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Light & Life #2
Girl Braiding Her Hair
By the time Suzanne Valadon was 15 years old, she’s been a horse walker, a milliner’s assistant, a funeral wreath maker, and a circus acrobat (among other adventures). Then she became a sought-after model, painted by the greatest of the great. Her close friends included Degas, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Paris celebrated her - until she decided to take up the brush herself at a time when art schools refused to accept female students.Read the story of Suzanne, a bastard from the tenements who fought to be seen for herself, and Ellie, a modern woman a century later, at a crossroads of her life, who pulls Suzanne into the light from the shadows of the past.“A touching and compelling story of two extraordinary women who lived a century apart but were sisters of the heart.”
354 pages, Hardcover
First published December 15, 2023
980 people are currently reading
2549 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
December 15, 2023
Bravo! Bravo!
Ms Molnar this is awesome. I couldn’t put it down. I feel like these two women Suzanne, being poor, an most of the time left on her own. Decided at a young age she would be somebody, even though her mother sent her to school, she was constantly reminded she was born to an unwed mother.
Ellie alone, after a combination of losing her husband, her house, the final straw was losing her job.
Moping around and knowing she needed a job quick. She decided to try her hand at working in a museum. Only to discover hidden women artists paintings and drawings no one had ever heard of. The first one who caught her eye was none other than Suzanne Fallon a woman who had lived centuries before, but was speaking to her through her paintings wanting to be seen . So Ellie with this thought in mind, takes off running down this path to spread the artwork of these incredible women who are outgrown in the back closets of museums. This has me hooked on unknown treasures women have done or created. Best book I have read. Thank Ms Molnar.
Ms Molnar this is awesome. I couldn’t put it down. I feel like these two women Suzanne, being poor, an most of the time left on her own. Decided at a young age she would be somebody, even though her mother sent her to school, she was constantly reminded she was born to an unwed mother.
Ellie alone, after a combination of losing her husband, her house, the final straw was losing her job.
Moping around and knowing she needed a job quick. She decided to try her hand at working in a museum. Only to discover hidden women artists paintings and drawings no one had ever heard of. The first one who caught her eye was none other than Suzanne Fallon a woman who had lived centuries before, but was speaking to her through her paintings wanting to be seen . So Ellie with this thought in mind, takes off running down this path to spread the artwork of these incredible women who are outgrown in the back closets of museums. This has me hooked on unknown treasures women have done or created. Best book I have read. Thank Ms Molnar.
November 25, 2025
Absolutely wonderful! I found myself, as I read this book, watching the Impressionists paint, peering over their shoulders. Sure, I wanted to shake a couple of them into shape now and then for not treating Suzanne Valadon as they should have. I also ran to the computer on several occasions to see if Suzanne's story was lining up with art history. Every time.
Author Molnar paints her canvas with words. Beautiful words that can help people heal. It helped me, immediately after a beloved cousin died. I read this for book club, not expecting to like it. It is one of the top five of my 2025 reading. Well told, this dual timeline novel. The contemporary story is also thoughtful and beautifully written.
Be sure to read the author's notes. You'll gain even more insight.
Author Molnar paints her canvas with words. Beautiful words that can help people heal. It helped me, immediately after a beloved cousin died. I read this for book club, not expecting to like it. It is one of the top five of my 2025 reading. Well told, this dual timeline novel. The contemporary story is also thoughtful and beautifully written.
Be sure to read the author's notes. You'll gain even more insight.
December 21, 2023
Absolutely phenomenal novel that weaves historical and present day characters. Marta Molnar has done it again! Two strong female characters that open our eyes to the “norms” of society and the art world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
April 12, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up to 5. I really liked how this author went back and forth from a current fictional character to the life of Suzanne Valadon in the late 1800s. I did not know about Valadon before reading this book, and was very glad to find out about her. Valadon was first a model for the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist male painters of that time in Paris, but her passion was to make her own art, so she taught herself. She had a lot of determination, coming from a poverty-stricken background, being illegitimate, and having a mother with alcoholism, and she moved women in the art world forward by that determination, becoming the first self-taught woman in the very prestigious Salon. She also seemed determined to show life as it really was, including self-portraits which displayed her own aging process. Throughout my reading of this book, I enhanced my experience by looking up her art online, as well as details of her life, and I felt the author did a great job of staying true to those details while creating a fictionalized story for Valadon which was very engaging to read. Some of the scenes which involved famous painters and musicians (Renoir, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Debussy, Satie, and others) made me feel like I was right there with them, and that was exciting. I looked up information and paintings by some of them as well as Valadon while reading the book. All in all, a wonderful read and a great learning experience. An artist friend suggested this book to me, and I'm grateful that she did. I'll eventually want to read Molnar's other book, The Secret Life of Sunflowers, but will hold off for a while, as the style seems similar to this one and I don't want them to blend together in my mind.
January 18, 2024
I like the historical part best
As with The Secret Life of Sunflowers, I enjoyed the historical part of the book a lot. The present day story is okay but I really didn’t want to read a romance novel and never want to.
