Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Was too slow for my liking and the writing was all over the place
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If this book were a color, it would be grey-brown, the color of its cover. If it were an emotion, it would be hopelessness, and if it were a word, it would be futility.
In The Painter's Daughters (in which the Painter is Thomas Gainsborough), we follow sisters Molly and Peggy as they exist through time. Peggy, the younger sister, notices that Molly is prone to fits of mental confusion. Peggy, at her young age, decides that it is her life duty to take care of her sister and be in charge. The book follows this, while also having a flashback to the daughters' lineage.
It hurt to watch Peggy define her life by how she felt obligated to her sister, and to watch her sister want a normal life. It was a constant circle of two people who don't understand themselves outside of their family.
The story was easy to read and interesting, while also being slow and dismal. You don't get a happy ending (books based on true stories rarely do) and it can leave you feeling quite empty. None of this is a bad thing, necessarily. It is just hopeless and sad, and though I don't know what I would have changed, or that anything *should* be changed, it was just a bit not enough for my taste. I definitely liked it though.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy!
In The Painter's Daughters (in which the Painter is Thomas Gainsborough), we follow sisters Molly and Peggy as they exist through time. Peggy, the younger sister, notices that Molly is prone to fits of mental confusion. Peggy, at her young age, decides that it is her life duty to take care of her sister and be in charge. The book follows this, while also having a flashback to the daughters' lineage.
It hurt to watch Peggy define her life by how she felt obligated to her sister, and to watch her sister want a normal life. It was a constant circle of two people who don't understand themselves outside of their family.
The story was easy to read and interesting, while also being slow and dismal. You don't get a happy ending (books based on true stories rarely do) and it can leave you feeling quite empty. None of this is a bad thing, necessarily. It is just hopeless and sad, and though I don't know what I would have changed, or that anything *should* be changed, it was just a bit not enough for my taste. I definitely liked it though.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy!
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Normally not my cup of tea but listening to the audiobook I think helped! What a sad heartbreaking story about sisterly love
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Painter' Daughters is the story of Molly and Peggy Gainsborough, daughters of famous painter Thomas. The story is told from Peggy's perspective, with the occasional chapter from the perspective of a young woman named Meg, whose connection to the Gainsboroughs and the story as a whole only becomes clear towards the book's end. I had rather mixed feelings about the book. I thought it did a great job portraying the impact of Molly's undiagnosed medical condition - intitally a sort of mental vagueness that was later accompanied by seizures and more worrying behaviour - on the family at a time when medical matters were less well understood than they are now, when abnormal behaviour was viewed almost as a moral defect that reflected badly on the entire family. Given the Gainsboroughs relied on social connections and reputation for their income it was imperative that Molly's condition be kept as quiet as possible. The dynamic between Molly and her younger sister Peggy, who took on the role of Molly's keeper in an effort to keep her safe and placate their mother, was particularly interesting and I appreciated the nuance with which Howes depicted it, allowing Molly to eventually express her dissatisfaction and resentment and Peggy to question her own motives as well as the possibility and advisability of what she was trying to achieve.
However, not all aspects of the book worked for me. I especially question the inclusion of Meg's storyline. Not only was it a story as old as time, but I don't think it added anything significant to the story. The cause of Molly's illness simply didn't feel important to me. I think the story would have been stronger had we heard from both of the painter's daughters directly, although I do understand that a point could be being made by not having Molly speak for herself. However, I loved when we did hear from her and would have liked more.
However, not all aspects of the book worked for me. I especially question the inclusion of Meg's storyline. Not only was it a story as old as time, but I don't think it added anything significant to the story. The cause of Molly's illness simply didn't feel important to me. I think the story would have been stronger had we heard from both of the painter's daughters directly, although I do understand that a point could be being made by not having Molly speak for herself. However, I loved when we did hear from her and would have liked more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Miscarriage
Minor: Forced institutionalization
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes