The honeybee emeralds
(Book)

Includes book club discussion questions (pages 335-336).

"Iranian refugee Alice Ahmadi grew up in Northern England, never certain of where she belonged. Interning at a struggling expat magazine, Bonjour Paris, she discovers a priceless diamond and emerald necklace with a golden honeybee pendant. Alice shares the discovery with the magazine's American editor, Lily Wilkins, who sees it as a lifeline to save the magazine: they will put the necklace, and its history, on next month's cover. Lily's best friend and fellow American, Daphne Smythe-Baird joins them in their quest. Forming the 'Fellowship of the Necklace'' with a trio of unlikely men, the women dive into research. From the stunning and historic Richelieu Library, to a creepy disused theatre in a bad part of town; from high-end jewellers near Place Vendome to the idyllic home of a Loire Valley winemaker; the Fellowship encounters fascinating characters in their search for the truth. At the edges of all this excitement, Élise Boucher, Bonjour Paris's cranky long-time office manager, worries about her future. Through diaries, letters and reminiscences, the romantic story of the necklace is unravelled. Commissioned by the lusty Napoléon III for his favourite mistress, the 'Honeybee Emeralds' was next owned by ill-fated First World War spy, Mata Hari. During the Roaring Twenties the necklace found its way onto the elegant neck of Josephine Baker, the American singer, dancer and sex symbol who took Paris by a storm. As the Fellowship unravels the twists and turns of the necklace's life, one secret remains: how did it end up in a Parisian basement?"--,Provided by publisher.