I almost passed it up because of this. But, because the artist was a real person I persevered and am glad I did. I am so tired of the two timeline novels. Please Marta, write another historical novel and leave out the present time timeline.
As with The Secret Life of Sunflowers, I enjoyed the historical part of the book a lot. The present day story is okay but I really didn’t want to read a romance novel and never want to.
I almost passed it up because of this. But, because the artist was a real person I persevered and am glad I did. I am so tired of the two timeline novels. Please Marta, write another historical novel and leave out the present time timeline.
March 29, 2025
Wonderful historical fiction. I love Marta Molnar's writing style. I also enjoyed her book, The Secret Lives of Sunflowers.
November 26, 2024
"Girl Braiding Her Hair" is a novel by Marta Molnar that tells the story of two women across different eras, intertwining their lives through the theme of artistic ambition and overcoming societal barriers; one is a contemporary woman named Ellie struggling with grief after her husband's death, while the other is Suzanne Valadon, a historical figure who fought to be recognized as a painter in 19th century Paris, often working as a model for famous Impressionist artists, including the act of braiding her hair as a subject in paintings.
Key points about the novel:
Dual narrative:
The story alternates between Ellie's present-day life in Philadelphia and Suzanne's experiences in Paris during the Impressionist era.
Suzanne Valadon's story:
The novel highlights Suzanne's journey from a poor young woman working as a circus acrobat and model to eventually becoming a painter despite the resistance she faced as a female artist.
Themes of resilience and artistic expression: Both women grapple with societal expectations and personal loss while pursuing their creative desires.
Art historical inspiration:
The title "Girl Braiding Her Hair" refers to a famous painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which depicts Suzanne Valadon as a model.
From the author:
So how much of this book is true? The historical half is based on real people and events; the present-day story is entirely fictional. But even the historical parts are not a hundred-percent fact.
I could only work from what material I could find in books and on-line. A trip to Paris to do research was not within my budget.
When I first outlined this story and started writing this book, she’d not yet had an exhibit in the United States. However, in September of 2021, the fabulous Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia debuted her first US show.
My impressions:
Even the fictional people were real to me. That's good character presentation!! Thank you Marta.
4 stars
Key points about the novel:
Dual narrative:
The story alternates between Ellie's present-day life in Philadelphia and Suzanne's experiences in Paris during the Impressionist era.
Suzanne Valadon's story:
The novel highlights Suzanne's journey from a poor young woman working as a circus acrobat and model to eventually becoming a painter despite the resistance she faced as a female artist.
Themes of resilience and artistic expression: Both women grapple with societal expectations and personal loss while pursuing their creative desires.
Art historical inspiration:
The title "Girl Braiding Her Hair" refers to a famous painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which depicts Suzanne Valadon as a model.
From the author:
So how much of this book is true? The historical half is based on real people and events; the present-day story is entirely fictional. But even the historical parts are not a hundred-percent fact.
I could only work from what material I could find in books and on-line. A trip to Paris to do research was not within my budget.
When I first outlined this story and started writing this book, she’d not yet had an exhibit in the United States. However, in September of 2021, the fabulous Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia debuted her first US show.
My impressions:
Even the fictional people were real to me. That's good character presentation!! Thank you Marta.
4 stars
February 8, 2024
Nice Historical Fiction (3 1/2 stars)
The story is nice and easy to read. It tells the story of Suzanne Valadon, an overlooked but talented and influential artist of the late 19th century, and how she conquered sexism and classism to be recognized in her time. As is her way, writer Marta Molnar has a current modern story unfolding alongside the historical one. She goes back and forth between the two. The "voice" of the historical characters is confusing and difficult to settle into, so it takes some effort to know and relate to the characters. It's not a deal breaker, but it's eye roll material. The modern story connects well to the historical, but it's got so many unbelievable aspects to it that it's difficult to connect to. I liked the book OK. It was a simple, nice read.
The story is nice and easy to read. It tells the story of Suzanne Valadon, an overlooked but talented and influential artist of the late 19th century, and how she conquered sexism and classism to be recognized in her time. As is her way, writer Marta Molnar has a current modern story unfolding alongside the historical one. She goes back and forth between the two. The "voice" of the historical characters is confusing and difficult to settle into, so it takes some effort to know and relate to the characters. It's not a deal breaker, but it's eye roll material. The modern story connects well to the historical, but it's got so many unbelievable aspects to it that it's difficult to connect to. I liked the book OK. It was a simple, nice read.
March 11, 2025
I really love historical fiction that brings to life artwork and the artists themselves. This story explored Suzanne Valadon, a talented model and artist who was friends with many famous painters and artists. She was also a devoted mother to a son born out of wedlock & a daughter to an alcoholic mom. This art-related story is paralleled with a current story of young widow, her neighbors, and her passion for unseen art.
I love this book because it champions women. The character development for Suzanne makes you cheer for her!
Suggestions— a little more challenging vocabulary and mentions of the names of the artwork she modeled for.
I love this book because it champions women. The character development for Suzanne makes you cheer for her!
Suggestions— a little more challenging vocabulary and mentions of the names of the artwork she modeled for.
August 6, 2024
Not as good as the first. The story of Ellie could have been skipped.
February 6, 2026
I finished Girl Braiding Her Hair this morning and wanted to write my review before my thoughts escaped me. Before I say anything else, I want to say, “Bravo, Marta Molnar!”
I had been seeing this book being advertised all over the internet for some time. That face stared into my soul on the cover. That, along with reading the clips of the girl growing up poor from the tenements of Paris and later becoming close friends with famous artists, got me hooked and I bought it.
I was eager to read it and started it the day it arrived. The feel of the book’s cover along with the lack of a book jacket nuisance, and the large print type, made me settle in with a cup of coffee. But that morning I had other work on my mind, and I couldn’t get past the first chapter. It was not what I had envisioned for the story, and I put it down. It sat on a table in my office for six months... that face always staring at me.
I recently decided to finish it and started over. This time I got past chapter one and found that chapter two was about the girl from the past that I originally wanted to read about. Yay! After that, I was hooked, and I got into Ellie’s story from the present and how it brought out Suzanne Valadon’s story from the past. The stories rotated by chapter, going from present to past. I was initially more interested in the young girl, Suzanne’s, story in Paris, but the author also pulled me into Ellie’s crazy life. At that point, I couldn’t put the book down.
Without giving the story away, I just want to say that the cover sold me, and Marta Molnar’s writing won me over. It was an interesting, well-researched book telling the story of a poor girl growing in 19th century Paris with big dreams of becoming someone. We read about all her growing up escapades, the artists she meets along the way who inspire her, and how she finally became accepted in the art world. The modern-day character, Ellie, discovered Suzanne’s story, and it helped her overcome her own grief and perceived shortcomings to find happiness.
I liked it... I liked how past and present came together beautifully. The book also made me check out the art of these famous artists, including Suzanne Valadon’s. This was my first foray in Marta Molnar’s writing. I want to thank her for opening my eyes to these artists and her descriptive pictures of places in old Paris. Her sunflower book now has my curiosity up.
I had been seeing this book being advertised all over the internet for some time. That face stared into my soul on the cover. That, along with reading the clips of the girl growing up poor from the tenements of Paris and later becoming close friends with famous artists, got me hooked and I bought it.
I was eager to read it and started it the day it arrived. The feel of the book’s cover along with the lack of a book jacket nuisance, and the large print type, made me settle in with a cup of coffee. But that morning I had other work on my mind, and I couldn’t get past the first chapter. It was not what I had envisioned for the story, and I put it down. It sat on a table in my office for six months... that face always staring at me.
I recently decided to finish it and started over. This time I got past chapter one and found that chapter two was about the girl from the past that I originally wanted to read about. Yay! After that, I was hooked, and I got into Ellie’s story from the present and how it brought out Suzanne Valadon’s story from the past. The stories rotated by chapter, going from present to past. I was initially more interested in the young girl, Suzanne’s, story in Paris, but the author also pulled me into Ellie’s crazy life. At that point, I couldn’t put the book down.
Without giving the story away, I just want to say that the cover sold me, and Marta Molnar’s writing won me over. It was an interesting, well-researched book telling the story of a poor girl growing in 19th century Paris with big dreams of becoming someone. We read about all her growing up escapades, the artists she meets along the way who inspire her, and how she finally became accepted in the art world. The modern-day character, Ellie, discovered Suzanne’s story, and it helped her overcome her own grief and perceived shortcomings to find happiness.
I liked it... I liked how past and present came together beautifully. The book also made me check out the art of these famous artists, including Suzanne Valadon’s. This was my first foray in Marta Molnar’s writing. I want to thank her for opening my eyes to these artists and her descriptive pictures of places in old Paris. Her sunflower book now has my curiosity up.
March 27, 2024
The author does an outstanding job of integrating the true facts of Suzanne Valadon's rags to riches life into a narrative that is provocative and ubiquitous. We see her as a tenacious child roaming the tenements alone and treated unfairly by her community due to her "bastard" status. And follow her as she grows into a multi-talented artistic circus performer, a vivacious young model, a struggling mother, a fiercely confident artist, an empathetic dutiful daughter, and the desire of famous artists of her time.
Following Susanne's story with her obstinate determination to pursue her art career and success kept me up late into the evening to finish the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical references of the people, time, and place in history (Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas...opening of the Eiffel Tower etc.).
In the dual timeline, I enjoyed the use of humor and touching sadness of Ellie's journey from grief to finding her purpose and her people. The "flipper" references were personal to me as I had a similar situation where I was forced to sell my family home. It made Ellie's story more gratifying for me.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and the themes of this book are current and relevant. Everyone should wonder why Susanne Valadon was lost to history and then right that wrong by sharing her art and her story.
BEAUTIFUL BOOK!
