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The Velveteen Daughter
The Velveteen Daughter reveals for the first time the true story of two remarkable women: Margery Williams Bianco, the author of one of the most beloved children's books of all time The Velveteen Rabbit and her daughter Pamela, a world-renowned child prodigy artist whose fame at one time greatly eclipses her mother's. But celebrity at such an early age exacts a great toll. Pamela's dreams elude her as she struggles with severe depressions, an overbearing father, an obsessive love affair, and a spectacularly misguided marriage. Throughout, her life raft is her mother.
The glamorous art world of Europe and New York in the early 20th century and a supporting cast of luminaries Eugene O Neill and his wife Agnes (Margery s niece), Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and Richard Hughes, author of A High Wind in Jamaica, provide a vivid backdrop to the Bianco's story. From the opening pages, the novel will captivate readers with its multifaceted and illuminating observations on art, family, and the consequences of genius touched by madness.
The glamorous art world of Europe and New York in the early 20th century and a supporting cast of luminaries Eugene O Neill and his wife Agnes (Margery s niece), Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and Richard Hughes, author of A High Wind in Jamaica, provide a vivid backdrop to the Bianco's story. From the opening pages, the novel will captivate readers with its multifaceted and illuminating observations on art, family, and the consequences of genius touched by madness.
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2017
137 people are currently reading
3329 people want to read
About the author
Laurel Davis Huber
2 books81 followersLaurel Davis Huber grew up in Rhode Island and Oklahoma. She is a graduate of Smith College. She has worked as a corporate newsletter editor, communications director for a botanical garden, high school English teacher, and senior development officer for both New Canaan Country School and Amherst College. She has studied with the novelist and short-story writer Leslie Pietrzyk (the 2015 Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner for This Angel on My Chest) and has participated in several writing residencies at the Vermont Studio Center. She and her husband split their time between New Jersey and Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
July 10, 2017
4.5 stars
The Velveteen Daughter tells the tale of two remarkable women, Margery Williams Bianco and her daughter Pamela Bianco. Margery Williams Bianco is known for writing The Velveteen Rabbit, a children’s picture book familiar to many generations of children, and Pamela Bianco was a renowned child artist who subsequently struggles with severe depression and other debilitating psychiatric illnesses. By and large, it is not a happy story, at least not for Pamela, who battles demons and a lack of self-worth her entire life.
The Velveteen Daughter is clearly a labor of love for Huber, and her dedication and immense research shine through on every page. She chose to reveal her story through alternating points of view - Margery and Pamela share their versions of various events in the Bianco family’s lives. The book jumps around in time covering many decades, but a significant portion of the book focuses on a day in 1944 which Huber uses as the base from which the two women recollect their shared history.
Appearances by Eugene O’Neill (a very unpleasant individual), Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and even a small reference to James Thurber demonstrate the glamorous world in which these two women lived. However, the entire account is overshadowed by the regret that both mother and daughter seem to share that more was not done to shelter Pamela from her overzealous father, Francesco. He frequently chose to push Pamela to create her art to subsidize the family’s life style over ensuring that her mental health was intact. Time and again, I found myself hoping Margery would finally speak up and prevent her husband from insisting that Pamela continue painting or drawing when it was clear she needed a break. Sadly, Margery seemed to defer to her husband versus standing up for her daughter.
The inclusion of various photos of the Bianco family and friends and of Pamela’s art work significantly add to the story, and the author’s note at the end was much appreciated as Huber details what was true (much of the book) and what she added to the tale. I highly recommend The Velveteen Daughter and appreciated being able to read an early copy of the book.
The Velveteen Daughter tells the tale of two remarkable women, Margery Williams Bianco and her daughter Pamela Bianco. Margery Williams Bianco is known for writing The Velveteen Rabbit, a children’s picture book familiar to many generations of children, and Pamela Bianco was a renowned child artist who subsequently struggles with severe depression and other debilitating psychiatric illnesses. By and large, it is not a happy story, at least not for Pamela, who battles demons and a lack of self-worth her entire life.
The Velveteen Daughter is clearly a labor of love for Huber, and her dedication and immense research shine through on every page. She chose to reveal her story through alternating points of view - Margery and Pamela share their versions of various events in the Bianco family’s lives. The book jumps around in time covering many decades, but a significant portion of the book focuses on a day in 1944 which Huber uses as the base from which the two women recollect their shared history.
Appearances by Eugene O’Neill (a very unpleasant individual), Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and even a small reference to James Thurber demonstrate the glamorous world in which these two women lived. However, the entire account is overshadowed by the regret that both mother and daughter seem to share that more was not done to shelter Pamela from her overzealous father, Francesco. He frequently chose to push Pamela to create her art to subsidize the family’s life style over ensuring that her mental health was intact. Time and again, I found myself hoping Margery would finally speak up and prevent her husband from insisting that Pamela continue painting or drawing when it was clear she needed a break. Sadly, Margery seemed to defer to her husband versus standing up for her daughter.
The inclusion of various photos of the Bianco family and friends and of Pamela’s art work significantly add to the story, and the author’s note at the end was much appreciated as Huber details what was true (much of the book) and what she added to the tale. I highly recommend The Velveteen Daughter and appreciated being able to read an early copy of the book.
April 25, 2018
The Velveteen Daughter is written in a style known as the historical bibliographical novel - a genre which can be extraordinarily wonderful to read when well done, or a bit “blah” if it misses its mark. For me, unfortunately, The Velveteen Daughter didn’t quite hit its mark.
An extraordinary amount of research was done to learn about the author of the beloved children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams Bianco, and her family. This novel centres on her daughter Pamela, an artistic prodigy whose father promoted her shamelessly and sold her artwork to support the family. In the process, Pamela suffered isolation from peers, a lack of normal social development and internalized terrible guilt over her family financial hardships. Francisco Bianco, a book seller and binder, walked a volatile tightrope as what appeared to be manic episodes propelled his energy and demands on his daughter and wife. Margery wrote sweet children’s books in the midst of chaos, especially since Pamela developed the same moody cycles as her father but with more severe plunges into depression, periods filled with delusional thinking and a sense of paralysis caught between both.
I found the history fascinating. Pamela Bianco’s fame as an artist has faded from public consciousness yet she was adored by the literati and art world of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Her later works, as an adult artist, hang in prestigious public galleries and private collections. It is her mother’s single children’s book which has maintained a place in American minds, yet Pamela was incredibly prolific.
The novel failed for me in its structure, which jumped loosely in time and which occasionally had me flipping backwards to check when and where exactly I was with the characters. That didn’t necessarily suffice, which was frustrating, and I had to hang in and listen on to the voice of whoever was speaking, in the hopes it might become clear. Pamela and Margaret each narrate their stories, which worked very well when the characters delivered varied expositions of similar circumstances and the result delineated and expanded them as individuals. In many cases, aside from the chapters titled with their names, it was difficult to discriminate unique personalities. Here, I believe, the fictional treatment was not strong. I preferred the purely historical, more linear parts of the book and there I sincerely enjoyed the writing and content.
Laurel Davis Huber is an excellent researcher and has written a good nonfiction framework. Her Acknowledgements section, which clarifies that which is “real” versus fictional is my favourite part of her book. I hope she continues to write, but chooses more definitively whether she will write poetic, introspective fiction or thoroughly researched nonfiction.
Three stars for an interesting book.
An extraordinary amount of research was done to learn about the author of the beloved children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams Bianco, and her family. This novel centres on her daughter Pamela, an artistic prodigy whose father promoted her shamelessly and sold her artwork to support the family. In the process, Pamela suffered isolation from peers, a lack of normal social development and internalized terrible guilt over her family financial hardships. Francisco Bianco, a book seller and binder, walked a volatile tightrope as what appeared to be manic episodes propelled his energy and demands on his daughter and wife. Margery wrote sweet children’s books in the midst of chaos, especially since Pamela developed the same moody cycles as her father but with more severe plunges into depression, periods filled with delusional thinking and a sense of paralysis caught between both.
