Sofie & Cecilia

by Katherine Ashenburg

Internationally bestselling nonfiction author Katherine Ashenburg’s debut novel SOFIE & CECILIA, set in the art world of Sweden in the late 19th/early 20th century, a story of life-long female friendship between two women married to famous artists inspired by Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn, revealing the pre-feminist pressures and secrets of marriage, career and family. For readers of Elena Ferrante and Paula McLain, Canadian English rights sold to Lynn Henry of Knopf Canada for New Face of Fiction, Spring 2018, by Samantha Haywood of the Transatlantic Agency.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Marriage, Historical

Unknown Binding

First published March 27, 2018

About the author

Katherine Ashenburg is the prize-winning author of three non-fiction books and hundreds of articles on subjects that range from travel to mourning customs to architecture. She describes herself as a lapsed Dickensian and as someone who has had a different career every decade. Her work life began with a Ph.D. dissertation about Dickens and Christmas, but she quickly left the academic world for successive careers at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio producer; at the Toronto newspaper The Globe and Mail as the arts and books editor; and most recently as a freelance writer, lecturer and teacher.

Her first book, Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario, won the Ontario Historical Society's award for best regional history. Her second book, The Mourner's Dance: What We Do When People Die, was a finalist for two important prizes. Her latest book The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History, is a spirited chronicle of the West's ambivalent relationship with the washed and unwashed body. She's a regular contributor to the Sunday Travel section of The New York Times and she writes a column on design and architecture for Toronto Life magazine.

Reviews

[Brooke — brooklynnnnereads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel as if this book is either going to be a hit or miss for readers. If you are a fan of literary fiction, this may be the read for you; however, for those that enjoy more of a contemporary or modern style of writing, this may be a boring read. As much as I can appreciate literary fiction, it's not my favourite genre so sometimes I can struggle when reading these style of novels.

For the first half of the novel, I have to say the story was fairly slow-paced. I could extend that pacing to the length of the novel but I noticed once I was halfway through, I became more interested in the story and it was less of a task to finish reading.

In all honesty, it's not an exciting novel. It's a novelization on the lives of two women throughout their lifespan (excluding childhood) and how their lives are separate, different, and also how they intersect. It does have important feministic components involving women having a career/passion, motherhood, and relationships. It shows the obvious difference between men and women in that time in history, allowing the reader to compare and contrast similarities and differences to this current age.

Even if I was not a huge fan of the novel as a whole, I did find the characters of both Sofie and Cecilia very interesting. They were both full of depth, strength, and a kind of resilience in the decisions they made regarding their lives.

Overall, if you are a fan of literary fiction that has a slower pace but is more realistic to everyday life, this one may be for you. If you are looking for something with a quicker pace that entertains, I would suggest to pick up a different novel.

***Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for sending me an advanced reader's copy from a giveaway***

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a literary, fictionalized biography. As such it does not have a climax. It is even and true to life throughout. This makes it possibly boring for many people. However, if you understand that the author, Katherine Ashenburg, normally writes non-fiction then you can perhaps come around to the genius of this story.

The Story
As opposed to plot this is more of a character study. Ashenburg bases her main two women (and their husbands) on two women who actually existed. While the names, some of the details and events are fictionalized; the core storyline is based on actual events and people. The story is split into two perspectives Sofie first, and then Cecilia. It's a little tedious at times to experience the same event from both sides; but Ashenburg limits the number of times that happens.

Artistry
This is not a fast-paced story. Instead it's very lyrical and literary. The way the art is described, the people, the situations and the thoughts of our characters are all done with a gorgeous literary style that I admire. Ashenburg did not lightly write this story and while the pacing is a bit slow; the overall artistry of the story matches up well with the main topic of Swedish art.

WWII
This is an odd book that overlaps part of it's timeline with World War II. Odd in that the war is a relatively small factor. Our main characters mostly live in Sweden which is a neutral, unengaged country. It was interesting to me to feel what many in the neutral countries might have felt while the whole world was at war. This was a very different way to see the war for me and I, while it's a small part of the overall story, it made a large impact on me.

Overall
If you are interested in Swedish culture or Swedish art then you are likely to enjoy this book. If you don't mind a character study as opposed to exciting events this this is for you. Sofie & Cecilia is a different type of book but that doesn't make it a poor read. I found it to be an interesting read and would merely want others to be aware of what they are getting into at the forefront.

For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Em Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Why do people grow these cruel things?" she complained.
"For their beauty," Cecilia said.

This was such a wonderful book. It reminded me of Eva Stachniak's THE CHOSEN MAIDEN, which I also loved. Ashenburg expertly weaves a story of love, friendship, yearning, and art in early 20th century Sweden.

