The Sidewalk Artist: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Janice Kirk (Author)
Key Phrases: sidewalk painting, one happy ending, sidewalk artist, New York, Miss Mercy, Raffaello Sanzio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When blocked writer Tulia Rose hits it off with a handsome sidewalk artist while touring Paris, she's intrigued. Is he an admirer? A muse? A stalker? A potential lover? A guardian angel? Or is the stranger, Raffaello, the reincarnation of the Renaissance artist Raphael? As it turns out, the mysterious stranger might be all of these and more in this bittersweet debut by Canadian authors Buonaguro and Kirk. Tulia's investment-banker boyfriend, Ethan, has sent her from New York to Europe with the hope that time apart will give their relationship some much-needed space and allow Tulia to overcome writer's block. While she's entertaining fantasies of her sidewalk artist, Ethan pursues his own romantic endeavors, which serves as an impetus for Tulia to do more than think about Raffaello. The romantic European locales Tulia visits, including Paris, Venice and the Tuscan countryside, are dreamily described, but Raffaello comes across as creepy instead of seductive. Snippets from Tulia's new novel-in-progress pepper the narrative (she's writing a love story about Raphael), though these—dependant on saccharine romantic episodes and dreams—may turn off readers who aren't steadfast historical romance fans. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

After her first novel's failure, Tulia is sent abroad for six weeks by boyfriend Ethan, a successful, buttoned-up type frustrated in his recent attempts to remake her into a more acceptable mate for a rising corporate star. But where would she go if she left him? Romance and art unexpectedly mix as the visiting American in Paris meets a handsome sidewalk artist. His chalk re-creation of Raphael's cherubs is a masterpiece that stops her in her tracks. The subsequent, soulful, spontaneous meal of baguette, cheese, and wine from his backpack sets the scene for interwoven parallel love stories set in present-day and Renaissance Europe, respectively. Drawn to the chalk artist, who signs his work "Rafaello," Tulia decides her next novel will focus on his great namesake. But her research gives her odd dreams, and when chance lands her in Venice, she again sees her sidewalk artist, but it's no accidental meeting with this enigmatic man who stirs her soul. A smooth-flowing tale of love, enchantment, and mystery. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312358032
• ISBN-13: 978-0312358037
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,022,439 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romance with a touch of fantasy, June 9, 2008

By	Bookphile (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Sidewalk Artist: A Novel (Paperback)

Whenever I hear a book labeled a "romance", I instantly think of bodice rippers. As I am not a fan of this genre, attaching "romance" to a book makes me wary and that's too bad, as I love a really well done romance. Fortunately, there are books like this that prove that romance can be a very literary topic.

Tulia Rose heads off to Europe for some time away from what has become a fractured relationship. She's a woman who seems to be standing still in her life. Though she is happy with her job, the pay is low and there is no real opportunity to go any further than where she is. The aforementioned relationship is with a man who makes a great deal of money and so one of the central conflicts here is not only the slow death of their romance but also the more practical question of how Tulia is to survive if she is to go it alone. This is a complex issue and one that undoubtedly leads many people to stay with partners with whom they are really ill suited. I thought the authors handled this particular plot thread in a thoughtful manner.

While in Europe, Tulia meets a very mysterious sidewalk artist who causes her to drastically change her plans. Though he is sensitive and handsome and though Tulia finds herself drawn to him, he is also rather cagey and her reaction to his reticence is very realistic. She finds herself having to choose between what her heart and her head are telling her. Though she finds herself falling for him, her growing feelings for him are tempered by periodic bursts of uncertainty as to whether he is sincere and even whether he could, in fact, be dangerous. Really, all love is like this in that we must all ultimately make a choice as to whether or not we will allow ourselves to become vulnerable enough to care for someone. Tulia wants to believe in love but has found herself disappointed in the past and so while her caution is certainly advisable, it also says a lot about how she has been hurt in the past.

Woven within Tulia's story is a fictional account of the artist Raphael and the woman he loved, which Tulia writes after the story comes to her in bits and pieces during dreams. His is a cautionary tale about taking love for granted rather than seizing every opportunity for happiness. The more Tulia writes the tale, the more unsettling it becomes because it seems so vivid to her. It is here that the mystical elements of the novel come into play and Buonaguro and Kirk have created a book that has fantastical elements that are so sensitively written that, however implausible, they don't seem silly.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best - romantic and mystical, December 7, 2006

By	ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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When I heard the description of this book, I instantly knew this was a book for me. The premise is a lady with writer's block going to vacation in Europe. While in Paris, she sees a sidewalk artist having drawn Raphael's angels in incredible detail. His first words to her are 'I almost thought you weren't coming'...Raphael and Tulia see their friendship grow into romance. The similarities between this modern day Raphael and the Italian Renaissance Raphael are uncanny. The stories past, present, and the beginnings of Tulia's book on Raphael, are intertwined, and all seem to blend into a love story that transcends time.
This is an incredible book that will touch your heart. It brings history to life and is as vibrant as a Raphael painting.
The beauty of the written word, the timeless romance will sweep you away.
You will love this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Destined for Greatness, October 31, 2006

By	Wantz Upon A Time Reviews "www.wantzuponatime... (Chicago) - See all my reviews

It's the beginning of an extended European vacation, and Tulia Rose is in Paris. Alone. Her boyfriend has given her this vacation as a gift, but he didn't come with her. With all the research she has planned for her new book, surely that's not so bad. She believes he's at least trying to patch up their relationship.

While wandering through Paris, Tulia discovers a sidewalk artist of amazing talent. He wields chalk the way old masters wielded the brush. Known to Tulia only as Rafael, the artist captures her heart through simple reassurances and his brand of magic.

Inspired by Raphael's story of a love lost, Tulia begins writing her new novel. The hero is Raffaello Sanzio--the legendary Italian painter--and the heroine is an unnamed poet of gentle nature. Romance blossoms for Tulia even as it develops in the story she writes. Raphael introduces her to secret corners of Florence and Venice, where her appreciation for his namesake grows.

Dark, mysterious, and infinitely gentle, Tulia's Raphael shows her the meanings of love and loss. Her life will never be the same. The question will be where she goes from here.

This debut novel is phenomenal. It is written with a voice so eloquent and beautiful that it will take the reader on the kind of emotional journey only elicited by true masters of the word.

Buonaguro and Kirk are to be highly commended. The Sidewalk Artist is destined to become a romantic classic that will appeal to anyone who has tasted the power of love.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
8/2/2006