Skip to main content

Review: The Lady with the Dark Hair

The Lady with the Dark Hair book cover on blue background

Happy release day to The Lady with the Dark Hair! 🎨

Many thanks to Revell Books and LibraryThing for providing a complimentary copy of this book by Erin Bartels for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing.

Book Synopsis

Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella's greatest work--a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.

In 1879, Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists' pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella's sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen.

This dual-timeline story from award-winning author Erin Bartels takes readers from the sleepy Midwest to the sultry Mediterranean on a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one's dreams.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

As a historical fiction novel, this book delivers in terms of pacing, interest, and character development. I loved getting to know Esther Markstrom and discovering the parallels between her story and that of Vivienne Torrens. Seeing both women confined by different circumstances and seeking ways to emerge from them with purpose and grace, I could appreciate how the act of painting conveyed this struggle. Both women paint with longing and hope beyond what’s present, and Erin Bartels deftly explores this through richly detailed landscapes.

Faith is not prominent in The Lady with the Dark Hair, though the Catholic faith is referenced a handful of times along with mentions of the Bible regarding Esther’s namesake. If you are looking for a clean historical fiction book, this is an encouraging story of what it means to be a caregiver and how to live beyond limiting barriers, physically and emotionally. The dual-timeline narrative moves quickly, which adds movement and action to a family history that contains multiple twists and turns. I liked that the focus of the story was not on romance but rather on breaking free at various points in history. Esther and Vivienne embody faithfulness and perseverance without becoming martyrs, demonstrating a deeper strength, which we, as Christians, can see comes from God.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📖
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Call of Living Water - Refuge #1

Be still, my missions-loving heart! This is hands-down, one of the best fictional books I've read on this theme, and I cannot gush enough about it. The Call of Living Water by Alexis M. Melvin is a new book that will be released on August 23, 2025 and  if I had to suggest a Christian fiction title that could make a difference in your walk with God this summer, it would be this one. Many thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : tribal sacrifices, martyrdom Book Synopsis When the God of Living Water calls, will Suái be willing to risk her life and the lives of everyone she loves to answer? Deep in the jungle of Paraguay, Suái’s tribe worships indifferent gods who withhold the life-giving rain unless their worshippers make costly sacrifices. However, when a missionary arrives speaking of the loving God of Living Water, Suái’s curiosity leads her down a dangerous path. Thrust into a new life with p...
Post a Comment
Read more

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...
13 comments
Read more

Review: No Stone Unturned - The Bluestocking Society #1

Seeing so many glowing reviews about No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde after it was released, I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to still read a copy while it was available. Not only did the cover captivate me, I'm thrilled that its content was just as engaging as I envisioned it would be. Many thanks to  Tyndale House Publishers  and  NetGalley  for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. In this Regency romance set in rolling hills of West Sussex, two opposing wills discover their fate may lie in the common ground. Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history and antiquities defies most social conventions, even in her small village nestled in the beautiful English countryside. When a local farmer discovers an elaborate mosaic buried in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name and future for herself by excavating the Roman r...
2 comments
Read more