New Books!!!

I'm a great fan of picture book biographies and especially those of artists. So the moment I learned about this book's existence, I knew I wanted to have it. My publisher kindly sent me a review copy and what a joy it's been to read Painting the Light: The Story of Berthe Morisot, First Woman Impressionist. What struck me was Berthe's determination to paint not just as prescribed at the time but to paint the light--dappled and shadowed, all the colors. She joined the men who were also painting their impressions and eventually, even though the establishment scoffed at these rebels, she was able to show her work showing the lives of women. This is story of perseverance and following your dreams. Even the end papers will delight you! 

I discovered Lucy in Between because the author, Sarah Callender, is a regular contributor on Writer Unboxed and I've been following her writing journey for many years. And what a debut! Isn't that cover gorgeous? It captures 13-year-old Lucy's voice perfectly, without which this would have been a very, very sad book. Not only does her older brother Henry take his own life, her father is absent, and her mother seems  more interested in Henry than in her. Thankfully, there is a male best friend and a father figure that comes on the horizon when they are in Peru. I wanted to understand Henry so much more, why he committed suicide, but it really is an unanswerable question (thanks to Pablo Neruda). I found the juxtaposition of silence and sound beautiful--yet both Lucy (mime-artist) and Henry (virtuoso violinist), long for a real connection with their parents. 

Lucy touched me deeply because I, too, grew up without a father, and questioned why his work was more important than us kids (another unanswerable question), and have lost a brother (though in a different way), and even though it's been years, I was surprised to find myself grieving over my losses. So just a word of warning to parents--this is appropriate for teens *after* they've had a good long time to process their own grief. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

I have enjoyed Barbara O'Neal's books very much but when I discovered (again on Writer Unboxed) that her latest was a historical fiction that sweeps through India and England through the first half of the 20th century, I knew I was in for an epic tale of love and loss amidst the wars. I'm in the middle of A Thousand Painted Hours and am enjoying it immensely. Much of the story is told through letters and I especially loved recounting "One small beauty." Such a beautiful reminder that even in the most desolate times, there is beauty. There are so many children of the British who grew up in India and have a great love for the country and its people, only to be shipped back to England for a proper training to be a proper English person, but who never forget the land that gave them unforgettable sights, sounds, and loves. O'Neal captures it so well I think it might be her best book yet! And the cover!!! So beautiful. Given the frequent epistles, it would've been so lovely if there had been some interior art, given that Elsie is an artist and sends little pictures with her letters, along with a sentence in the urdu script, since that's what's allowed them some privacy. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

Friends, I share a lot of good books. It's impossible to buy all the books we want, but I urge you to ask for new books at your local library.