Following Susanne's story with her obstinate determination to pursue her art career and success kept me up late into the evening to finish the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical references of the people, time, and place in history (Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas...opening of the Eiffel Tower etc.).
In the dual timeline, I enjoyed the use of humor and touching sadness of Ellie's journey from grief to finding her purpose and her people. The "flipper" references were personal to me as I had a similar situation where I was forced to sell my family home. It made Ellie's story more gratifying for me.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and the themes of this book are current and relevant. Everyone should wonder why Susanne Valadon was lost to history and then right that wrong by sharing her art and her story.
BEAUTIFUL BOOK!
February 4, 2026
I started out unsure if I’d like the book. Obviously that changed. The two main characters, women, really came into their own through the story line. They approached their ability to succeed differently but both had wonderful people supporting them.
Page 519 asks: “what are you going to do about it? A question I love as it is a solution based question, filled with possibilities.
Not: How will I get over this?
Not: why me?
Not: why is life unfair?
All of which are wallowing questions, filled with self pity.
Page 519 asks: “what are you going to do about it? A question I love as it is a solution based question, filled with possibilities.
Not: How will I get over this?
Not: why me?
Not: why is life unfair?
All of which are wallowing questions, filled with self pity.
June 25, 2024
Good book. The second book by the same author. I liked the story and the format of ehe book. It was exactly like her first book, the secret life of sunflowers. I liked that book too- and the format was the same. Not sure if I liked reading them back to back tho. Anyway this book was about Suzanne valedon a female attics in the late 1800’s. It was offset buy a story in present day. I liked learning about the artist. The story present day was good. Overall I liked it
December 29, 2024
Artists Reborn
'Girl Braiding Her Hair' is not a girly kinda story. There is a fine range of various male characters to attract male readers. But undeniably, the subject is an amazing 19th century female artist, trodden underfoot over time in the Degas, Renoir paternal society. Her story becomes a thread in Ellie's life. Ellie yearns to re-establish the honourable identity of forgotten female artists and, in particular, the one born in a tenement context, without the moneyed privilege of some who sought training first. 19th century Suzanne Valedon and modern Ellie are great role models of how to step beyond social limits. It is not impossible. A great read.
'Girl Braiding Her Hair' is not a girly kinda story. There is a fine range of various male characters to attract male readers. But undeniably, the subject is an amazing 19th century female artist, trodden underfoot over time in the Degas, Renoir paternal society. Her story becomes a thread in Ellie's life. Ellie yearns to re-establish the honourable identity of forgotten female artists and, in particular, the one born in a tenement context, without the moneyed privilege of some who sought training first. 19th century Suzanne Valedon and modern Ellie are great role models of how to step beyond social limits. It is not impossible. A great read.
December 18, 2024
This is a complex plot with two main characters—one historical and one fictional and contemporary. Each chapter has an ending that keeps the reader's interest, even if the following chapter is about the other protagonist. It's a well-told story of grief, poverty, prejudice, and more.
January 23, 2026
I really enjoyed the secret life of sunflowers but this one was just too boring for me. The Ellie storyline honestly could be removed and I would enjoy it more.
The multiple mentions of her first book in this gave me the ick
The multiple mentions of her first book in this gave me the ick
October 4, 2024
This was a good story. Slow to start, but ending was excellent.,I highly recommend this 2 book series. First book. The Secret Life of Sunflowers.
November 5, 2024
Another Good One
I loved The Girl with the Pearl Earring and didn't see how the author could top it but top it she did. The art world opened up to the reader as it did to Suzanne.
I loved The Girl with the Pearl Earring and didn't see how the author could top it but top it she did. The art world opened up to the reader as it did to Suzanne.
January 26, 2024
Girl Braiding Her Hair: Inspired by the true story of a revolutionary artist history forgot--Suzanne Valadon, who painted with the Impressionists in Paris and fought her way to recognition. Marta Molnar. December 2023 iBook 7,99. 5/5
A truly wonderful read! The mix of history and present is exceptional and again, like the writer’s first The Secret Life of Sunflowers, the chapter by chapter alternating storyline/timelines work beautifully to make a very readable, enjoyable and indeed informative good book. This book does carry mentions of the first so I recommend read one then the other and I will really hope this wonderful writer writes more like this….exceptional!
“”By the time Suzanne Valadon was 15 years old, she’s been a horse walker, a milliner’s assistant, a funeral wreath maker, and a circus acrobat (among other adventures). Then she became a sought-after model, painted by the greatest of the great. Her close friends included Degas, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Paris celebrated her - until she decided to take up the brush herself at a time when art schools refused to accept female students.
Read the story of Suzanne, a bastard from the tenements who fought to be seen for herself, and Ellie, a modern woman a century later, at a crossroads of her life, who pulls Suzanne into the light from the shadows of the past.
“A touching and compelling story of two extraordinary women who lived a century apart but were sisters of the heart.”””
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzan...
Are Dana Marton and Marta Molnar the same person?
The Secret Life of Marta Molnar: Marta is also the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of over sixty novels of suspense, romance, and epic fantasy under the pen name Dana Marton……. Marta Molnar is a Goodreads author…. There is a newsletter that you can sign up for.
