The Lady with the Dark Hair - by Erin Bartels

 

About the book:

A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlives him

A forgotten woman whose fate is forever tied to his

And the family whose history is still being written

***

Toulouse, France--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.

East Lansing, Michigan--Present Day

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.


This dual-timeline story from award-winning author Erin Bartels takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one's dreams.

My review:

I'm still not sure quite what I thought of this book.  On one hand, it was fascinating to learn about these different cultures and time periods and what a different and difficult life Viviana led.  Esther didn't have it so easy, either.  Esther's difficulties dealing with a mentally ill mother must have been frustrating and tiring as the only caregiver.  I love looking at paintings and I especially love impressionism so I ended up reading about some of the artists mentioned that Viviana met in France and looking at their paintings online.  It was a fascinating time and strange to think that that style was so controversial then.  It didn't feel like there was much about faith in the story.  Viviana mentioned having faith in God but I don't remember if Esther ever talked about it.  The story really dealt with identity and being who you are, not trying to be someone else or who you think someone wants you to be.  It's about discovering how to be content in your own skin, which is a great place to be.  I enjoyed the book and I think you'll especially like it if you love art!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

THE AUTHOR

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   Matthew Mitchell Photo

   Erin Bartels

   Erin Bartels writes character-driven fiction for curious people. Her readers know to expect that each of her novels will tell a unique story about fallible characters so tangible that it's hard to believe they are not real people. Whether urban, rural, or...

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Eye-Opening! 'The Ark and the Dove' - by Jill Eileen Smith

 

About the book:

Experience the story of the great flood as you never have before

Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives. They have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge--and it's about to get much, much harder.

When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction.

When the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.

My review:

 After seeing the Ark in Kentucky a couple months ago, I was excited to see this book become available and that I'd get a chance to review it.  The Ark Encounter was fascinating and huge and it's amazing to think Noah and his sons built an ark that size so many years ago and that it took decades!  I think in my mind it was built quickly and seeing how the book brought that difficult time to life was something to see.  Noah and his family were made fun of and sometimes feared for their lives, which seems likely given the evil times.  There was a ton of work to do to get everything prepared, from getting all the supplies they needed just to build the ark to getting what they needed to survive on board.  Sometimes people didn't want to sell to them; I just never truly thought about the logistics of it all.  Seeing Noah's wife, Zara, as a human just like us but forced to go through such a difficult experience of seeing other family and friends lost in the flood and then trying to navigate relationships with her daughters-in-law in close living conditions must have been extremely difficult so it was inspiring to see her faith and patience.  Ham's wife is depicted as difficult and seeing how that could explain later choices they made was interesting; she did get on my nerves, though.  Reading about what their different personalities could have been like and how they interacted with each other truly made them human, which is what they were!  Seeing the genealogies come to life was fascinating, too!  I would recommend this book just to see what they truly went through and to make the Bible come to life!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

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   © J. Lynn Perry Photography

   Jill Eileen Smith

   Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's...

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