I found the history fascinating. Pamela Bianco’s fame as an artist has faded from public consciousness yet she was adored by the literati and art world of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Her later works, as an adult artist, hang in prestigious public galleries and private collections. It is her mother’s single children’s book which has maintained a place in American minds, yet Pamela was incredibly prolific.
The novel failed for me in its structure, which jumped loosely in time and which occasionally had me flipping backwards to check when and where exactly I was with the characters. That didn’t necessarily suffice, which was frustrating, and I had to hang in and listen on to the voice of whoever was speaking, in the hopes it might become clear. Pamela and Margaret each narrate their stories, which worked very well when the characters delivered varied expositions of similar circumstances and the result delineated and expanded them as individuals. In many cases, aside from the chapters titled with their names, it was difficult to discriminate unique personalities. Here, I believe, the fictional treatment was not strong. I preferred the purely historical, more linear parts of the book and there I sincerely enjoyed the writing and content.
Laurel Davis Huber is an excellent researcher and has written a good nonfiction framework. Her Acknowledgements section, which clarifies that which is “real” versus fictional is my favourite part of her book. I hope she continues to write, but chooses more definitively whether she will write poetic, introspective fiction or thoroughly researched nonfiction.
Three stars for an interesting book.
June 30, 2017
(4.5) The name Margery Williams Bianco might not seem familiar, but chances are you remember her classic children’s book The Velveteen Rabbit. This lovely debut novel is about Margery and her daughter, Pamela Bianco, a painter and child prodigy troubled by mental illness. The main thread of the novel is set on one day in 1944, and the first-person narration alternates with almost every chapter between Margery and Pamela, who through memory and imagination drift back through vivid scenes from their lives in Turin, London, Wales, and New York City.
“I can’t stop my thoughts from boiling up,” Pamela writes; decades later, she still dwells on regrets: the way her father, bookseller Francesco, pushed her to exhibit her art even as a young teenager; her unrequited, obsessive love for “Diccon” (Richard Hughes, author of A High Wind in Jamaica); and the short-lived marriage that resulted in her only son, Lorenzo. Huber effectively captures the confusion of Pamela’s mind through the slightly scattered and repetitive prose in her sections.
Themes of creativity, mental health and motherhood are nestled in this highly visual book full of cameos by everyone from Pablo Picasso to Eugene O’Neill (who was married to Margery’s niece). I love reading fictional biographies of writers and other creative types, and this one gives such an interesting window onto lesser-known twentieth-century figures. The closest comparison I would make is with Therese Anne Fowler’s Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. I especially appreciated Huber’s endnotes explaining what was fact (almost everything) and what was fiction here, and her discussion of the letters and archives she used.
As The Velveteen Rabbit itself teaches, we only really come to life when we are loved, and you can see how for Pamela it was a lifelong struggle to be loved for who she was. The artist’s tortured journey and the mother’s tender worry are equally strong here. Had I finished it a few days earlier I would have included this in my write-up of the best books of 2017 so far. It would be a great choice for book clubs, too – a set of questions is included at the end of the novel.
My thanks to publicist Caitlin Hamilton Summie for granting me early access via NetGalley.
“I can’t stop my thoughts from boiling up,” Pamela writes; decades later, she still dwells on regrets: the way her father, bookseller Francesco, pushed her to exhibit her art even as a young teenager; her unrequited, obsessive love for “Diccon” (Richard Hughes, author of A High Wind in Jamaica); and the short-lived marriage that resulted in her only son, Lorenzo. Huber effectively captures the confusion of Pamela’s mind through the slightly scattered and repetitive prose in her sections.
Themes of creativity, mental health and motherhood are nestled in this highly visual book full of cameos by everyone from Pablo Picasso to Eugene O’Neill (who was married to Margery’s niece). I love reading fictional biographies of writers and other creative types, and this one gives such an interesting window onto lesser-known twentieth-century figures. The closest comparison I would make is with Therese Anne Fowler’s Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. I especially appreciated Huber’s endnotes explaining what was fact (almost everything) and what was fiction here, and her discussion of the letters and archives she used.
As The Velveteen Rabbit itself teaches, we only really come to life when we are loved, and you can see how for Pamela it was a lifelong struggle to be loved for who she was. The artist’s tortured journey and the mother’s tender worry are equally strong here. Had I finished it a few days earlier I would have included this in my write-up of the best books of 2017 so far. It would be a great choice for book clubs, too – a set of questions is included at the end of the novel.
My thanks to publicist Caitlin Hamilton Summie for granting me early access via NetGalley.
November 15, 2018
"The Velveteen Daughter" is the story of two talented women, the writer Margery Williams Bianco and her artist daughter Pamela Bianco. Most of us probably remember the delightful children's tale about the velveteen rabbit written by Margery Williams. Daughter Pamela was a child prodigy in the art world. She had her first art exhibition when she was 13 years old. Gertrude Vanderbilt was so impressed with Pamela's work that she brought the family to New York City and acted as her patron. Her antiquarian book dealer father, Francesco Bianco, was constantly pressuring Pamela to produce art for the commissions he found for the teenager. Her artistic style changed several times during her life. In addition to painting, she enjoyed illustrations and eventually illustrated many children's books.
All was not bliss as Pamela became obsessively interested in an older writer in her mid-teens. Pamela suffered from deep depression and mania, and spent time in a mental health facility. Unfortunately, today's medications did not exist a hundred years ago. She also experienced an unwise marriage, and the birth of a son. Since Pamela was not always stable, Margery often stepped in to help care for her grandson. Pamela's mental health issues often overshadowed her life.
The book starts in 1944 with short chapters flashing back to the 1920s in Europe and the eastern United States. The chapters of one to four pages alternate between Margery's and Pamela's point of view. I did find that the short chapters and constantly shifting point of view kept me somewhat emotionally at a distance from both of the main characters. It was obvious that author Laurel Davis Huber had done extensive research into the Bianco family and their friends in the world of art and literature. It was a pleasure to read "The Velveteen Daughter" and learn about two interesting women in the arts. 3.5 stars.
All was not bliss as Pamela became obsessively interested in an older writer in her mid-teens. Pamela suffered from deep depression and mania, and spent time in a mental health facility. Unfortunately, today's medications did not exist a hundred years ago. She also experienced an unwise marriage, and the birth of a son. Since Pamela was not always stable, Margery often stepped in to help care for her grandson. Pamela's mental health issues often overshadowed her life.
The book starts in 1944 with short chapters flashing back to the 1920s in Europe and the eastern United States. The chapters of one to four pages alternate between Margery's and Pamela's point of view. I did find that the short chapters and constantly shifting point of view kept me somewhat emotionally at a distance from both of the main characters. It was obvious that author Laurel Davis Huber had done extensive research into the Bianco family and their friends in the world of art and literature. It was a pleasure to read "The Velveteen Daughter" and learn about two interesting women in the arts. 3.5 stars.
February 7, 2017
“Just one look at her this morning and despair flew into my heart. She had the look I dread, her eyes over bright, shining with that queer mix of euphoria and terror. And she talked incessantly, a very bad sign.”
The Velveteen Rabbit was a beautifully tender children’s story, and after reading this gorgeous novel about the author Margery Williams and her gifted daughter Pamela the children’s tale has come to mean much more. Being real hurts terribly. Laurel Davis Huber has taken the true story of mother and daughter and fictionalized it but with precision, following facts so much that she seems to be channeling the entire family. From the beginning pages I was already hooked and feeling heart sore.
Pamela is an unusual child, a wunderkind artist but her state of mind is a fragile one. The struggle her mother Margery has is one to keep her safe from the world, but this puts her at odds with her husband Francesco and his exciting plans for their daughter’s success. Margery knows her daughter’s talent could leave her vulnerable to the attention, her child’s delicate mind may not withstand it but Francesco cannot be stopped. Francesco’s wild aspirations will change their entire lives and one later wonders, had she kept her daughter’s talent hidden until she came of age would things have turned out differently? Pamela adores her father, as they are so very much alike and will do anything to please him. As with true artists, Pamela’s natural talent is a thing she is driven to do, not for attention, simply because it is like breathing for her. It’s not about the masses, it’s always been about the undivided attention her father gives her. With her mother, she can let her guard down and reveal her broken insides. As she says “Mam’s eyes are vast almond-shaped seas, liquid navy, flowing with an endless depth of understanding and compassion. When she listens to you, she takes you in and you can’t help it, you simply give yourself over to her…” It is this very knowing that induces fear for her daughter.
Periods of melancholia consume Pamela as she comes of age and can no longer contain it. What pushes her more, the attentions of the world or her father’s driving force? Life takes a toxic turn, if her father’s obsession is sharing her talent with the world, then her own obsession isn’t for art but a man. When love enters in the form of family friend Diccon (a poet) and becomes her infatuation, longings blossom in her tender heart like a poisonous flower her family fails to see. It is an all consuming desire that begins at the age of 13, she feels Diccon (20 years old) is her destiny and her reality blurs. Back and forth Margery and Pamela spill their hearts to the reader, each coping with Pamela’s illness in different ways. A mother is always real, and with snippets of The Velveteen Rabbit weaving it’s way into the novel, my heart became a wound. Pamela knows there is something wrong with her, and she is beset by periods of deep affliction that require hospitalization and therapy. A mother is as close to God as children can get, but we are all too human and Margery, despite her wisdom and heart, isn’t any different than the rest of us. Each time her daughter breaks against the harshness of the world, Margery too loses heart.
Years pass, in a moment of compulsion Pamela makes a decision that ends with a child, Lorezno. She has her own secrets to keep from her boy, and the novel is written with flashes from past to present. The cloud of melancholia never leaves Pamela entirely, interfering with her art there are times when she cannot paint. She needs her mother to help raise her boy, but her son may well be the one blessing in life that keeps her anchored to the world. I am simplifying the novel, it is a gorgeous historical literary fiction that reads more like a memoir of both mother and daughter. We are privy to the constant invading thoughts in Pamela’s mind, her desires, her attempts at trying to soothe and calm herself and how she fails. Margery’s thoughts are the bleeding of a mother’s heart that readers feel as their own.
Today we are far more aware of the states of mental health, and I’d like to think more understanding, but times were different then. So much remains unknown still today, and back then mental illness was far less defined. One cannot dismiss the crippling effects, not just on the patient but on the parents too. Margery watches her daughter, for mothers are detectors of the slightest nuance in their child’s being. Those with children who have any sort of illness can relate to the knot that lives inside said mother. One can never be ‘at ease’, one is always waiting for the bottom to drop. It’s a constant state of fear for your child, and as Margery wrote in The Velveteen Rabbit, “When you are Real, you don’t mind being hurt.” Margery hurts daily for her beloved, gifted, tormented daughter. Francesco is blinded as he only sees Pamela's talent and his wild ambitions for her future, but Margery recognizes something that surfaces from the depths of her daughter’s being from early on. Francesco is a force that can’t be stopped, just as is Pamela’s illness, but without her father’s pushing her means of living may never have been reached. It’s cruel to be punishing to either parent, and later we learn Francesco and Pamela may be more alike than different. This constant watching never goes away in adulthood either, as mental stability is a fragile state. There are ups and downs, storms that pass and those that come to stay and incapacitate. There are no quick fixes, no miracle cures in real life.
Love in this family is a sour heart and a gift. What happens with Diccon is dangerous, but it’s the self-delusions that are most damaging to Pamela. Her mother’s staunch support and love is her salvation, as is Pamela’s son, Lorenzo. What makes this particular historical fiction deeply touching is the love between mother and daughter, is there anything more pure? Laurel Davis Huber based the novel on more truth than fiction. There are no sad endings nor happy ones in life, we encounter both always. The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the most tender, beautiful children’s stories I have ever read but after knowing about the author and her daughter, I will never read it without this heaviness. If ever my heart overflowed with compassion, it is with this novel. We follow the family to the end of Margery and Francesco’s lives, and keep close to Pamela into her later years. What a beautiful, crushing story about a gifted and REAL mother and child! Add this to your summer reading list!
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
She Writes Press
The Velveteen Rabbit was a beautifully tender children’s story, and after reading this gorgeous novel about the author Margery Williams and her gifted daughter Pamela the children’s tale has come to mean much more. Being real hurts terribly. Laurel Davis Huber has taken the true story of mother and daughter and fictionalized it but with precision, following facts so much that she seems to be channeling the entire family. From the beginning pages I was already hooked and feeling heart sore.
Pamela is an unusual child, a wunderkind artist but her state of mind is a fragile one. The struggle her mother Margery has is one to keep her safe from the world, but this puts her at odds with her husband Francesco and his exciting plans for their daughter’s success. Margery knows her daughter’s talent could leave her vulnerable to the attention, her child’s delicate mind may not withstand it but Francesco cannot be stopped. Francesco’s wild aspirations will change their entire lives and one later wonders, had she kept her daughter’s talent hidden until she came of age would things have turned out differently? Pamela adores her father, as they are so very much alike and will do anything to please him. As with true artists, Pamela’s natural talent is a thing she is driven to do, not for attention, simply because it is like breathing for her. It’s not about the masses, it’s always been about the undivided attention her father gives her. With her mother, she can let her guard down and reveal her broken insides. As she says “Mam’s eyes are vast almond-shaped seas, liquid navy, flowing with an endless depth of understanding and compassion. When she listens to you, she takes you in and you can’t help it, you simply give yourself over to her…” It is this very knowing that induces fear for her daughter.
Periods of melancholia consume Pamela as she comes of age and can no longer contain it. What pushes her more, the attentions of the world or her father’s driving force? Life takes a toxic turn, if her father’s obsession is sharing her talent with the world, then her own obsession isn’t for art but a man. When love enters in the form of family friend Diccon (a poet) and becomes her infatuation, longings blossom in her tender heart like a poisonous flower her family fails to see. It is an all consuming desire that begins at the age of 13, she feels Diccon (20 years old) is her destiny and her reality blurs. Back and forth Margery and Pamela spill their hearts to the reader, each coping with Pamela’s illness in different ways. A mother is always real, and with snippets of The Velveteen Rabbit weaving it’s way into the novel, my heart became a wound. Pamela knows there is something wrong with her, and she is beset by periods of deep affliction that require hospitalization and therapy. A mother is as close to God as children can get, but we are all too human and Margery, despite her wisdom and heart, isn’t any different than the rest of us. Each time her daughter breaks against the harshness of the world, Margery too loses heart.
Years pass, in a moment of compulsion Pamela makes a decision that ends with a child, Lorezno. She has her own secrets to keep from her boy, and the novel is written with flashes from past to present. The cloud of melancholia never leaves Pamela entirely, interfering with her art there are times when she cannot paint. She needs her mother to help raise her boy, but her son may well be the one blessing in life that keeps her anchored to the world. I am simplifying the novel, it is a gorgeous historical literary fiction that reads more like a memoir of both mother and daughter. We are privy to the constant invading thoughts in Pamela’s mind, her desires, her attempts at trying to soothe and calm herself and how she fails. Margery’s thoughts are the bleeding of a mother’s heart that readers feel as their own.