A truly wonderful read! The mix of history and present is exceptional and again, like the writer’s first The Secret Life of Sunflowers, the chapter by chapter alternating storyline/timelines work beautifully to make a very readable, enjoyable and indeed informative good book. This book does carry mentions of the first so I recommend read one then the other and I will really hope this wonderful writer writes more like this….exceptional!
“”By the time Suzanne Valadon was 15 years old, she’s been a horse walker, a milliner’s assistant, a funeral wreath maker, and a circus acrobat (among other adventures). Then she became a sought-after model, painted by the greatest of the great. Her close friends included Degas, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Paris celebrated her - until she decided to take up the brush herself at a time when art schools refused to accept female students.
Read the story of Suzanne, a bastard from the tenements who fought to be seen for herself, and Ellie, a modern woman a century later, at a crossroads of her life, who pulls Suzanne into the light from the shadows of the past.
“A touching and compelling story of two extraordinary women who lived a century apart but were sisters of the heart.”””
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzan...
Are Dana Marton and Marta Molnar the same person?
The Secret Life of Marta Molnar: Marta is also the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of over sixty novels of suspense, romance, and epic fantasy under the pen name Dana Marton……. Marta Molnar is a Goodreads author…. There is a newsletter that you can sign up for.
May 19, 2024
I knew nothing about Suzanne Valadon when I started reading Girl Braiding Her Hair. I had read her biographical novel of van Gogh, The Secret Life of Sunflowers. Which led me to read this biographical novel of a the impressionist model, post impressionist artist Susan Vialadon. At first, I found the dual timelines between current day Ellie and Impressionist/Modernist era Marie-Clementine /Maria/Suzanne disconcerting, but it helped by the end to pull the story together and brought those Artists, writers, musicians alive and into the light. Now to go look up and learn more about those unsee women: Suzanne Valadon. Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond, Cecelia Beaux, and Lilia Cabot Perry who never got the attention that Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot.
April 6, 2025
This book has two parallel stories, a contemporary romance and an historical look at the model/artist featured in the famous painting by Rembrandt which gives the book its title. Suzanne Valadon, born out of wedlock and whose mother is a drunk, is a wild child on the streets of Paris. By the time she is a teenager, she has had various jobs to help feed herself and her mother, including circus acrobat. She is fascinated by the artist culture in Paris and dreams of one day becoming an artist herself. Through setbacks, determination, and heartbreak, she eventually becomes the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux.
I enjoyed reading about this remarkable woman, but I felt the parallel story was weak.
I enjoyed reading about this remarkable woman, but I felt the parallel story was weak.
January 23, 2024
I enjoyed the book but it is a bit misleading. The fact that Suzanne Valadon did not have a solo exhibition in USA until 2021, does not mean she was an artist history forgot. She had several solo exhibition after her death including a Tribute to Suzanne Valadon at the Musée National Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris in 1948, and several group exhibitions, including one at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
In my opinion The Secret Life of Sunflowers by the same author was a lot better.
In my opinion The Secret Life of Sunflowers by the same author was a lot better.
April 10, 2024
A weekend Treat
My “It is never going to be Spring” attitude put me in the mood to hide away with a book - this was the perfect one for it. I loved the current characters, wanted to be neighbors of theirs. I adored the historical characters, wanted to applaud their talents and strength. I often strayed from the book to look up the history of a particular artist or event mentioned in character’s conversation. So, in addition to loving the book, I learned history. A treat and a treasure. Write on! I will be waiting.
My “It is never going to be Spring” attitude put me in the mood to hide away with a book - this was the perfect one for it. I loved the current characters, wanted to be neighbors of theirs. I adored the historical characters, wanted to applaud their talents and strength. I often strayed from the book to look up the history of a particular artist or event mentioned in character’s conversation. So, in addition to loving the book, I learned history. A treat and a treasure. Write on! I will be waiting.
November 3, 2025
First, a big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Marta Molnar’s novel “Girl Braiding Her Hair" – “A touching and compelling story of two extraordinary women who lived a century apart but were sisters of the heart.”
This book is a dual-story; in the modern story, a young widow is researching Suzanne Valadon, one of the few female artists who were accepted by the Ecole d’Art of Paris during the late 1880s- 1890s. All while weaving Suzanne’s experience with famous painters in the late 19th century, along with major events that occurred at the time.
Suzanne was born “a bastard,” lived in poverty, and had a feisty, restless nature that propelled her to follow her heart and her instincts, take chances, and succeed in her various goals. After being cast out from school by the nuns, she found odd jobs, such as walking horses and then riding them for their exercise, and running errands for the famous artists in Montmartre. While still young, she worked for a milliner, a very kind woman who taught her to speak with better grammar and vocabulary – skills that were important as she moved forward. As she had dreamed, she worked in the circus until an accident ended her performance career. She became a waitress after that. With her patchwork of odd jobs she learned useful life lessons.