No, this is not a high speed plot. But the magic here is in the atmosphere. The first half of the novel is from Sofie's perspective, and everything from her Askebo house to her art projects were vividly conjured. Sofie was far from a perfect character; her passiveness in regards to Nils and her evasiveness were borderline irritating, but weirdly enough, I appreciated it. It make her feel real and added another layer of conflict to the plot.
The second half belonged to Cecilia. The clever part of this structure enabled Ashenburg to show us each woman through another's eyes, so we can unravel some of their POV bias. However, the loop did slow the plot down and make it feel slightly repetitious. I enjoyed Cecilia's portion too, and found her to be an extremely sympathetic character.

Ashenburg's real strength was how she used the lives of these women to explore so many issues. The double standards of men and women was one of the more obvious ones. But she also touched on childlessness, loss, infidelity, sexuality, xenophobia, and nationalism, among others. Nobody was perfect, but nobody was wholly unlikeable. I won't attempt to spell out all the messages and intricate subplots, but trust me: this is one you'll want to read. It was complex, the prose was gorgeous and a great note to end my reading year on.

**I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway**

[Mary Soderstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical novel starts out wonderfully. I've loved Carl Larsson's paintings of his home for decades. At one point we had a fancily framed poster of his depiction of a picnic with a sweet little girl and a dog who wants to sit at the table. It looked mightily like our little girl and our dog, which delighted us. I also like his paintings of the sunny home he and his wife Karen had created together at the turn of the 20th century.

Katherine Ashenburg fictionalizes their couple, focussing on Sofie/Karen. She also brings in another artistic couple Anders and Emma Zorn/Lars and Cecilia Vogt. The first section is the world according to Sofie, and the second, according to Cecilia. We see the dilemmas of creative women during the period, the struggle to make a place for oneself, the ups and downs of marriage to immensely talented and self-important men. Ah, yes, I found myself saying. I see, I see how it was for both of them.

The third section is what happend then with a sortie into the woods where folk art and Nordic roots get mixed up with rising Nazism. It's at this point that the stylistic sparkle disappears. But I must confess I read compulsively to the end, though, then searched the house for what remained of our Carl Larsson art.

[Klimtchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book leapt off the shelf of Daunt books in London and into my arms - irresistible given my dearest friends Sophie and Cecilia. How apt that the story focuses on a unique and important relationship between women and some of the many variations of female love: maternal love, marital love, love of industry, craft, and art, love of beauty. A tale of a unique intellectual friendship constrained by male dominance but enriched by a sumptuous depiction of Swedish art and culture in the early 20th century (with some overlap with the British arts and craft movement). I especially appreciated the descriptions of fabrics, folk costume and fashion.

[JMacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting surprising book! I quite enjoyed this story of two couples - the husband artists and the friendship between their supportive (sublimated) wives. Fascinating details about art, crafts, friendships, Sweden, etc. - very interesting.

[Roanna25 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd finish it mostly because I just couldn't engage with either character. Which did not change but I did manage to finish it

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book as part of a goodreads giveaway. I have been trying to finish this book for sometime. Although parts of it are interesting, it read too much like a nonfiction and I was unable to finish it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 130 pages were a little difficult for me. It was a very slow paced start but the interesting tidbits kept me reading.

You will learn a lot about the art world and how the artist thinks regarding his/her work. Female artists were expected to give up their artistic ambitions when they married and focus on their family and children. They tended to pick up other interests such as knitting, sewing or embroidery. The reason for this becomes clear as you learn about Sofie and Nils, and Cecilia and Lars; and their relationships with their husbands and each other.

The women long for independence and creative fulfillment. They have to deal with their husbands' "artistic egos" and sometimes regret the constraints of marriage and motherhood. Nils seems jealous of this wife's talents, but does not hesitate to ask for Sofie's very wise advice many times.

The best part of the book were the letters. Some were written and actually mailed, while some were written as a release of frustration and were never sent to the addressee. I also enjoyed the talk between Sofie and Cecelia about the books they had read, and it has now made me very eager to obtain the classic books mentioned in the story.

Many thanks to the Goodreads program and Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

[Megan George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more reviews: meganevelyn.com/books

Ashenburg was inspired to write this book after a visit to Sweden where she learned that despite the fact they had the same artistic training, Swedish artist Carl Larsson refused to allow his wife Karin to paint after they were married. This story follows Sofie and Cecilia, both wives of artists who become friends and navigate marriage in a patriarchal society.

This is not a fast paced read and there is no climatic ending; however, it is filled with emotion and thought-provoking scenes. Set in the late 19th century/early 20th century, Sofie and Cecilia both push the boundaries forced upon them by society and their husbands. They discover ways in which they can be creative while staying true to the expectations others had of them. I really enjoyed how they used books to reflect on their lives and began to open up to each other about their struggles and their dreams. Sofie learned to live her best life once she lived alone. Cecilia, on the other hand, learned many new things about herself but was still restricted by societal norms and could not truly be herself in public.

