Brooklynite’s debut novel blends art history and fiction
Brooklyn BookBeat
In her debut novel “Under the Egg” (Dial; March 18), Brooklyn writer Laura Marx Fitzgerald masterfully blends historical facts from the art world, the Renaissance, and World War II to create an enthralling mystery that pivots around one of the most monumental treasure hunts in history.
After Theodora Tenpenny accidentally spills rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting and discovers what appears to be a very old masterpiece underneath, a riveting adventure ensues as she and her friend Bodhi, along with a colorful cast of characters, including the tattooed librarian who helps them with their research, the vendor who sells nuts from his cart near Theo’s house and is a former chemist and an Episcopalian priest, set out on a mission to uncover the mystery of the painting.