The Club

Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris

By: Jennifer Dasal

Narrated by: Jennifer Dasal

Bloomsbury presents The Club written and read by Jennifer Dasal, host of the hit podcast ArtCurious.

"Through masterful research and sparkling prose, The Club feels like an exclusive invitation to a Parisian enclave during an era of artistic and social transformation." —Michael Finkel, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Art Thief

A deliciously entertaining, never-before-told history of a residence for American women artists in Paris from 1893 to 1914.

In Belle Époque Paris, the Eiffel Tower was newly built, France was experiencing remarkable political stability, and American women were painting the town and gathering at a female-only Residence known as The American Girls' Club in Paris. Opened in 1893, The Club was the center of expatriate living and of dedication to a calling in the fine arts, and singularly harbored a generation of independent, talented, and driven American women.

Now in The Club, curator, art historian, and podcast host Jennifer Dasal presents the never-before-told story of the Club, the philanthropists who created it, and the artists it housed. These women forged connections in the arts and letters with luminaries like Auguste Rodin and Gertrude Stein or became activists through their relationships with the likes of Emmeline Pankhurst. But just as importantly, these women's lives revealed the power of the Club itself, and the way that having a safe home for single women of ambition allowed them to grow as teachers, artists, suffragists, and people.

For those interested in women's lives as captured in books like The Barbizon, art history buffs who loved Ninth Street Women, and armchair travelers longing to visit Belle Époque Paris, The Club is a captivating, colorful new history.©2025 Jennifer Dasal (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Unknown history and very interesting

This book describes an historic period about which l had little knowledge. The research and information presented made for a very interesting read about art, Paris, and the American women artists who studied there. I did not particularly enjoy the author’s narration, however. Her cadence and emphasis on certain words and phrases became annoying to me. She seemed at times to be too invested in making her points although l imagine her obvious passion for her subject influenced the narrative. I did enjoy the book.

Loads of research!

As a longtime fan of Dasal’s Art Curious podcast, I know the work that went into this book. I can also tell how much she LOVES art history!

Interesting and timely story with excellent narration

Enjoyed this book very much. Loved learning about the Club, the women involved and the artists it supported. Story is narrated beautifully by the author.

The history

The story was mostly interesting. I have only three stars for assumptions about some of the artists… felt more agenda-driven than actual history