The Known World by Edward P. Jones - historical fiction, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - Meandering Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction about black masters and slaves in the antebellum South, as well as the precarious status of free blacks in this era. I was disappointed to learn the author did very little research for his book - it shows, particularly in his discussions of census data.
The Serpent Garden by Judith Merkle Riley - Witty historical fiction with a bit of fantasy (in this case, angels and demons), this book is set during the reign of Henry VIII in England, and includes scenes in France as well.
I loved the main character, painter Susanna Dallet - she is captivating and has a rather droll sense of humor. Daughter of a Flemish artist and trained by him, she's married to another cheating artist (who was only trying to get her dad's secrets from her) and trying to be a good wife. She takes on a commission on behalf of her husband for a miniature of Mary Tudor, sister of the king, intending to pass her work off for his, but then her husband is caught in bed with another woman and killed, and Susanna has to pretend his ghost did the work.
That starts off a romp of an adventure that has Susanna working for Cardinal Wolsey and ultimately sent to France as part of Mary Tudor's entourage for her marriage to its aging king. There's also a plotline involving a mysterious book sought by the Priory of Sion as well as a villian in England, the involvement of demons and imps and angels and cherubs (rather silly, but fun), and of course romance.
Each section of the book begins with an art catalogue description of one of thirteen paintings supposedly done by Susanna, but attributed to others or unknowns. Susanna then makes a retrospective comment about the painting that foreshadows what is to come in the book. I loved this, and only wish I could have seen the actual portraits, as I believe some are real (for example, there are a number of portraits of Mary Tudor by unknown artists). I also loved all the description of painting techniques and processes included in the story.
I think author Judith Merkle Riley may have based Susanna on the real female Tudor era artist Susannah Hornebolt, who was known (like her father Gerard) for her miniatures. Interestingly, this artist had a brother name Lucas Horenbout, and the art catalogue descriptions of two of the thirteen paintings list him as the artist - which makes me wonder if perhaps the real-life Susannah's work was mistakenly attributed to her brother!
Sadly, we can't ask the author, as she died in 2010. I plan to read the other five of her historical novels.
The Space Between Before and After by Jean Reynolds Page - Contemporary realistic fiction family drama with a terrible title and mostly unlikable characters. Some were OK, but other than Holli/Hollyanne (adult/child versions of the main character), were too thinly drawn to really care about.
Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County by Amy Hill Hearth - local book club, realistic fiction - This is the sequel to Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, and while it's probably not necessary to have read that first (I did), it's also probably helpful. There are some references in the sequel that will make more sense having read the first book. That being said, I don't think the sequel was as good as its predecessor. I missed the humor of the first book. Like that one, this book touches on racism and sexism in the South in the early 1960s, as well as the emerging issue of development versus environmental protection.
© Amanda Pape - 2020
