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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: 👍

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