The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity

 

Yesterday, I finished reading The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day. This narrative nonfiction book tells the real-life story of the robbery of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris, France, in 1911 and how the painting never should have existed in the first place. Alternating between 1911 Paris and Renaissance Italy, the author describes the fascinating life of scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, the unlikely series of events that led to da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa, the detectives who tried to solve the mystery of who stole the Mona Lisa, and how it was actually found.

I found this book absolutely riveting. While I was aware that the Mona Lisa had been stolen from the Louvre at some point in its history, I never knew the complete story until I read this book. I especially enjoyed learning more about Leonardo da Vinci, the Mona Lisa, the detectives who worked on the case, and the different suspects. The author's writing style was so engaging and I was eager to learn the identity of the Mona Lisa's thief and how he had the knowledge to actually carry out the robbery. I was definitely surprised when it wasn't any of the main suspects of the era and the police had written off someone that it really could have been. I also loved the illustrations by Brett Helquist because I thought they were quirky and a little funny. Overall, anyone who likes thrillers or art history should read The Mona Lisa Vanishes.