Today we are far more aware of the states of mental health, and I’d like to think more understanding, but times were different then. So much remains unknown still today, and back then mental illness was far less defined. One cannot dismiss the crippling effects, not just on the patient but on the parents too. Margery watches her daughter, for mothers are detectors of the slightest nuance in their child’s being. Those with children who have any sort of illness can relate to the knot that lives inside said mother. One can never be ‘at ease’, one is always waiting for the bottom to drop. It’s a constant state of fear for your child, and as Margery wrote in The Velveteen Rabbit, “When you are Real, you don’t mind being hurt.” Margery hurts daily for her beloved, gifted, tormented daughter. Francesco is blinded as he only sees Pamela's talent and his wild ambitions for her future, but Margery recognizes something that surfaces from the depths of her daughter’s being from early on. Francesco is a force that can’t be stopped, just as is Pamela’s illness, but without her father’s pushing her means of living may never have been reached. It’s cruel to be punishing to either parent, and later we learn Francesco and Pamela may be more alike than different. This constant watching never goes away in adulthood either, as mental stability is a fragile state. There are ups and downs, storms that pass and those that come to stay and incapacitate. There are no quick fixes, no miracle cures in real life.
Love in this family is a sour heart and a gift. What happens with Diccon is dangerous, but it’s the self-delusions that are most damaging to Pamela. Her mother’s staunch support and love is her salvation, as is Pamela’s son, Lorenzo. What makes this particular historical fiction deeply touching is the love between mother and daughter, is there anything more pure? Laurel Davis Huber based the novel on more truth than fiction. There are no sad endings nor happy ones in life, we encounter both always. The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the most tender, beautiful children’s stories I have ever read but after knowing about the author and her daughter, I will never read it without this heaviness. If ever my heart overflowed with compassion, it is with this novel. We follow the family to the end of Margery and Francesco’s lives, and keep close to Pamela into her later years. What a beautiful, crushing story about a gifted and REAL mother and child! Add this to your summer reading list!
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
She Writes Press
February 1, 2017
The Velveteen Rabbit is a well known and well beloved children's book by Margery Williams Bianco. That Margery's daughter, Pamela, was a child prodigy in art has been forgotten, but a new book by Laurel Davis Huber will soon correct this lapse of collective memory.
Huber's novel is compelling and affecting, the story of a girl who yearns for love. As in her mother's book, she seeks the love that will make her 'real'.
Margery and Pamela both speak in the novel, with chapters skipping back and forth in time in a paced revelation.
Pamela's father pushed her into the art world as a child genius; Margery tried to hold him back so Pamela would have a normal childhood, developing her talent organically. Pamela wanted to please her father. Her art was displayed when she was twelve; she was a sensation.
"This wonderful child," Gabriel D'Annunzio wrote after seeing a sketch she had done, aged eight, "whose name is like the name of a new flower. The drawings of a phenomenal girl artist are like flowers, delicate, fragile, wind-blown, sprung from the enchanted soil of fairy land."
When a girl she developed an attachment to Richard Hughes, a charismatic young poet who became close to the Bianco family. She created a fantasy that they would marry. When the much older Richard became engaged it caused a crisis for the emotionally fragile Pamela and resulted in hospitalization.
Over the next years her fixation on Hughes suffered many ups and downs until it became clear he had no intention of marrying Pamela. Hughes is known for his novel A High Wind in Jamaica.
While pursuing her art in New York City during the 1920s Pamela fell in with a young man and as a lark they married, resulting in a child, although they never lived together.
Pamela struggled with mental illness, causing great lapses in her artistic output. Late in life married and supported by her husband returned to art.
In the background is the story of Margery's sister and her disastrous marriage to Eugene O'Neil. Pamela encounters art world denizens including Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Whitney Vanderbilt.
Huber's meticulous research has resulted in historical fiction that has great emotional appeal.
Huber's novel is compelling and affecting, the story of a girl who yearns for love. As in her mother's book, she seeks the love that will make her 'real'.
Margery and Pamela both speak in the novel, with chapters skipping back and forth in time in a paced revelation.
Pamela's father pushed her into the art world as a child genius; Margery tried to hold him back so Pamela would have a normal childhood, developing her talent organically. Pamela wanted to please her father. Her art was displayed when she was twelve; she was a sensation.
"This wonderful child," Gabriel D'Annunzio wrote after seeing a sketch she had done, aged eight, "whose name is like the name of a new flower. The drawings of a phenomenal girl artist are like flowers, delicate, fragile, wind-blown, sprung from the enchanted soil of fairy land."
When a girl she developed an attachment to Richard Hughes, a charismatic young poet who became close to the Bianco family. She created a fantasy that they would marry. When the much older Richard became engaged it caused a crisis for the emotionally fragile Pamela and resulted in hospitalization.
Over the next years her fixation on Hughes suffered many ups and downs until it became clear he had no intention of marrying Pamela. Hughes is known for his novel A High Wind in Jamaica.
While pursuing her art in New York City during the 1920s Pamela fell in with a young man and as a lark they married, resulting in a child, although they never lived together.
Pamela struggled with mental illness, causing great lapses in her artistic output. Late in life married and supported by her husband returned to art.
In the background is the story of Margery's sister and her disastrous marriage to Eugene O'Neil. Pamela encounters art world denizens including Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Whitney Vanderbilt.
Huber's meticulous research has resulted in historical fiction that has great emotional appeal.
June 6, 2018
Laurel Davis Huber has written a stunning debut novel. Her writing skims across the page. Her writing style--unique and enchanting--is simply delicious. Written in the voices of both Margery and Pamela, mother and daughter of the famed "Biancos," Huber captures the distinct voices of both. I ached for both of these characters. As the family dynamics developed, I could see and actually feel the pain of each. This kind of visceral reaction to any story is solely because of the writing. Huber excels in writing short sentences, varying the rhythm on the page. She draws on the truth of these non-fictional characters but adds her imagination to fill in the gaps. The result defies traditional structure. You must read this. I prromise you will be swept away!
July 12, 2017
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I love it when a book can teach me something new. Like many, I read The Velveteen Rabbit as a kid (full disclosure: the idea of burning all of the boy’s toys and books still leaves me with scars), but I never knew anything about the author, and I certainly knew nothing of her family. Thanks to Laurel Davis Huber’s debut novel, The Velveteen Daughter, this untold story has been brought to light in a read that is compelling, poignant, and downright fascinating.
The Velveteen Daughter highlights the relationship between children’s author Margery Williams and her daughter, talented artist Pamela Bianco. A child prodigy praised by Picasso at the age of four, Pamela’s life is wrought with severe depression, unrequited love, and the effects of facing fame at far too young an age. Through her struggles and her successes, her mother—balancing her writing career and her family—remains her guiding strength and greatest ally. Spanning seven decades and two continents, and featuring the famous names of Eugene O’Neill, Richard Hughes, and Gertrude Vanderbilt, The Velveteen Daughter is in essence a story about the bond between mother and daughter. Meticulously researched, it immerses the reader into the private and professional lives of these remarkable women whose names should not be forgotten by history.
From the earliest pages it became clear to me that Laurel Davis Huber put extensive care and examination into Pamela and Margery’s story, using letters and other primary source material to bring their tale so beautifully to life. Through alternating narratives, each woman is given her own unique, sympathetic voice—a mother who, with heart-wrenching agony, wants her daughter to be happy; a daughter trapped by illness, seeking something that will make her feel real. While the novel dives into Pamela’s need for her father’s approval, her one-sided infatuation with Richard Hughes, and her spontaneous marriage, the unconditional love between Pamela and Margery is at the heart of every chapter. I went into this novel knowing nothing about either woman, and came away from it so glad that I got to spend time with their story.
The beauty of historical fiction is that it can re-introduce the world to long-gone figures, and that’s exactly what The Velveteen Daughter does best. I commend Laurel Davis Huber for giving the Bianco women their turn in the spotlight, and I encourage anyone interesting in learning more about them to pick up this treasure of a book.
