The Reincarnation of Marie: A Love Reborn in Paris From the Pages of History by Jim Woodman

Book 101 Review

For anyone who has ever felt the sting of loss or dared to dream of a love that could last beyond a lifetime, The Reincarnation of Marie is a journey through time that is sure to resonate.

Facing enlistment in the Algerian War in 1950s Paris, French Army officer Yann Roussel had a heart heavy for the future. Seeking solace, he found The Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff, the diary of a late French-Russian artist who’d lived in Paris in the late 1800s.

The first woman's diary to ever be posthumously published (to bestselling success), its sensual details of a bohemian life cut short fascinated Roussel. But soon, fascination gave way to near madness when he found himself in love with the spirit of a dead woman.

The Reincarnation of Marie, an epistolary, historical romance by Jim Woodman, tells the story of how Roussel’s obsession led to a doomed love affair with Marya, a haunted young art student with uncanny similarities to Bashkirtseff. Convinced he'd discovered Bashkirtseff’s spirit reincarnated, Roussel found the impossible love he'd been looking for—just on the eve of his leaving for war.

Loosely based on a true story (and hints that author was the one fell in love with Marie), The Reincarnation of Marieis a rich narrative blurring historical reality with supernatural love. In the end, readers are left with one question: can love truly conquer all—even death?