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Natasha Lester is the award winning author of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, a 1920s New York love story, and two other novels, If I Should Lose You, and What is Left Over, After.
The Age newspaper has described her as "a remarkable Australian talent." She has been awarded grants by the Australia Council for her work, and writing residencies from Varuna, The Writers House and the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre.
She loves teaching writing courses and when she's not working on her novels or teaching others how to write, she can usually be found reading, going to yoga, or playing dress-ups with her three children. Natasha lives in Perth, Western Australia.
The Age newspaper has described her as "a remarkable Australian talent." She has been awarded grants by the Australia Council for her work, and writing residencies from Varuna, The Writers House and the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre.
She loves teaching writing courses and when she's not working on her novels or teaching others how to write, she can usually be found reading, going to yoga, or playing dress-ups with her three children. Natasha lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Genres: Historical, Historical Romance, Sagas
Novels
What Is Left Over, After (2010)
A Kiss from Mr. Fitzgerald (2016)
Her Mother's Secret (2017)
The Paris Seamstress (2018)
The Paris Orphan (2019)
aka The French Photographer
The Paris Secret (2020)
The Riviera House (2021)
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre (2022)
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard (2023)
A Kiss from Mr. Fitzgerald (2016)
Her Mother's Secret (2017)
The Paris Seamstress (2018)
The Paris Orphan (2019)
aka The French Photographer
The Paris Secret (2020)
The Riviera House (2021)
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre (2022)
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard (2023)
Novellas
Natasha Lester recommends
The Joyce Girl (2016)
Annabel Abbs
"Brings to life 1920s Paris excitingly and beautifully...I loved Lucia's character."
Cross My Heart (2019)
Pamela Cook
"A beautiful story...prepare to have your heart warmed and broken, to laugh and to cry."
You Don't Know Me (2019)
Sara Foster
"This book has it all: a gripping opening, characters I cared deeply for, a compelling mystery, and heart-stopping pace. I couldn't put it down. This is Sara Foster's best book yet."
The Whispers of War (2020)
Julia Kelly
"A story of exquisite tenderness, The Whispers of War beautifully captures just how precious female friendship can be, and shines a light onto an important but less well-known aspect of war. Add to that rich historical detail and a cast of engaging characters and you have a must-read for all historical fiction fans."
Lost Autumn (2020)
Mary-Rose MacColl
"This book has it all: an unforgettable first chapter, fascinating insight into the Prince of Wales' visit to Australia in 1920... and a compelling mystery set in contemporary times... Truly wonderful storytelling."
The Kew Gardens Girls (2020)
(Kew Garden, book 1)
Posy Lovell
"An absolutely charming story about the strength and beauty of female friendship. The Kew Gardens Girls blossom from the pages as WWI changes their lives and they face the challenges of being the first women to work in the famous Kew Gardens. I loved the way Ivy, Louisa and Win reveled in the many adventures they encountered and supported one another through the turmoil of wartime life. Settle into the story and be swept away!"
The Last Train to Key West (2020)
(Cuba Saga, book 3)
Chanel Cleeton
"The Last Train to Key West takes you on an incredible and emotion-charged journey ... [It] has everything a reader could want: not one but three incredible love stories, page-turning drama and rich historical detail. I finished the last chapter with a sigh of satisfaction that only a great book can bring about."
The Invisible Woman (2021)
Erika Robuck
"In The Invisible Woman, Erika Robuck shows us exactly how biographical fiction should be written: with respect for the historical record, a deep understanding of the subject, and the empathy to allow the character at the heart of the novel to shine through. Virginia Hall was a true hero and she comes to extraordinary life in this book. I loved everything about it, from Virginia's bravery to her frailties, to the enthralling evocation of life with the French Resistance during WWII, to the incredible courage of the ordinary people who fought for freedom and who are honoured here. If you only read one WWII book this year, make it this one."
While Paris Slept (2021)
Ruth Druart
"While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. It is at once a story of wartime courage and desperation, and of the many ways in which war reverberates through people's lives for years after the fact. Prepare to question yourself and the characters in the novel, to wonder what you might have done in their place; in short, prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book in which four adults and one child grapple with the true meaning of love and family."