Full review published at https://bookperfume.com/2017/07/12/th...
The Velveteen Daughter highlights the relationship between children’s author Margery Williams and her daughter, talented artist Pamela Bianco. A child prodigy praised by Picasso at the age of four, Pamela’s life is wrought with severe depression, unrequited love, and the effects of facing fame at far too young an age. Through her struggles and her successes, her mother—balancing her writing career and her family—remains her guiding strength and greatest ally. Spanning seven decades and two continents, and featuring the famous names of Eugene O’Neill, Richard Hughes, and Gertrude Vanderbilt, The Velveteen Daughter is in essence a story about the bond between mother and daughter. Meticulously researched, it immerses the reader into the private and professional lives of these remarkable women whose names should not be forgotten by history.
From the earliest pages it became clear to me that Laurel Davis Huber put extensive care and examination into Pamela and Margery’s story, using letters and other primary source material to bring their tale so beautifully to life. Through alternating narratives, each woman is given her own unique, sympathetic voice—a mother who, with heart-wrenching agony, wants her daughter to be happy; a daughter trapped by illness, seeking something that will make her feel real. While the novel dives into Pamela’s need for her father’s approval, her one-sided infatuation with Richard Hughes, and her spontaneous marriage, the unconditional love between Pamela and Margery is at the heart of every chapter. I went into this novel knowing nothing about either woman, and came away from it so glad that I got to spend time with their story.
The beauty of historical fiction is that it can re-introduce the world to long-gone figures, and that’s exactly what The Velveteen Daughter does best. I commend Laurel Davis Huber for giving the Bianco women their turn in the spotlight, and I encourage anyone interesting in learning more about them to pick up this treasure of a book.
Full review published at https://bookperfume.com/2017/07/12/th...
December 10, 2017
"The consequences for me ... well, I never considered them at all. Years later - the hospital ... the kind doctor, Henry - I saw the truth." The Velveteen Daughter, pg.25
At four years old, Pablo Picasso declared Pamela Bianco's drawings, "incredible ... such commanding for one so young." Picasso wouldn't believe the work had been done by a child, until he sat with Pamela and watched her draw.
Laurel Davis, Huber's novel, THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER (SheWritesPress) tells the story of Pamela Bianco, child prodigy and daughter of Margery Williams Bianco, best known for writing the classic story, THE VELVETEEN RABBIT.
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. ..." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you're Real you don't mind being hurt." THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
When I'm asked what my favorite book is, I always answer THE VELVETEEN RABBIT. The simplicity and profundity of its message, never ceases to touch my soul. It made Margery Williams Bianco an international celebrity, but at one time, her young daughter's talent overshadowed Margery.
Young Pamela was thrown into the Art World at a young age by her father, Francesco Bianco who recognized her brilliance. Margery was more hesitant, she worried about the stress of international fame could inflict upon her daughter.
"She gave my shoulder a squeeze as she passed by. But I didn't look up. I find every way to avoid it, but the truth will look me right in the face: there is madness in my daughter's eyes." The Velveteen Daughter, pg.5
Pamela began suffering from depression at the beginning, always anxious and afraid she wasn't living up to the expectations of her overbearing father. She pursued an obssessive love affair with a family friend, which never was consummated and went on to be hospitalized several times.
The narrative of THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER tells the complete story, alternating between Margery, Pamela and Francesco. The Biancos traveled in a very glamorous circle in the early 20th century. Margery's niece, Agnes married playwrite, Eugene O'Neill, and the famous art benefactress, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney insisted on bringing Pamela to New York from Europe. Pamela eventually marries, has a son named Lorenzo but suffers heartache her whole life, never really experiencing true love.
While reading THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER, I had this constant feeling of how ironic it was for Margery to write about "what's real" and for her only daughter to live a life of intense real pain and suffering, only to be institutionalized at the time of her death in 1944.
I was left with a sad feeling that Margery and Pamela were never able to honestly communicate. Margery constantly worried about her daughter, but her husband and Pamela's father, Francesco created a barrier between the two women. I wonder what would have happened, had Margery stood up to Francesco and had been the mother Pamela needed.
Author, Laurel Davis Huber's research is extensive and provides a novel, I hope all readers will take the time to immerse themselves in. They won't regret it.
At four years old, Pablo Picasso declared Pamela Bianco's drawings, "incredible ... such commanding for one so young." Picasso wouldn't believe the work had been done by a child, until he sat with Pamela and watched her draw.
Laurel Davis, Huber's novel, THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER (SheWritesPress) tells the story of Pamela Bianco, child prodigy and daughter of Margery Williams Bianco, best known for writing the classic story, THE VELVETEEN RABBIT.
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. ..." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you're Real you don't mind being hurt." THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
When I'm asked what my favorite book is, I always answer THE VELVETEEN RABBIT. The simplicity and profundity of its message, never ceases to touch my soul. It made Margery Williams Bianco an international celebrity, but at one time, her young daughter's talent overshadowed Margery.
Young Pamela was thrown into the Art World at a young age by her father, Francesco Bianco who recognized her brilliance. Margery was more hesitant, she worried about the stress of international fame could inflict upon her daughter.
"She gave my shoulder a squeeze as she passed by. But I didn't look up. I find every way to avoid it, but the truth will look me right in the face: there is madness in my daughter's eyes." The Velveteen Daughter, pg.5
Pamela began suffering from depression at the beginning, always anxious and afraid she wasn't living up to the expectations of her overbearing father. She pursued an obssessive love affair with a family friend, which never was consummated and went on to be hospitalized several times.
The narrative of THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER tells the complete story, alternating between Margery, Pamela and Francesco. The Biancos traveled in a very glamorous circle in the early 20th century. Margery's niece, Agnes married playwrite, Eugene O'Neill, and the famous art benefactress, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney insisted on bringing Pamela to New York from Europe. Pamela eventually marries, has a son named Lorenzo but suffers heartache her whole life, never really experiencing true love.
While reading THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER, I had this constant feeling of how ironic it was for Margery to write about "what's real" and for her only daughter to live a life of intense real pain and suffering, only to be institutionalized at the time of her death in 1944.
I was left with a sad feeling that Margery and Pamela were never able to honestly communicate. Margery constantly worried about her daughter, but her husband and Pamela's father, Francesco created a barrier between the two women. I wonder what would have happened, had Margery stood up to Francesco and had been the mother Pamela needed.
Author, Laurel Davis Huber's research is extensive and provides a novel, I hope all readers will take the time to immerse themselves in. They won't regret it.
November 1, 2017
I have rarely been so angry with an author/editor combo.
I was looking forward to reading a somewhat fictionalized tale of two really extraordinary people. "The Velveteen Rabbit" has long been my favorite children's book. Pamela Bianco's art has always touched a responsive chord in me. So, to see what could have been a marvelous work butchered by a style of writing that results in a hodge-podge, mish-mash, fetid swamp of non-linear leaping from character to character within non-consecutive, sporadic timelines, and, for some reason, mixing fonts that I can only assume was supposed to be yet another layer in a confused struggle to seem clever... Well, the end result is more disappointing than it's possible to convey. Such amazing subject matter and you have to destroy it with some misguided effort to seem extraordinary yourself? JUST TELL THE STORY. This was completely ruined for me. An editor should have harnessed and redirected it from the start. Needs a total rewrite.
What a mess.
I was looking forward to reading a somewhat fictionalized tale of two really extraordinary people. "The Velveteen Rabbit" has long been my favorite children's book. Pamela Bianco's art has always touched a responsive chord in me. So, to see what could have been a marvelous work butchered by a style of writing that results in a hodge-podge, mish-mash, fetid swamp of non-linear leaping from character to character within non-consecutive, sporadic timelines, and, for some reason, mixing fonts that I can only assume was supposed to be yet another layer in a confused struggle to seem clever... Well, the end result is more disappointing than it's possible to convey. Such amazing subject matter and you have to destroy it with some misguided effort to seem extraordinary yourself? JUST TELL THE STORY. This was completely ruined for me. An editor should have harnessed and redirected it from the start. Needs a total rewrite.
