A thoughtful depiction of a monumental artist hampered by the sometimes-overwrought storytelling that surrounds it.
In Byrd’s debut historical novel, an American-born veteran of World War I finds work as a gardener for famed painter Claude Monet, whom he suspects is his father.
Oscar Bonhomme was born in France but raised in San Francisco. His late mother, Christine, was a well-known landscape designer in California; she was also born in France, and in Antibes, many years ago, she had an affair with Monet, and she believed that the artist was her son’s father. After Oscar recovers in a French hospital from his wounds—he’s among the few Americans who fought as a soldier for France during the Great War—he lands a job as a gardener for Monet, hoping to finally determine his true parentage. However, the artist isn’t an easy man to get to know; he’s earned his “storied reputation as a reluctant speaker.” At first, the mystery only deepens when Oscar is forced to consider the brilliant artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a friend of Monet’s, as a possible paternity candidate as well as Georges Clemenceau, the prime minister of France. Oscar also becomes embroiled in a flirtatious relationship with Isabelle Brescher, an aspiring painter who immediately takes a shine to him despite his deep anxieties. Indeed, Byrd too often depicts the protagonist’s fragility in melodramatic, overheated terms over the course of the novel; for example, Oscar is beside himself when he first discovers that Isabelle is interested in art, as he is: “His head was spinning. It seemed too much of a coincidence that this goddess would have interests like his. Perhaps he was dreaming? He stomped on his foot to make sure he was awake.” Still, the author presents a poignant and historically authentic portrait of Monet, capturing his laconic, mercurial manner. Also, Byrd’s knowledge of Monet’s work, and the artistic milieu from which it came, is impressively rigorous. As a result, although the story’s unabashed sentimentality can be wearisome at times, art lovers are likely to enjoy its peek into a great painter’s mind.
A thoughtful depiction of a monumental artist hampered by the sometimes-overwrought storytelling that surrounds it.Pub Date: March 10, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-67871-852-5
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Giverny Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman.
Who was Shakespeare?
Move over, Earl of Oxford and Francis Bacon: There’s another contender for the true author of plays attributed to the bard of Stratford—Emilia Bassano, a clever, outspoken, educated woman who takes center stage in Picoult’s spirited novel. Of Italian heritage, from a family of court musicians, Emilia was a hidden Jew and the courtesan of a much older nobleman who vetted plays to be performed for Queen Elizabeth. She was well traveled—unlike Shakespeare, she visited Italy and Denmark, where, Picoult imagines, she may have met Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—and was familiar with court intrigue and English law. “Every gap in Shakespeare’s life or knowledge that has had to be explained away by scholars, she somehow fills,” Picoult writes. Encouraged by her lover, Emilia wrote plays and poetry, but 16th-century England was not ready for a female writer. Picoult interweaves Emilia’s story with that of her descendant Melina Green, an aspiring playwright, who encounters the same sexist barriers to making herself heard that Emilia faced. In alternating chapters, Picoult follows Melina’s frustrated efforts to get a play produced—a play about Emilia, who Melina is certain sold her work to Shakespeare. Melina’s play, By Any Other Name, “wasn’t meant to be a fiction; it was meant to be the resurrection of an erasure.” Picoult creates a richly detailed portrait of daily life in Elizabethan England, from sumptuous castles to seedy hovels. Melina’s story is less vivid: Where Emilia found support from the witty Christopher Marlowe, Melina has a fashion-loving gay roommate; where Emilia faces the ravages of repeated outbreaks of plague, for Melina, Covid-19 occurs largely offstage; where Emilia has a passionate affair with the adoring Earl of Southampton, Melina’s lover is an awkward New York Times theater critic. It’s Emilia’s story, and Picoult lovingly brings her to life.
A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman.Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780593497210
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace.
When tragedy strikes, a mother and daughter forge a new life.
Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. But she secretly got along much better with Chris’ thoughtful best friend, Jonah, who was dating her sister, Jenny. Now her life as a stay-at-home parent has left her feeling empty but not ungrateful for what she has. Jonah and Jenny eventually broke up, but years later they had a one-night stand and Jenny got pregnant with their son, Elijah. Now Jonah is back in town, engaged to Jenny, and working at the local high school as Clara’s teacher. Clara dreams of being an actress and has a crush on Miller, who plans to go to film school, but her father doesn't approve. It doesn’t help that Miller already has a jealous girlfriend who stalks him via text from college. But Clara and Morgan’s home life changes radically when Chris and Jenny are killed in an accident, revealing long-buried secrets and forcing Morgan to reevaluate the life she chose when early motherhood forced her hand. Feeling betrayed by the adults in her life, Clara marches forward, acting both responsible and rebellious as she navigates her teenage years without her father and her aunt, while Jonah and Morgan's relationship evolves in the wake of the accident. Front-loaded with drama, the story leaves plenty of room for the mother and daughter to unpack their feelings and decide what’s next.
The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-1642-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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