As women, when we get married and have children, the other parts of us are sometimes forgotten or ignored. Although we are wives and mothers, we are still ambitious, creative, driven, and goal-oriented. This novel helped me reflect on how society sees women still, even after 100 years. We have made progress towards a more equal society but we still have a long way to go.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Katherine Ashenburg earlier this Spring at an author event. I had no idea what kind of book this was - even to hear her talk about it. It is a work of literary fiction.

the setting is Sweden in the late 19th century and into the 20th century. Ashenburg has researched 2 well known Swedish artists, Carl Larsson & Anders Zorn and the world of art and every bit of minutia that is part of art. She has weaved a work of fiction around these 2 men from the perspectives of their wives, Sofie and Cecilia, who became close friends.

The women themselves were artists as well, but when they married they were expected to give up their painting and take up embroidery and other such things. It was a man's role to be the painter. The book explores, in detail the way the women responded to their roles, which was very interesting.
The amount of research that had to have gone into writing this book is staggering to me. There is so much discussion of art and styles it bogged me down a bit.

[Kathe]

This is the story of a lifelong friendship between two women artists in Sweden in the early twentieth century. I say “women artists” here because, though both were highly talented and creative artists in their own right, women were expected to jettison their own aspirations to prop up their husbands’ careers. Which both women here did, both husbands acquiring fame and fortune largely through their wives´ handling of domestic details and the financial side of the business.

The members of my book club, the Ruffians, meeting by Zoom (alas) agreed that the book took a while to get going, but became more and more interesting as Sofie and Cecilia’s lives progressed and their friendship deepened (partly through books they shared, notably Mrs. Dalloway). All in all, a worthwhile read that delves into the dynamics of friendship and marriage, how having children (or not) determines a woman’s life course, societal expectations and lives devoted to the pursuit of art and/or financial success. Oh, and I really loved the device of Sofie writing letters that would never be sent.

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read, about two women in the artistic community of Sweden last century, loosely based on real people and events. I read this because my sister bought it at a literary event and loaned it to me. I might not have otherwise read it, and I am glad I did. Although not a fast-paced plot, as the goodreads write-up says, it reveals "the pre-feminist pressures and secrets of marriage, career and family". These two women have a friendship which includes reading and discussing the novels of their time, and how their lives are (or are not) reflected in the lives of the heroines of these novels. For example, when one of the women falls in love with another woman, and has no framework with which to understand this experience. A lovely book that prompts reflections on literature, art, feminism and the lives of women.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and learned much about the life of Swedish artists and their wives during the late 1900s and early 20th century. I plan to look up the works of the real painters who inspired the novel, although I'm glad that the story was about their wives and the women's friendship. The author portrayed the two women in nuanced ways that respected the historical time period.

Perhaps the main thing missing for me was some excitement. I also felt the author was trying for a feminist message, to say things haven't changed significantly for today's women, but I found the characters and story were lodged in the past. This was a good thing, on the whole, but I missed a connection to current life.

[Maggie Broderick · Rating 2 out of 5]

i regret to inform everyone that i have entered a reading slump. this book was on my to-be-read list for over a year and really did not bring the energy that i wanted it to. maybe i'm just reading it at the wrong time, but it was monotonous. it was just a peek into the lives of two women as they become friends and navigate their tricky and bizarre artist husbands. am i too much of a simpleton for wanting more plot? am i too stupid to understand the complexity of their relationship? maybe. but also, it just dragged on for me. the third part of the book was especially laborious. it was well written and they were very interesting women on paper, but it didn't translate (in my humble opinion) to a compelling story. i'm so sorry miz ashenburg.

[Tashfin Awal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways and have chosen to give my honest opinion about it.
Although this genre of novels is not usually my cup of tea, I think I really did enjoy the book. Although there were times where I felt it slowed down too much and missed the intensity that often follows many adventure, action, fantasy, thriller or even drama/contemporary books, I think that the ideas discussed and contrasted within this book were very intriguing and are what urged me to keep reading. That, and the lovely setting and timeline, and the characters were interesting as well.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written novel about the women behind the men, two Swedish artists. The story spans decades, detailing the women's lives as they interacted with each other and documenting their lives with their significant others. The women's relationship was highlighted by their love of reading, and their often conflicting views on the female characters in the novels that they shared with each other.
I loved this novel, however, it was quite slow reading. Although the pace was slow, it was never boring or tedious. So , it requires perseverance and time, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a lovely story.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the sort of book you know whether you are going to like or not when you look at the cover. A fine Victorian/Edwardian (although it takes place in Sweden so I guess it should be considered Oscarian/Gustafian haha) novel of friendship between those who live in the shadows of their husbands. I love a good novel that is unashamedly "loosely based upon" historical events. I find these books to be the most fluid, entertaining, and void of historical stuffiness. Katherine Ashenburg does a fine job at this, weaving together a narrative with maybe a few too many letters... but ultimately making a nice summer read on the deck on a sunny day that is not fluff. I think this might be a good book club book for certain groups who like this era/art history.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with other readers/reviewers, I have to agree, this "Sofie and Cecilia" is a little slow to start. Don't let that be a deterrent to reading this gorgeous book. Ashenburg has fictionalized the lives and wives of two famous Swedish artists working through the late 19th century into the early 20th century, looking not only at their art but also at the work in reviving Swedish folk customs. I found this absolutely intriguing. Aside from that it's a book about relationships: friendships and marriages and how both change over time. If you're looking for something to read this fall, I recommend "Sofie and Cecilia."

