Last year, I read my first Tea Cooper book. I was completely charmed. So when I had the opportunity to review The Girl in the Painting, I jumped at it.
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.
While The Girl in the Painting was a slow starter for me, once I got a ways into it, I couldn't fly through the pages quickly enough. This is the story of two women: Jane Piper and Elizabeth Quinn. It's told in a split time format, with some chapters focusing on Elizabeth and her brother Michael in the 1860's and beyond, and others focusing on Elizabeth, Michael, and Jane beginning in 1906.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Elizabeth's past is vastly influencing her in the present, and Michael and eventually Jane set out to learn about that past. Secrets are revealed (in wonderful ways), and the story wraps up with a bit of an open-ended, yet incredibly satisfying, conclusion. The Girl in the Painting is definitely a book worth reading! 4-1/2 stars.
Read my review of Cooper's The Woman in the Green Dress (5 stars).
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
I love that despite a slow start, this really came around for you. Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
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