforward; I read books about and written during the time period and create timelines of events. Much more involved was the research that I did on the creation of perfume.

Full Interview