Eventually Suzanne became a model for Renoir, Degas, and many other painters of the Impressionist movement. Among her lovers was Toulouse Lautrec. Her painter friends judged her drawings and pastels as equal to that of male members of the recognized art world. Eventually she and a few other women became celebrated artists of their day, although they were seldom mentioned from 1950 – 2000. After joyous years in the Paris art scene, Suzanne married and lived well for a time with her son.
The modern story follows Ellie, still deep in mourning for the loss of her husband and their home, a house they put together for their future. She lives across the street from it, so it is a constant reminder of her loss. A “flipper” buys it and begins to remodel, which Ellie resents. However, Joshua is a prince of patience and understanding. His brother is a wonderful guy too. Naturally, Ellie and Joshua begin to develop a relationship.
Ellie’s dream is to open a museum of “unseen art” or art that is kept in storage at the great museums, seldom or never shown on its gallery walls. Joshua and others help her achieve that. Unbelievable but a nice way to tie together all the pieces of this story. This story reminds me of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.”
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a dual-story; in the modern story, a young widow is researching Suzanne Valadon, one of the few female artists who were accepted by the Ecole d’Art of Paris during the late 1880s- 1890s. All while weaving Suzanne’s experience with famous painters in the late 19th century, along with major events that occurred at the time.
Suzanne was born “a bastard,” lived in poverty, and had a feisty, restless nature that propelled her to follow her heart and her instincts, take chances, and succeed in her various goals. After being cast out from school by the nuns, she found odd jobs, such as walking horses and then riding them for their exercise, and running errands for the famous artists in Montmartre. While still young, she worked for a milliner, a very kind woman who taught her to speak with better grammar and vocabulary – skills that were important as she moved forward. As she had dreamed, she worked in the circus until an accident ended her performance career. She became a waitress after that. With her patchwork of odd jobs she learned useful life lessons.
Eventually Suzanne became a model for Renoir, Degas, and many other painters of the Impressionist movement. Among her lovers was Toulouse Lautrec. Her painter friends judged her drawings and pastels as equal to that of male members of the recognized art world. Eventually she and a few other women became celebrated artists of their day, although they were seldom mentioned from 1950 – 2000. After joyous years in the Paris art scene, Suzanne married and lived well for a time with her son.
The modern story follows Ellie, still deep in mourning for the loss of her husband and their home, a house they put together for their future. She lives across the street from it, so it is a constant reminder of her loss. A “flipper” buys it and begins to remodel, which Ellie resents. However, Joshua is a prince of patience and understanding. His brother is a wonderful guy too. Naturally, Ellie and Joshua begin to develop a relationship.
Ellie’s dream is to open a museum of “unseen art” or art that is kept in storage at the great museums, seldom or never shown on its gallery walls. Joshua and others help her achieve that. Unbelievable but a nice way to tie together all the pieces of this story. This story reminds me of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.”
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2025
This book is another dual-story offering. In the modern story, a young widow is researching Suzanne Valadon, one of the few female artists who were accepted by the Ecole d’Art of Paris during the late 1880s- 1890s. Of the two, Suzanne’s story dominates in the memory.
Suzanne was born “a bastard,” lived in poverty, and had a feisty, restless nature that propelled her to follow her heart and her instincts, take chances, and succeed in her various goals. After being cast our from school by the nuns, she found odd jobs, such as walking horses and then riding them for their exercise, and running errands for the famous artists in Montmartre. While still young, she worked for a milliner, a very kind woman who taught her to speak with better grammar and vocabulary – skills that were important as she moved forward. As she had dreamed, she worked in the circus until an accident ended her performance career. She became a waitress after that. With her patchwork of odd jobs she learned useful life lessons.
Eventually Suzanne became a model for Renoir, Degas, and many other painters of the Impressionist movement. Among her lovers was Toulouse Lautrec. Her painter friends judged her drawings and pastels as equal to that of male members of the recognized art world. Eventually she and a few other women became celebrated artists of their day, although they were seldom mentioned from 1950 – 2000. After joyous years in the Paris art scene, Suzanne married and lived well for a time with her son.
The modern story follows plucky, talented Ellie, still deep in mourning for the loss of her husband and their home, a house they put together for their future. She lives across the street from it, so it is a constant reminder of her losses. A “flipper” buys it and begins to remodel, which Ellie resents. However, Joshua is a prince of patience and understanding. His brother is a wonderful guy too. Naturally, Ellie and Joshua begin to fall in some kind of love thing. This modern-times story is more of a “Rom-Com,” “meet-cute" and all.
The men in the book are either awful as heck, such as Frank, Ellie’s sister’s guy, and her boss, a major a***ole, or really great at mostly everything.
Ellie’s new dream is to open a museum of “unseen art” or art that is kept in storage at the great museums, seldom or never shown on its gallery walls. Joshua and others help her achieve that. Unbelievable but enjoyable.