What a mess.
June 5, 2018
Exquisite writing, fascinating story, and an important look at creativity
The Velveteen Daughter is truly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read. The writing is exquisite, the story fascinating on many levels. While most of us remember reading The Velveteen Rabbit, I had no knowledge of its author’s life or the equally, or even more, fascinating life of her daughter, Pamela Bianco. Picasso, Eugene O’Neill and his second wife Agnes, and the author of High Wind in Jamaica make appearances in this novel as well. It’s obvious the author has done very thorough research; what’s skillful is that she has winnowed a wealth of information down into a page-turner. I loved the descriptions of place and the deep psychological understanding of family dynamics. The theme of mental illness and its effect on creativity or genius is a significant one that is handled very, very movingly. Highly recommend!
The Velveteen Daughter is truly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read. The writing is exquisite, the story fascinating on many levels. While most of us remember reading The Velveteen Rabbit, I had no knowledge of its author’s life or the equally, or even more, fascinating life of her daughter, Pamela Bianco. Picasso, Eugene O’Neill and his second wife Agnes, and the author of High Wind in Jamaica make appearances in this novel as well. It’s obvious the author has done very thorough research; what’s skillful is that she has winnowed a wealth of information down into a page-turner. I loved the descriptions of place and the deep psychological understanding of family dynamics. The theme of mental illness and its effect on creativity or genius is a significant one that is handled very, very movingly. Highly recommend!
December 10, 2018
Laurel Davis Huber's debut historical fiction novel investigates Margery Williams Bianco, the author of the world-famous children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit, and her child prodigy artist daughter, Pamela Bianco. Huber gives us us a portrait of two lives, their relationship with each other and the problems they faced, both together and as individual talented women. Read more in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/07/0...
April 5, 2017
Fascinating and sad and good. Full review to come for Shelf Awareness.
January 29, 2021
Laurel Davis Huber's biographical fiction presents the lives of two talented British women: Margery Williams Bianco, the author of The Velveteen Rabbit, and her child prodigy artist daughter, Pamela Bianco, in her debut novel The Velveteen Daughter. The focus of the book is on Pamela Bianco, who at an early age became famous for her paintings, her relationships with her mother, but also with her father, Francesco Bianco, who fervently promoted but his daughter's works of art. The story is is told in alternating chapters by Pamela and Margery, thus giving perspectives of each. Pamela's talents are recognized by the public and her fame becomes international as the family lived in France, Italy and U.S. Author Huber also gives the reader a sense of the artistic society of the time by including the Bianco family's association with famous celebrities who supported this young prodigy - especially her patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. However, Pamela's self doubt, depressive episodes, nervous breakdowns, and hospitalizations when she was a teen and young woman. As an adult, she was no longer thought of as a prodigy and turned to writing and illustrating children's books. Huber has given new life to Pamela and brought her out of obscurity, at least for this reader.
August 3, 2017
4.5 stars. A delightful novel, exquisitely well-written and well-researched, based on the true story of Margery, the author of the beloved children's book "The Velveteen Rabbit", and her daughter Pamela, who was a talented painter and a child prodigy. Told in short chapters alternating between the points of view of the mother and daughter, this novel pulls the reader into the story from the opening pages. The narrative unfolds in a series of flashbacks, a structure that the author skillfully uses to create tension; the reader understands from the opening page that "there is a madness in (Pamela's) eyes", and is compelled to discover what lies behind this, and what will happen to her. As the story unfolds, we see Margery's inability to stand up for her young daughter in the face of her father's unbridled ambition to promote her as a child prodigy on the world stage, Pamela's heartbreak over an unrequited teenage love for an older man, her struggles with severe depression, and her loss of contact with the father of her child. The themes from the Velveteen Rabbit - what it means to be real and to be loved - are woven through this poignant story.
The narrative structure is innovative: ostensibly, from the chapter headings, the bulk of the story unfolds over the course of a single day in 1944. But this is just a framework on which the author creates layers of flashbacks going back over two decades or more, in no particular order. Generally, this works well, but it does lead to some confusion over the chronology at times. Mostly, the reader is happy to led through this dream-like series of memories and revelations.
The narrative structure is innovative: ostensibly, from the chapter headings, the bulk of the story unfolds over the course of a single day in 1944. But this is just a framework on which the author creates layers of flashbacks going back over two decades or more, in no particular order. Generally, this works well, but it does lead to some confusion over the chronology at times. Mostly, the reader is happy to led through this dream-like series of memories and revelations.
February 1, 2024
*3.5 stars
Started at 4 stars but ended up being a 3.5 for me due to the eventual length and monotony of the story. I loved the prose at most points but there were times when I was kind of bored. I also don't know if it is just me, but I was confused about the time period. At several points, it seemed like we were jumping around in time (without labels) and I had to focus really hard to infer where I was within the story.
The author did an impeccable job portraying Pamela's depression, and honestly, I think the times of monotony throughout the story accurately depicted the rut she felt so often. It wasn't the best book I've ever read nor the worst. I recommend it for someone with an interest in art and literature, relationships, and the dynamics of a family experiencing fame, fortune, and depression.
Started at 4 stars but ended up being a 3.5 for me due to the eventual length and monotony of the story. I loved the prose at most points but there were times when I was kind of bored. I also don't know if it is just me, but I was confused about the time period. At several points, it seemed like we were jumping around in time (without labels) and I had to focus really hard to infer where I was within the story.
The author did an impeccable job portraying Pamela's depression, and honestly, I think the times of monotony throughout the story accurately depicted the rut she felt so often. It wasn't the best book I've ever read nor the worst. I recommend it for someone with an interest in art and literature, relationships, and the dynamics of a family experiencing fame, fortune, and depression.
February 11, 2020
I’ve always loved the book “The Velveteen Rabbit.” First of all, I love rabbits. I tend to be sentimental too, so the book’s mix of pathos and rabbits is perfect for me.
“The Velveteen Daughter” is a work of historical fiction. It’s about The Velveteen Rabbit’s author, Margery Williams Bianco, but even more it’s about Margery’s daughter, Pamela.
Margery and her husband Francesco have a son and a daughter. Pamela, the daughter, is an artistic child prodigy. Her father acts as her agent, setting up shows for her works. She gains a lot of fame. But, along with the good is the not-so: Pamela also suffers from mental health issues. I’m guessing that today her illness would be tagged as manic depression or bipolar disorder. “She can still fly high, but it’s the landings I worry about.”
Throughout the book, I found myself empathizing with Margery and her worries for Pamela: “At any rate, I confess that my immediate thought when Pamela talked of her childhood ending was, ‘I’m afraid, my dear, it never really has.’ Now here she is, and not a thing I can do. I hear nothing. the door to her room is shut, there is no sound of movement. She’s utterly quiet, as if she’s not here at all — yet somehow she fills the apartment so that I feel there is no room for me in this place.”
Pamela loves her mother but feels a very strong pull toward her father, which is sad because he suffers from major depression and is very volatile. Margery says, “I may have been her sun and her moon and her stars, but her father was God, and off she would have trotted (after him) ... Patience, watchfulness — and time — seem to do the trick in the end. Francesco’s bouts simmer like a low-grade fever. But it’s not the same with Pamela. Pamela’s attack like the plague.”
We learn a bit about Margery’s writing of The Velveteen Rabbit. It was inspired by her life; but whereas in that book the little boy gets sick and recovers, in real life Margery’s 12-year-old sister Agnes is sick and dies. “My favorite toys are by my side; the skin horse, the jointed wooden dog, and the soft velveteen rabbit that St. Nicholas left in my stocking.”
