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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed reading this, having been inspired after reading about Andrew Wyeth’s picture - Christina’s World. This is a fictional story though, but based on the real people associated with Wyeth’s famous painting. Coincidentally, the author shares the same christian name - Christina. If you’re about to read this for the first time, then I’d start with the acknowledgments at the end of the book first, to put it perspective.
This was a fascinating book and I really enjoyed it. Even though it was a novel, it really read like a biographical novel. The author has a beautiful way with word and stories. It is very evident that she does much research as the story is fully fleshed out.
The premise of the book was interesting as I knew very little about Andrew Wyeth and his work. I liked that the book went back and forth in different time periods to really explain the story.
Definitely a recommend!! It is an easy read that I finished very quickly!
The premise of the book was interesting as I knew very little about Andrew Wyeth and his work. I liked that the book went back and forth in different time periods to really explain the story.
Definitely a recommend!! It is an easy read that I finished very quickly!
This was fascinating to read about, the writing was beautiful and yet I had a hard time towards the end of the book liking the main character Christina enough to want to finish the book.
Took me awhile to get into it, but then I really enjoyed it.
3.5 stars. I read her Orphan Train a few years ago and remember really enjoying her writing style and I learned a lot about a real historical event. I was excited to read this book and while it was interesting, I just didn't love it like I did Orphan Train. It was interesting to learn more about the way people lived in that time period and more about the artist but it was just okay to me.
I was very excited to see this book as I really enjoyed [b:Orphan Train|15818107|Orphan Train|Christina Baker Kline|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362409483s/15818107.jpg|21545713]. When the description mentioned that this is fictional story weaved around a true figure in a well know painting I was even more excited because I was hoping it would be as interesting as [b:Girl with a Pearl Earring|2865|Girl with a Pearl Earring|Tracy Chevalier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327197580s/2865.jpg|3358875].
But sadly, this was just not my cup of tea.
I get that Christina suffered. She was a perfectly healthy child deformed by a disease – which to my untrained ears that sounded like polio – and for the rest of her life she was trapped in a useless body.
But the plot was just too thin on the ground, the characters unrelatable and the pace painfully slow.
Christina went from a lonely and stubborn child to a lonely and bitter woman who even begrudged her own siblings a life of their own. There was no hint of hope in the story, just more loneliness and bleak disappointment to look forward to. I didn’t feel engaged with the story and doubt that I will remember any of it in a month’s time.
It would have perhaps helped if I was a big fan of the famous painting Christina’s World by Andrew Wythe but I had to Google it before I knew what it looked like.
There was nothing wrong with the writing or the audio narration but not all books are for all readers and this one was not a good fit for me.
But sadly, this was just not my cup of tea.
I get that Christina suffered. She was a perfectly healthy child deformed by a disease – which to my untrained ears that sounded like polio – and for the rest of her life she was trapped in a useless body.
But the plot was just too thin on the ground, the characters unrelatable and the pace painfully slow.
Christina went from a lonely and stubborn child to a lonely and bitter woman who even begrudged her own siblings a life of their own. There was no hint of hope in the story, just more loneliness and bleak disappointment to look forward to. I didn’t feel engaged with the story and doubt that I will remember any of it in a month’s time.
It would have perhaps helped if I was a big fan of the famous painting Christina’s World by Andrew Wythe but I had to Google it before I knew what it looked like.
There was nothing wrong with the writing or the audio narration but not all books are for all readers and this one was not a good fit for me.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book since I was not a huge fan of Orphan Train. For me, my favorite part of the book was how Christina's physical disabilities shaped not only her life but her view of herself.
This was a nice surprise. As a book about a painter's muse, I expected it to be a bit more abstract and boring, to be honest, but this was more about Christina's life until Andrew Wyeth meets her, rather than their relationship (though that features too). Christina was a well-rounded character: she was hard-working and generous but she could be self-centered and obstinate. The way she dealt with her illness was very well-done by the author, in my opinion. It was also interesting to find out how this idea came about in the author's imagination.
3.5-4 stars. The story was about to slow to start for me, but since this was the author or Orphan Train, (which I loved) and her writing is so strong, once I got into it, I understood the story of Christina and enjoyed it a lot!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I just realized I enjoy "historical fiction". Who knew? I will read more books by this author... got one on hold right now as a matter of fact.