The Lady with the Dark Hair
The Lady with the Dark Hair ~ Erin Bartels
Esther Markstrom manages her family’s art museum in Lansing, Michigan. She has spent the last 20 years caring for her artist mother, who suffers from mental illness, and running the museum, which focuses on the art of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. She is reunited with one of her art history professors from college, who suggests that the painting that Esther and her mom have in their home, the painting they consider his best, may not actually be authentic.
Viviana Torrens is a Catalanian woman living in 19th century France, working as a scullery maid for an esteemed painter. Francisco Vella is a traveling paint merchant passing through, who asks Viviana to accompany him on his travels. She refuses the offer, while her eye and talent for painting is discovered and encouraged by the painter.
The Lady with the Dark Hair switches back and forth between Esther’s and Viviana’s stories, while Esther works to find out the truth about her painting, and Viviana travels and develops skills. My favorite chapters were those where Viviana is in Paris, and meets up with the three grand dames of Impressionism, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Marie Bracquemond. I loved their conversation about being a woman artist in that time and place…about what they were allowed to paint, how they were allowed to paint, and whether they were allowed to paint at all. I admire these artists not only for their skill, but also for their groundbreaking work, and how they managed to produce amazing art both within and outside of the confines of the prevailing culture of the time. Their conversation mirrored what I learned at the Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot exhibits in San Francisco, which were both amazing and so touching. It was because of my trips to visit these exhibits that Maya thought of me when she read the scenes with Cassatt. I really enjoyed this book, though I had some quibbles with the resolution of Viviana’s story, and the narrator drops her t’s, so she says ‘buh-un’ instead of button, which never fails to pull me out of the story and gets on my nerves. Recommended anyway, especially if you are fond of art, especially oil painting, especially Impressionism, or if you have been to and enjoyed the art scene in Lansing.
14 Comments
nance
I absolutely abhor the dropped T’s; it sounds like they quit talking in the middle of a word. I remember when Rachel Scott, a news reporter for ABC, kept saying the Russian president’s name like this: Poo.In. It drove me nuts.
The book sounds interesting. I like the name Viviana.
J
Nance, I listen to a lot of books and podcasts, and UGH, I hate this. Ezra Klein used to say Poo.In, but now he’s graduated to Poodin, which isn’t much better.
Margaret
I don’t like the dropped Ts either; it would pull me out of the story. Did you ever read “Horse?” The going back and forth in time and the art piece reminded me of that book.
J
I did, and I loved Horse. Yes, the two stories do have that in common. I thought of your book club with this book, because you mentioned once that some members do not like steamy sex scenes. This is about the most G rated book I have read since the Little House books.
Jenny
Hmm. I’ve grown tired of stories that go back and forth in time, but this one does sound interesting. It sounds like it would be AMAZING if, as you said, you were really into art. I would definitely not listen to the audiobook though!!!
J
I love audiobooks, but I could have done without the dropped ts.
ernie
I also liked Horse, and the flipping back and forth between timeframes. This book sounds good. That dropping the T thing would def irritate me.
J
I liked this book, and it was a fairly quick read (listen).
NGS
I’m from Michigan. I drop my Ts. It’s how we talk!!
J
Oh, maybe the narrator is from Michigan! I’ve heard more and more people with this trait, though, some from California. So who knows.
NGS
I think it’s cool that the narrator would be from Michigan if the character is. That seems like good attention to detail!
I am befuddled at how to say the words mitten and kitten. If I say the t’s, I really punch them and it sounds dumb. If I say it how I want to say it, it’s more like midden and kidden. *shrug*
J
Well duh, I didn’t really consider that the character is from Michigan, which is why Maya was reading it in the first place. Color me clueless.
I don’t say the t’s as sharply as a British person might, but they are there. Kind of between a t and a d I guess. I just looked it up online, and the video I watched said there are three ways…kitten (pronounce both t’s, like a Brit), ki-en (how the women in the book would have said it), and kit-n, where we kind of skip the second t and the e. I think that’s closest to how we say it around here.
PocoBrat
Loved being in this book club for two with you, J.
I wanted to hear more about Viviana’s life after she got on the ship! The end felt a bit abrupt to me.
(No one cares unless they’re from Lansing or East Lansing, but Lansing is the state capital and East Lansing is the college town that is home to Michigan State U.)
J
I’m not sure I knew that both Lansing and East Lansing existed, so I learned something!
YES, regarding Viviana’s life. Did she not paint in the US? I thought there was going to be something there. Maybe Esther next goes on a hunt and finds works squirreled away somewhere? A bit frustrating.