I thank Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for sending me a copy of The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper at no charge for my honest review.
About The Girl in the Painting:
Publication Date: March 9, 2021
Thomas Nelson
Paperback & eBook; 384 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
A young prodigy in need of family. A painting that shatters a woman’s peace. And a decades-old mystery demanding to be solved.
Australia, 1906
Orphan Jane Piper is nine years old when philanthropist siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her schooling. The Quinns are no strangers to hardship— having arrived in Australia as penniless immigrants, they now care for others as lost as they once were.
Despite Jane’s mysterious past, her remarkable aptitude for mathematics takes her far over the next seven years, and her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael flourishes as she plays an increasingly prominent part in their business.
But when Elizabeth reacts in terror to an exhibition at the local gallery, Jane realizes no one knows Elizabeth after all—not even Elizabeth herself. As the past and the present converge and Elizabeth’s grasp on reality loosens, Jane sets out to unravel Elizabeth’s story before it is too late.
From the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, this compelling novel takes us on a mystery across continents and decades as both women finally discover a place to call home.
About the Author:
Tea is an award-winning Australian author of historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist, and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling. She is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Horse Thief, The Cedar Cutter, The Currency Lass, The Naturalist’s Daughter, The Woman in the Green Dress, and The Girl in the Painting.
WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TW
My Opinion:
The Girl in the Painting is a novel rich in story with a compelling plot and very interesting characters. I love the math wizard! So often are girls/women with these skills overlooked in stories both current and historical. Here we have part of the story taking place in London and part in different places in Australia as different types of people emigrate.
Michael arrives in Australia with his sister Elizabeth but things are not what what he was expecting. To find out what his parents left him he heads in country leaving his sister with people in town. Neither lives the life they expected upon their arrival but it is what it is until Michael can get everything situated.
What follows is a rich and complex story about the settlement of part of Australia, mining, treatment of Chinese immigrants and so much more. I found myself very involved in the life stories. I was kept on my toes until the very end the final answers were still a surprise which is always welcome when reading a book.
Rating:
4.5