Suzanne was born “a bastard,” lived in poverty, and had a feisty, restless nature that propelled her to follow her heart and her instincts, take chances, and succeed in her various goals. After being cast our from school by the nuns, she found odd jobs, such as walking horses and then riding them for their exercise, and running errands for the famous artists in Montmartre. While still young, she worked for a milliner, a very kind woman who taught her to speak with better grammar and vocabulary – skills that were important as she moved forward. As she had dreamed, she worked in the circus until an accident ended her performance career. She became a waitress after that. With her patchwork of odd jobs she learned useful life lessons.
Eventually Suzanne became a model for Renoir, Degas, and many other painters of the Impressionist movement. Among her lovers was Toulouse Lautrec. Her painter friends judged her drawings and pastels as equal to that of male members of the recognized art world. Eventually she and a few other women became celebrated artists of their day, although they were seldom mentioned from 1950 – 2000. After joyous years in the Paris art scene, Suzanne married and lived well for a time with her son.
The modern story follows plucky, talented Ellie, still deep in mourning for the loss of her husband and their home, a house they put together for their future. She lives across the street from it, so it is a constant reminder of her losses. A “flipper” buys it and begins to remodel, which Ellie resents. However, Joshua is a prince of patience and understanding. His brother is a wonderful guy too. Naturally, Ellie and Joshua begin to fall in some kind of love thing. This modern-times story is more of a “Rom-Com,” “meet-cute" and all.
The men in the book are either awful as heck, such as Frank, Ellie’s sister’s guy, and her boss, a major a***ole, or really great at mostly everything.
Ellie’s new dream is to open a museum of “unseen art” or art that is kept in storage at the great museums, seldom or never shown on its gallery walls. Joshua and others help her achieve that. Unbelievable but enjoyable.
January 12, 2025
In my classroom there is a work of student art on the wall featuring Janie Mae Crawford standing in her overalls with her hair down and flowing in the breeze. Seated cross-legged in front of her with her nose in a book is Elizabeth Bennet. Janie is braiding Elizabeth's hair. I have looked at it almost everyday for the last ten years, and it never fails to move me. The student who painted it wanted to connect the protagonists' identities through their hair to show how even though they are from different places and times, they both strive to create the world they want for themselves. Marta Molnar does the same when she links the lives of the little known female Impressionist painter, Suzanne Valadon to modern day and recently widowed Ellie in her novel, "Girl Braiding Her Hair". This is a solidly good book and an obvious labor of love. The story jumps between present day Philadelphia and late 19th century Paris. Ellie, recently widowed and unemployed, now lives across the street from the house she lived in with her husband, which is now being flipped. She watches remnants of her past life be demolished and carried out the front door. She learns of Suzanne Valadon's life and art and begins a quest to learn more about her. Valadon, an illegitimate child, grew up impoverished in Montmartre during the Siege of Paris and worked various jobs before becoming an artist's muse and model. She becomes a self-taught artist, but has to fight against misogyny to be recognized as an artist in her own right while struggling with being a mother. Despite the acclaim she gained during her life, she was quickly forgotten after her death. Ellie gains strength from Valadon's struggles and wants her story to be known. Molnar's research into the Belle Epoque is thorough and detailed, and she does not romanticize Valadon's life. It would be so easy for this story line to be schmaltzy and overwrought, but her connections between both women do not feel contrived; both women experience setbacks and defeats and both have to decide what kind of life they want to build and build it. There are also so many great themes here: art, sexism, found families, loss, self-actualization. I inhaled this book-- started it last night and finished it this morning. Highly recommend!
October 13, 2024
Having read and fallen in love with Molnar’s first book, The Secret Life of Sunflowers, I could not wait to read her second, Girl Braiding Her Hair. What I love about Molnar’s books is her ability to bring to life stories of strong women who history has forgotten or simply overlooked. As with her first book, this book is also written in a duel timeline telling the story of Suzanne Valadon the favorite impressionist model and Ellie, a grieving wife who needs to find her way and her strength in a new life.
Looking back on history, I'm always amazed by how much people accomplished in their relatively short lifetimes, and Suzanne Valadon is no exception. Born illegitimate, she endured a harsh upbringing with an alcoholic mother who constantly yelled at her. Valadon had to fight for everything she achieved. Before discovering art—or before the art world discovered her—she held a variety of jobs, from milliner’s assistant and funeral wreath maker to horse walker, horse trainer, horse acrobat, tightrope walker, and even trapeze artist.
When looking at all art but especially the impressionist, I really never took the time to think about the models, I don’t know why, maybe I thought it was just an idea in the painter’s imagination? But in reading this book, I discovered that the face behind many of the most famous paintings by the most noted artist such as Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec was the same girl, Suzanne Valadon.
Watching and observing the artist while modeling and being encouraged by the likes of Degas who mentored and championed her, Valadon a self-taught artists took the art world by storm and became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Keep Google handy while reading because seeing the artwork they discuss in the book really brings it all to life. Valadon's bold, unique vision combined with her determination left an indelible mark on the art world, making her works as fascinating to study as they are to view.