As a young teen, Pamela develops a crush on family friend Diccon. However, Diccon (who is seven years older) turns elsewhere for romance and this is a severe blow to Pamela. She ends up institutionalized for a while, and this pattern continues throughout her life. She marries twice and has a son, but struggles with mental health. As an adult, her artistic work ebbs and flows. This is another area she struggles in: feeling she has not lived up to her childhood potential. “I yearned just to understand, to be part of the world of men and women together. But I was not one of them, I was pieced together differently, and I never could run with the other rabbits in the meadow.” I liked the allusion here to The Velveteen Rabbit.
The author did a wonderful job taking us into Pamela’s mind and what it must have felt like to be tortured as she was. I struggled a bit with the book’s format, as the chapters alternated between Pamela and Margery, and the time frame kept changing. This changing timeline was difficult to follow, and I would have preferred the story to be told in a more linear fashion.
The author includes a note at the end letting us know which parts of the book were factual and which she embellished. I appreciated knowing that.
I enjoyed “The Velveteen Daughter” and would recommend it. Next time I read The Velveteen Rabbit, I will enjoy knowing a bit more about the woman behind it.
“The Velveteen Daughter” is a work of historical fiction. It’s about The Velveteen Rabbit’s author, Margery Williams Bianco, but even more it’s about Margery’s daughter, Pamela.
Margery and her husband Francesco have a son and a daughter. Pamela, the daughter, is an artistic child prodigy. Her father acts as her agent, setting up shows for her works. She gains a lot of fame. But, along with the good is the not-so: Pamela also suffers from mental health issues. I’m guessing that today her illness would be tagged as manic depression or bipolar disorder. “She can still fly high, but it’s the landings I worry about.”
Throughout the book, I found myself empathizing with Margery and her worries for Pamela: “At any rate, I confess that my immediate thought when Pamela talked of her childhood ending was, ‘I’m afraid, my dear, it never really has.’ Now here she is, and not a thing I can do. I hear nothing. the door to her room is shut, there is no sound of movement. She’s utterly quiet, as if she’s not here at all — yet somehow she fills the apartment so that I feel there is no room for me in this place.”
Pamela loves her mother but feels a very strong pull toward her father, which is sad because he suffers from major depression and is very volatile. Margery says, “I may have been her sun and her moon and her stars, but her father was God, and off she would have trotted (after him) ... Patience, watchfulness — and time — seem to do the trick in the end. Francesco’s bouts simmer like a low-grade fever. But it’s not the same with Pamela. Pamela’s attack like the plague.”
We learn a bit about Margery’s writing of The Velveteen Rabbit. It was inspired by her life; but whereas in that book the little boy gets sick and recovers, in real life Margery’s 12-year-old sister Agnes is sick and dies. “My favorite toys are by my side; the skin horse, the jointed wooden dog, and the soft velveteen rabbit that St. Nicholas left in my stocking.”
As a young teen, Pamela develops a crush on family friend Diccon. However, Diccon (who is seven years older) turns elsewhere for romance and this is a severe blow to Pamela. She ends up institutionalized for a while, and this pattern continues throughout her life. She marries twice and has a son, but struggles with mental health. As an adult, her artistic work ebbs and flows. This is another area she struggles in: feeling she has not lived up to her childhood potential. “I yearned just to understand, to be part of the world of men and women together. But I was not one of them, I was pieced together differently, and I never could run with the other rabbits in the meadow.” I liked the allusion here to The Velveteen Rabbit.
The author did a wonderful job taking us into Pamela’s mind and what it must have felt like to be tortured as she was. I struggled a bit with the book’s format, as the chapters alternated between Pamela and Margery, and the time frame kept changing. This changing timeline was difficult to follow, and I would have preferred the story to be told in a more linear fashion.
The author includes a note at the end letting us know which parts of the book were factual and which she embellished. I appreciated knowing that.
I enjoyed “The Velveteen Daughter” and would recommend it. Next time I read The Velveteen Rabbit, I will enjoy knowing a bit more about the woman behind it.
February 12, 2018
4.5 stars A compelling read, historical non-fiction with characters who made a strong connection with me. Huber's extensive research brings you insight into two extraordinary people: Margery Bianco, mother and author of a generationally renowned children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit and Pamela Bianco, her daughter, a renowned child prodigy who suffered from major depression with seeming psychotic breaks. Each gives us insight into their lives through very different lenses. The saddest aspect is that Pamela suffered from a total lack of self esteem and self worth. She just never developed a sense of self. She was constantly and continually seeking, needing her father's approval. He "drove" her; he was her task master; what she did was never enough; always needed more...............and she broke.
For me, a page turner, as I said I found it a compelling story--one that I would never have known without my dear friend who brought us this book from our library!
For me, a page turner, as I said I found it a compelling story--one that I would never have known without my dear friend who brought us this book from our library!
July 2, 2017
I had the good fortune to be offered a review copy by the Historical Novel Society, and I've filed my review with them, but suffice to say that I loved this book, which lingers with me still a week after I finished reading it, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the literature, art and society of the inter-war years, in the nature and handling of child genius, and in mother-daughter relationships - plus of course anyone who knows and loves the classic children's story, The Velveteen Daughter.
February 5, 2018
I was drawn into this book and the intriguing, bohemian world of Margery and Pamela Bianco from the very first page. The characters are so well-drawn, the writing is lyrical, and the story—the fictionalized account of the author of The Velveteen Rabbit and her prodigy daughter--is captivating. I didn’t want it to end. With appearances from Picasso, Eugene O’Neill and Gertrude Vanderbilt, Laurel Davis Huber does a masterful job of weaving together the narratives of mother and daughter and their fascinating family, transporting the reader back in time.
January 25, 2018
When I read about The Velveteen Daughter, I so wanted to find a copy. When I did, I was so disappointed. The writing style chosen by Huber made the book hard to bear. I struggled through it, hoping to find a redeeming gem, but alas, I found very little. Huber's research has to be commended though. She did excellent work combing archives to discover a little-known story. My only wish is, that she would have developed a better novel.
August 31, 2018
It took me a long time to get through this book. I enjoyed the beginning and end of the book. The middle with the story mainly dealing with Diacon, the story really dragged. The idea of one chapter of Pamela thoughts and one chapter of Margery's was a novel idea and great idea for this book. A great insight to an artist I knew nothing about.
March 28, 2019
I was fascinated to read this biographically driven novel that centers on Pamela Bianco, an artistic child prodigy who began drawing professional-level illustrations by the age of 8, as well as her mother, Margery Williams Bianco, the author of two dozen well-regarded children's books, including the classic "The Velveteen Rabbit."
As is often the case in life, a superabundance of creative talent is often counterbalanced by a lack of emotional stability, which was certainly the case with Pamela Bianco. Anxiety and depression hampered Bianco's life, often for many years at a time. The novel is structured by very short chapters written alternately by Pamela and Margery, showing the reader both views of some of the transformative events in Pamela's life.
The author, Laurel Huber, has done an extraordinary amount of research for this book. Based on archives, letters, newspaper records, and the artistic footprints of both mother and daughter, she brings to life the world of the Biancos, seemingly glamorous (they interacted with Pablo Picasso, Eugene O'Neill, and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney) yet underneath, simmering with worry and stress due to Pamela's increasing instability, and her father's expectation that she continue to produce the kind of art that had rocketed her to fame in her early childhood.
Her father, bookseller Francesco Bianca, had instantly recognized his daughter's remarkable talent
and brought her earliest works (some done at age 6) to a gallery. By the age of 12 Pamela had solo exhibitions in European art galleries. Francesco was clearly a"stage mother," and Margery writes of her misgivings about her husband pushing their daughter into a world she could not possibly be ready for.