The Women of Chateau Lafayette (2021)
Stephanie Dray
"Just dazzling! Three women, three wars, one French chateau and a whole lot of heroism: The Women of Chateau Lafayette is quite simply breathtaking in its scope and accomplishment. Prepare to be swept away to France and beyond by a master storyteller."
Courage, My Love (2021)
Kristin Beck
"Francesca and Lucia are two magnificent women. How could anyone not admire their bravery, their strength, their compassion and their fierce determination to do whatever they could to protect both those they love and the people of Rome from the Nazis sweeping through their beloved city. Courage, My Love is a beautiful story of female friendship, and the unheralded but hugely important Resistance work the women of Rome undertook, in the face of grave danger, during WWII. It’s a fascinating, nuanced and impeccably researched tale."
The Personal Librarian (2021)
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
"A stunning and timely novel about a woman who, in forging a path for herself, had to battle constantly against the limitations society tried to place upon her due to her gender – and who also had to hide her true identity from a racist world...both a triumph and a fitting tribute to Belle’s courage, her fierce desire to protect her family and her personal struggle to be both the woman she was, and the woman she was not allowed to be."
Sisters of the Resistance (2021)
Christine Wells
"As dazzling as a Dior gown! Sisters of the Resistance tells the fascinating story of two sisters working with Catherine Dior and the French Resistance during WWII. With a gorgeous blend of fashion, heartbreak, heroism, and love this book will transport you to France..."
When We Meet Again (2021)
Caroline Beecham
"Books about the power of stories to bring people together and nourish their spirits are my favorite kind. So it was with much joy that I read When We Meet Again, a wonderful tribute to all things bookish. But it is also a compelling exploration of a heartbreaking and little known aspect of wartime life. The research, compassion and sensitivity poured into novel are admirable and make for a deeply affecting reading experience."
Sisters in Arms (2021)
Kaia Alderson
"Poignant and powerful; an untold story that you simply must read."
The Woman at the Front (2021)
Lecia Cornwall
"An adventurous women ahead of her time...a fascinating historical novel."
The Paris Bookseller (2022)
Kerri Maher
"A story about Paris and bookshops was bound to find a place in my heart but this one has the piece de resistance: the character of Sylvia Beach. I was completely enthralled by Beach's life and her tenacity in founding the first English-language bookshop in Paris, while also publishing James Joyce's epic but controversial Ulysses. With an abundance of delightful cameos from all of your favourite literary heroes as well as a fascinating rendering of Paris's glory days during the 1920s and 30s, this novel will transport you as only the best historical fiction can."
The Last Grand Duchess (2022)
Bryn Turnbull
"Olga proves time and again that she was a woman ahead of her time, a woman who, heartbreakingly, could have given so much to Russia, her family and the man she loved if only she was given the chance. A gorgeously told tale."
The Mayfair Bookshop (2022)
Eliza Knight
"Take one fascinating family, add in a legendary bookshop and a few Bright Young Things and you have the bookish equivalent of chocolate cake: a delightful treat. Nancy Mitford had an extraordinary life and Eliza Knight skillfully manages research, legend, fact and fiction to bring us a truly absorbing novel."
The Last Dress from Paris (2022)
Jade Beer
"A delightful fashion treasure hunt involving some of my favorite Dior gowns made this book a winner for me! The present day and 1950s narratives weave seamlessly together, the dresses dance from the pages, and Paris is resplendently depicted."
River Sing Me Home (2023)
Eleanor Shearer
"Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can't believe it's a debut novel. RIVER SING ME HOME is just such a book . . . Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer and she brings this story of a mother's courage to the page with compassion, tenderness and pitch-perfect prose."
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl (2023)
Renée Rosen
"Like the perfect red lipstick, Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl is both utterly stylish and satisfying. Renee Rosen deftly shows us what a determined dreamer Estee Lauder was and, in so doing, creates a heroine as timeless and remarkable as the products she introduced to women all around the world. A truly inspiring rags to riches tale, told by a wonderful storyteller."
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