Looking back on history, I'm always amazed by how much people accomplished in their relatively short lifetimes, and Suzanne Valadon is no exception. Born illegitimate, she endured a harsh upbringing with an alcoholic mother who constantly yelled at her. Valadon had to fight for everything she achieved. Before discovering art—or before the art world discovered her—she held a variety of jobs, from milliner’s assistant and funeral wreath maker to horse walker, horse trainer, horse acrobat, tightrope walker, and even trapeze artist.
When looking at all art but especially the impressionist, I really never took the time to think about the models, I don’t know why, maybe I thought it was just an idea in the painter’s imagination? But in reading this book, I discovered that the face behind many of the most famous paintings by the most noted artist such as Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec was the same girl, Suzanne Valadon.
Watching and observing the artist while modeling and being encouraged by the likes of Degas who mentored and championed her, Valadon a self-taught artists took the art world by storm and became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Keep Google handy while reading because seeing the artwork they discuss in the book really brings it all to life. Valadon's bold, unique vision combined with her determination left an indelible mark on the art world, making her works as fascinating to study as they are to view.
January 6, 2026
This is author Marta Molnar’s second published book, but I cheated and read the third one second as it had to do with the Titanic! (FYI: Her first book was The Secret Life of Sunflowers, which was about Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law saving herself from dire poverty and saving Vincent from total obscurity---excellent 5-star read!)
In this novel, Molnar gives us two strong female protagonists in a dual timeline structure. First, readers encounter Ellie, a modern-day woman reeling from the loss of husband and watching the home they shared transformed by a house flipper from a garage-apartment across the street.
Then readers come to the main event, Marie-Clementine Valadon/Suzanne. This is the story of a teenaged bastard child from London’s tenements. She likes to doodle, but mostly she likes to eat. She will do anything to make a few pounds. She takes on a freelance job as a nude model for the great artists of the day. She runs around Paris, from job to job, and soon becomes a muse during the French Impressionist period. However, what the painters don’t understand is that while she sits without moving a muscle, she is studying their techniques and practicing them at home.
Ellie is also a freelancer---but a writer. It is in doing research that she discovers Suzanne. Entranced by her work, Ellie goes on a mission to mount an exhibit of her paintings.
Ellie learns one of the secrets of art museums---that most of their collections are never seen simply because there is not enough room. Then a wonderful idea comes to her: She should open a museum, The Museum of Unseen Art. That museum would borrow collections from other museums to be displayed, often collections that have not been seen in decades.
Girl Braiding Her Hair is a fascinating discovery of an artist that has been lost to history and therefore gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. Suzzane’s story is a bit repetitious in places.
In this novel, Molnar gives us two strong female protagonists in a dual timeline structure. First, readers encounter Ellie, a modern-day woman reeling from the loss of husband and watching the home they shared transformed by a house flipper from a garage-apartment across the street.
Then readers come to the main event, Marie-Clementine Valadon/Suzanne. This is the story of a teenaged bastard child from London’s tenements. She likes to doodle, but mostly she likes to eat. She will do anything to make a few pounds. She takes on a freelance job as a nude model for the great artists of the day. She runs around Paris, from job to job, and soon becomes a muse during the French Impressionist period. However, what the painters don’t understand is that while she sits without moving a muscle, she is studying their techniques and practicing them at home.
Ellie is also a freelancer---but a writer. It is in doing research that she discovers Suzanne. Entranced by her work, Ellie goes on a mission to mount an exhibit of her paintings.
Ellie learns one of the secrets of art museums---that most of their collections are never seen simply because there is not enough room. Then a wonderful idea comes to her: She should open a museum, The Museum of Unseen Art. That museum would borrow collections from other museums to be displayed, often collections that have not been seen in decades.
Girl Braiding Her Hair is a fascinating discovery of an artist that has been lost to history and therefore gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. Suzzane’s story is a bit repetitious in places.
April 27, 2025
I liked this historical fiction title even more than the author's previous one, The Secret Life of Sunflowers. Just as the other one follows the life paths of two different female characters, so does this one, making the plots quite similar. But that's perfectly okay since we can never have enough stories about strong females with dreams and the determination to succeed and thrive against all odds. Plus, the fact that one of the protagonists is Suzanne Valadon, a half-forgotten artist who grew up in the poor section of Paris in the 1870s, eventually hobnobbing with all the famous artists of her time, including Renoir, van Gogh, and Degas, and even musician Eric Satie. Self-taught, she was a trapeze performer, a wreathe-maker, and a model, becoming the first woman to be named to the Societie Nationale des Beaux-Arts, all fascinating elements that tick all the buttons for what I look for in a book. Ellie, the other protagonist, is interesting in her own respect too since she's in mourning over the loss of her husband, Chris, and the life that they thought they'd have, when unexpected events change everything for her. The loss of her job is disappointing, but she pulls herself together and finds a way forward, finding inspiration in Valadon's life and example. There is plenty of detail about the art world and painting as well as interesting historical tidbits sprinkled throughout the narrative, making readers feel as though they have traveled back in time. It's a fast read, but it's also deeply involving.
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