At times I felt the story dragged a bit; there was, for me, too much from Pamela about her obsession with love interest Diccon, who later became the successful writer known as Richard Hughes. And given Margery's own prolific publishing credits, I wish there had been more of her thoughts about her work and what it meant to her, especially as a refuge from Pamela's draining emotional problems. Margery also doesn't write as much as I would have wanted about her marriage; clearly, she loved her husband, but there had to have been conflict over his having pushed their daughter so early to be seen as a "professional" and Margery's better sense that a child needed a real childhood.
Still, Huber's achievement is really wonderful, and overall the story moves compellingly. The inclusion of some family photos, reproductions of some of Pamela's work, and careful explanation of what was real and what was fictionalized were important and satisfying additions.
As is often the case in life, a superabundance of creative talent is often counterbalanced by a lack of emotional stability, which was certainly the case with Pamela Bianco. Anxiety and depression hampered Bianco's life, often for many years at a time. The novel is structured by very short chapters written alternately by Pamela and Margery, showing the reader both views of some of the transformative events in Pamela's life.
The author, Laurel Huber, has done an extraordinary amount of research for this book. Based on archives, letters, newspaper records, and the artistic footprints of both mother and daughter, she brings to life the world of the Biancos, seemingly glamorous (they interacted with Pablo Picasso, Eugene O'Neill, and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney) yet underneath, simmering with worry and stress due to Pamela's increasing instability, and her father's expectation that she continue to produce the kind of art that had rocketed her to fame in her early childhood.
Her father, bookseller Francesco Bianca, had instantly recognized his daughter's remarkable talent
and brought her earliest works (some done at age 6) to a gallery. By the age of 12 Pamela had solo exhibitions in European art galleries. Francesco was clearly a"stage mother," and Margery writes of her misgivings about her husband pushing their daughter into a world she could not possibly be ready for.
At times I felt the story dragged a bit; there was, for me, too much from Pamela about her obsession with love interest Diccon, who later became the successful writer known as Richard Hughes. And given Margery's own prolific publishing credits, I wish there had been more of her thoughts about her work and what it meant to her, especially as a refuge from Pamela's draining emotional problems. Margery also doesn't write as much as I would have wanted about her marriage; clearly, she loved her husband, but there had to have been conflict over his having pushed their daughter so early to be seen as a "professional" and Margery's better sense that a child needed a real childhood.
Still, Huber's achievement is really wonderful, and overall the story moves compellingly. The inclusion of some family photos, reproductions of some of Pamela's work, and careful explanation of what was real and what was fictionalized were important and satisfying additions.
February 1, 2019
I found this in the thrift store. I think it's fairly recent, 2017? I had never heard of it - not that I hear about every book that comes out, but this is the type of thing I feel like might have been on my radar. it's a lightly fictionalized story of margery williams, author of the velveteen rabbit, and her daughter pamela bianco, artistic prodigy.
the elements are fairly simple - depressive father who is very invested in his daughter's genius, mother who would rather downplay the prodigy angle and just love her daughter, daughter who grows up desperate to please her father (he's not bad, really, he's not cruel to her or anything) and develops what looks like bipolar disorder, is institutionalized, has bad luck in love, doesn't live up to her potential...the family encounters people like picasso and eugene o'neill.
the perspectives go back and forth between mother and daughter in fairly short bits, illuminating their different perspective on events. you see what each doesn't know about the other. it ranges around in time too. I enjoyed reading it, it's probably really 3 and a half stars. it was well written, skillfully organized, and then also it was worth reading just for the little piece of early to mid 20th century (where the story is concentrated) that you get. at the end the author tells you which bits were true (a lot) and that she is surprised it's not a better known story, that the author of the velveteen rabbit etc. had a famous celebrated daughter. so it fills in just a little piece of a sort of quiet children's book mother-daughter history.
the elements are fairly simple - depressive father who is very invested in his daughter's genius, mother who would rather downplay the prodigy angle and just love her daughter, daughter who grows up desperate to please her father (he's not bad, really, he's not cruel to her or anything) and develops what looks like bipolar disorder, is institutionalized, has bad luck in love, doesn't live up to her potential...the family encounters people like picasso and eugene o'neill.
the perspectives go back and forth between mother and daughter in fairly short bits, illuminating their different perspective on events. you see what each doesn't know about the other. it ranges around in time too. I enjoyed reading it, it's probably really 3 and a half stars. it was well written, skillfully organized, and then also it was worth reading just for the little piece of early to mid 20th century (where the story is concentrated) that you get. at the end the author tells you which bits were true (a lot) and that she is surprised it's not a better known story, that the author of the velveteen rabbit etc. had a famous celebrated daughter. so it fills in just a little piece of a sort of quiet children's book mother-daughter history.
February 2, 2020
Margery Williams Bianco, author of the children's classic THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, was also the mother of Pamela Bianco, a child art prodigy. Laurel Davis Huber's novel THE VELVETEEN DAUGHTER
sensitively tells Pamela's story with both mother and daughter taking alternating viewpoints. Although recognized by the art world while still a child, Pamela was never confident in either her art or her emotions, even being hospitalized for a long time for a mental breakdown when she was only 18. The novel details Pamela's struggle to be strong enough to be an adult, a mother, and a successful artist. As she compares herself to the Velveteen rabbit who wishes to be real, the power of her mother's classic tale takes on more meaning to readers. While the subject of the book was difficult to read, Huber did a wonderful job at making both Margery and Pamela come to life.
sensitively tells Pamela's story with both mother and daughter taking alternating viewpoints. Although recognized by the art world while still a child, Pamela was never confident in either her art or her emotions, even being hospitalized for a long time for a mental breakdown when she was only 18. The novel details Pamela's struggle to be strong enough to be an adult, a mother, and a successful artist. As she compares herself to the Velveteen rabbit who wishes to be real, the power of her mother's classic tale takes on more meaning to readers. While the subject of the book was difficult to read, Huber did a wonderful job at making both Margery and Pamela come to life.
March 7, 2018
(4.5) this was a well written account of the child prodigy artist Pamela Bianco as told in alternating first person narratives between her and her mother, Margery Williams Bianco. It is well documented and delivers an accurate representation of New York's Greenwich Village artist and literary cliques of that time. I thoroughly enjoyed the references to the writers and artists woven throughout the book. The only drawback for me personally was the movement of time within parts of the novel. At times it was difficult to discern what era of her life was being referred to. All in all, a brilliant job shedding light on a complex family.
April 11, 2020
4.5 actually. I read this solely because of the title. The Velveteen Rabbit is my absolute favorite children's' book. This story however, is about Pamela Bianco child art prodigy and daughter of Margery Williams. A really fascinating and unknown account of her life. There are some fictional elements but most of the story is from Real life records of the family. I adored all the history and passages from The Velveteen Rabbit.
December 10, 2017
Outstanding and what a nice surprise. Had no idea what I had selected at the library and did I luck out. A very well written story of the Velveteen Rabbit author Margery Bianco and her life amid a family and daughter in perpetual turmoil. I was surprised that she didn’t mention that Lorenzo/Larry went on to perform in Fiddler, both Broadway and Hollywood and that he and Pamela died just a few months apart. A well researched historical novel.
February 8, 2018
4 1/2 stars. This was a pleasure to read, unfolding in layers often dreamy and poetic, about the lives of Margery Williams Bianco, the author of the Velveteen Rabbit, and Pamela Bianco, her artist daughter. The mother's voice is maternal, the daughter's is sensitive. The author's note shows that she used primary sources and conducted extensive research. Highly recommend.
December 28, 2023
I found this biographical novel quite captivating and accurate. Huber has a way of painting canvases with her words like no author I’ve read. The themes of mental health, love and loss, and motherhood were slowly unfolded in the life story of Pamela Bianco, daughter of the author of “The Velveteen Rabbit.”
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