Listen to a sample
Mona's Eyes
- Author
- Thomas Schlesser
- Narrator
- Holly Lucas
- Publisher
- Europa Editions
- Publish Date
- 25 September 2025
- Run Time
- 15 hours 53 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
The sensational French novel about love and beauty that has taken the world by storm
Fifty-two weeks. That's all the time Mona has left to learn about beauty before she loses her eyesight forever.
Fifty-two works of art. Every Wednesday, Mona's grandfather picks her up after school and takes her to see a great work of art.
Fifty-two chapters. Together, on their visit to Paris' museums, Mona and her grandfather will experience enchantment and sadness.
Above all, they will grow ever closer and learn to lean on each other. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona will discover not only the power of art, but also the meaning of generosity, doubt, melancholy, and loss. A profound, beautifully crafted novel about the fullness of life and an enthralling guide to the world's most renowned art, Mona's Eyes is a moving story about the bond between a young girl and her grandfather.
Critics Review
-
"Wonderful and poignant."
Courrier Picard
-
"Mona's Eyes is not only a novel about art; it is also a universal tale."
La Croix
-
"It's an earthquake. A seismic shift in the world of publishing."
Le Figaro
-
"...makes you want to run to the museum. Better than Emily in Paris."
Telérama
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
"Fabulous!"
France Inter
-
"A rare book – poignant, wise and full of wonder."
Louisa Treger, author of The Paris Muse
-
"Schlesser's novel is a masterclass in describing the experience of art."
Literary Review
-
"Art historian Schlesser's vibrant English-language debut frames a survey of classical Western art with the story of a Parisian man supporting his 10-year-old granddaughter after her sudden bout of temporary blindness... Schlesser seamlessly interweaves the art lessons with Mona's story, which concludes with an explanation for the cause of her blindness. Readers of Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World will love this."
Publishers Weekly
-
"A tender, absolutely captivating book."
La grande librairie
-
"Mona's Eyes is gentle, bold, poetic, poignant and overall, utterly magnificent. I'm struggling to fully sum up how much I have loved reading this, but I think this has quickly become one of my favourite books that I've read this year."
Charlotte Gowans, Waterstones
-
"A brilliant book."
Télématin
-
"Schlesser expertly blurs the line between art history and fiction to create a heartfelt story about peoples' relationship to the world and to others. Told in simple terms, yet educational and expressive, the book evokes the same experience as other classics like 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder."
Odie Lafferty, Hodges Figgis
-
"This incredibly buzzy debut is something like if an acclaimed art historian had written All the Light We Cannot See… It feels passionate and engaging and really captures the freshness and wonder of understanding art, the world, growing up, through the eyes of a child."
Miriam Gordis, Albertine Bookstore, New York
-
"An ode to beauty and wisdom."
Le Parisien
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
Both a charming story and a fascinating insight into the world of art. A very rewarding and enjoyable listen. Well translated and narrated.
bluedocs 2026-07-20
Details
- Author
- Thomas Schlesser
- Narrator
- Holly Lucas
- Duration
- 15 hours 53 minutes
- Release Date
- 25 September 2025
- ISBN
- 9781787706453
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Europa Editions
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
The sensational French novel about love and beauty that has taken the world by storm Fifty-two weeks. That's all the time Mona has left to learn about beauty before she loses her eyesight forever. Fifty-two works of art. Every Wednesday, Mona's grandfather picks her up after school and takes her to see a great work of art. Fifty-two chapters. Together, on their visit to Paris' museums, Mona and her grandfather will experience enchantment and sadness. Above all, they will grow ever closer and learn to lean on each other. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona will discover not only the power of art, but also the meaning of generosity, doubt, melancholy, and loss. A profound, beautifully crafted novel about the fullness of life and an enthralling guide to the world's most renowned art, Mona's Eyes is a moving story about the bond between a young girl and her grandfather.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.