Praise for Tristine Rainer's Apprenticed to Venus:
Named a "Best Summer Read" by Elle Magazine!
“Rainer . . . candidly and vividly recounts her role in Nin’s astoundingly duplicitous life in an irresistible mix of fact, memory, and storytelling she calls a ‘novoir.’ Along with fresh insights into gender roles, Rainer offers stunning revelations about the publication of Nin’s cagily edited diaries and the misplaced reverence the writer accrued as a feminist icon. Describing Nin as ‘brave and dishonest’ and ‘a visionary of life itself as imaginary theater,’ Rainer brings this ‘artist/goddess’ who wrote ‘to taste life twice’ into sharper focus.” —Booklist
“Nin comes across as a slightly sinister, taboo-breaking Auntie Mame, but undoubtedly one with a lot to teach.” —San Francisco Chronicle, “Best Beach Read”
“[A] spicy and saucy hybrid of memoir and novel . . . Feminists and fans of Nin's work will enjoy this unique insider's portrait of a complex, pivotal figure in women's liberation.” —Kirkus
“Rainer blends memoir and imagination in this engaging examination of her relationship with author Anaïs Nin . . . a fascinating personal journey.” —Publishers Weekly
"Mysterious, glamorous, intellectual . . . with vivid language and lush scenes, this memoir makes for an exciting read." —Bust Magazine
“There are fateful decisions which mark one for life. Young Tristine Rainer’s first encounter with charismatic, enigmatic Anaïs Nin unfolds into a decades-long apprenticeship suspenseful as a thriller. The advantages and perils of a mentor/apprentice relationship with such a seductive, brilliant and dangerous mentor is absolutely spellbinding. Revelations, especially toward the end of the book, changed my understanding of the Nin story” —Janet Fitch, New York Times bestselling author of White Oleander
“This stunning, achingly honest memoir confirms that the erotic is neither obscene nor ordinary, and that the heart’s desire is both dangerous and innocent.” —Mark Sundeen, author of The Unsettlers
“This is one of those delicious memoirs one can’t stop reading . . . Tristine Rainer takes us into the hot pulsing heart of Nin’s world . . . an alluring as well as compulsively readable story.” —Jay Parini, author of Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal
“The action-packed adventures of the larger-than-life Anaïs Nin and her young friend Tristine are vivid and glorious, but what broke my heart wide open were the haunting meditations on passion and devotion and the secrets that bond and bind us. A brave and beautiful work.” —Kathleen Adams, author of Journal to the Self
“Stunning, intoxicating, original. Apprenticed to Venus is nothing short of phenomenal, and we owe Tristine as much for her craftsmanship as we do Anaïs for flipping infidelity on its chauvinist head!” —Chip Jacobs, author of Strange As It Seems: The Impossible Life of Gordon Zahler
“A fascinating introduction to an extraordinary woman who raised lying to an art form, but whose essential honesty transcends the falsehoods. A book that will challenge and enthrall.” —Joanna Hodgkin, author of Amateurs in Eden: The Story of a Bohemian Marriage: Nancy and Lawrence Durrell
“An unforgettable, intimate narrative that brilliantly captures one of the most fascinating personalities of the twentieth century.” —Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow
"An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, Apprenticed to Venus: My Secret Life with Anais Nin is a 'must' for the legions of Anaïs Nin fans. An extraordinarily well written, deeply personal, impressively candid memoir." — Midwest Book Review
Praise for Tristine Rainer's The New Diary:
"A perceptive and revolutionary work." - Anaïs Nin on The New Diary
"Extensively researched, useful...all you've wanted to know." - Los Angeles Times on The New Diary
"Perceptive and readable from start to finish." - Publisher's Weekly on The New Diary
"A book both practical and inspiring. Rainer knows how to shape autobiography into art, and she shares this knowledge with clarity, enthusiasm, and a knack for choosing writers' words that best illustrate her point." — Bernard Cooper, personal essayist and memoirist, author of Maps to Anywhere on Rainer's Your Life As a Story
Praise for Tristine Rainer's Apprenticed to Venus:
Named a "Best Summer Read" by Elle Magazine!
“[A] spicy and saucy hybrid of memoir and novel . . . Feminists and fans of Nin's work will enjoy this unique insider's portrait of a complex, pivotal figure in women's liberation.” —Kirkus
“Rainer blends memoir and imagination in this engaging examination of her relationship with author Anaïs Nin . . . a fascinating personal journey.” —Publisher's Weekly
"Mysterious, glamorous, intellectual . . . with vivid language and lush scenes, this memoir makes for an exciting read." —Bust Magazine
“There are fateful decisions which mark one for life. Young Tristine Rainer’s first encounter with charismatic, enigmatic Anaïs Nin unfolds into a decades-long apprenticeship suspenseful as a thriller. The advantages and perils of a mentor/apprentice relationship with such a seductive, brilliant and dangerous mentor is absolutely spellbinding. Revelations, especially toward the end of the book, changed my understanding of the Nin story” —Janet Fitch, New York Times bestselling author of White Oleander
“This stunning, achingly honest memoir confirms that the erotic is neither obscene nor ordinary, and that the heart’s desire is both dangerous and innocent.” —Mark Sundeen, author of The Unsettlers
“This is one of those delicious memoirs one can’t stop reading . . . Tristine Rainer takes us into the hot pulsing heart of Nin’s world . . . an alluring as well as compulsively readable story.” —Jay Parini, author of Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal
“The action-packed adventures of the larger-than-life Anaïs Nin and her young friend Tristine are vivid and glorious, but what broke my heart wide open were the haunting meditations on passion and devotion and the secrets that bond and bind us. A brave and beautiful work.” —Kathleen Adams, author of Journal to the Self
“Stunning, intoxicating, original. Apprenticed to Venus is nothing short of phenomenal, and we owe Tristine as much for her craftsmanship as we do Anaïs for flipping infidelity on its chauvinist head!” —Chip Jacobs, author of Strange As It Seems: The Impossible Life of Gordon Zahler
“A fascinating introduction to an extraordinary woman who raised lying to an art form, but whose essential honesty transcends the falsehoods. A book that will challenge and enthrall.” —Joanna Hodgkin, author of Amateurs in Eden: The Story of a Bohemian Marriage: Nancy and Lawrence Durrell
“An unforgettable, intimate narrative that brilliantly captures one of the most fascinating personalities of the twentieth century.” —Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow
"An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, Apprenticed to Venus: My Secret Life with Anais Nin is a 'must' for the legions of Anaïs Nin fans. An extraordinarily well written, deeply personal, impressively candid memoir."— Midwest Book Review
Praise for Tristine Rainer's The New Diary:
"A perceptive and revolutionary work." - Anaïs Nin on The New Diary
"Extensively researched, useful...all you've wanted to know." - Los Angeles Times on The New Diary
"Perceptive and readable from start to finish." - Publisher's Weekly on The New Diary
"A book both practical and inspiring. Rainer knows how to shape autobiography into art, and she shares this knowledge with clarity, enthusiasm, and a knack for choosing writers' words that best illustrate her point." — Bernard Cooper, personal essayist and memoirist, author of Maps to Anywhere on Rainer's Your Life As a Story