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Win Copy

This is a story of two Swedish females whose husband was painters. How they lead different lives but in reality were alike. Their journey along the way in finding themselves and the way they end up epressing their own artistic ways.

We are transported into their world and time in the twenties where war and women roles were beginning to change. Along the way their friendship changes as they grow closer. A moving novel of two strong women who deal with life in their own way.

[Sandra Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sofie and Cecilia is a coming of age novel in the very best sense of the expression. The story is about two women, the wives of celebrated Swedish artists, who need to survive their marriages (both of which were satisfying and distressing) in order to become the women and the artists (of the brush and the pen) they were meant to be. That is an encouraging and rich theme. And speaking of rich, the novel rewards the reader with the pleasures we (or at least I) normally associate with biography and history because it has so many detailed and informative descriptions not only of painting, arts and crafts, but the complexity of womens' domestic lives in the first third of the 20th century.

[Deborah Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, as it covered all my favourite things: information about another country, art, relationships, & history. I too consider myself a artist, and also coming late to full expression of my talent because I was involved with raising a family and working full time, I can relate to Sophie’s life. I also relate to the feeling that as a woman, our lives, our desires and expressions of ourselves as individuals often takes second seat to our husband’s life and the raising of children. I still struggle to have myself defined more as an artistic person, than as a wife and mother.

[Oakland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little apprehensive about this book at the outset because of its somewhat stately pace. But I quickly adjusted and soon found myself enjoying the book thoroughly, particularly its understated sympathy and support for the two women of the title as they sought to square the circle of male oppression in long-ago Sweden. I was certainly impressed by the author's exhaustive research. So much detail might have overwhelmed a lesser novel, but it served only to enrich this one even further, and that's saying a lot. Congratulations!

[Jovana · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 What a beautifully written book from beginning to end. It is so captivating and elegant, and not like any other book I've encountered before. Although the end is quite sad, I can't stress enough how beautifully written this book is, and how much I enjoyed getting to know the characters, all of which are expertly constructed. I also found myself thinking about particular elements of this book, days after I had finished reading it - that's how powerful it is! Highly, highly recommended!

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a goodreads win. I did enjoy this novel but it did take me awhile to get into the story. By the halfway point I was really enjoying learning about the characters and the story was enjoyable. I think I will pass this one onto my Mom as she is an avid reader and I will see if she enjoys it. She seems to enjoy books that I have a bit of a hard time to get into, so I will see what her opinion is.

[Smkelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of the art world in early 20th century told through the lens of two famous Swedish artist's wives. The women had different backgrounds and life experience but as friends they were able to see both sides. It is a fictionalized story of how the Sweden and the rest of the western world evolved through WW1 and to the mid 30's with the rise of fascism and antisemitism. The topic is relevant today with Nationalism on the rise.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost quit on this book but pushed myself to read 100 pages which is my marker for deciding whether a book is worth the investment in time and glad I did. I enjoy a good story with great characters and this book delivered once I got into it. Definitly a slow starter though which was disappointing. I enjoyed the exchange of letter between Sophie and Cecelia most, a shame that the art of letter writing seems to be fading in today's digital world.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the his book. The setting, the characters, and the art world of the early 1900’s.
The friendship between these woman as it grew and changed was wonderful and frustrating at times, but times were so different then and we need to be reminded of that. It opened my eyes to a world I was mostly unfamiliar with, yet am now enamoured with.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender story of two women, their friendship their husbands, lovers , families and a lifelong involvement with art . It is a thoughtful meditation on female friendship, love, marriage, children and art.
Set in Sweden during the early part of the 20th century the story is rich in detail about Swedish life.

[Donna Wellard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely, subtle beauty of a novel! Set in the early 20th century it's about the friendship between the wives of two Swedish painters loosely based on Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn. Filled with lots of things I love such as art, landscape, female friendships and book reviews, I truly enjoyed spending time with these two quietly extraordinary women.