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The Girl in the Painting
Before she goes, there’s something she must do. She fingers the letter in her pocket. She thinks of the painting that was created beside the stream. A painting of a girl, with sadness in her eyes.
Emma’s beloved grandmother, Margaret, is dying, and she has one last wish before she says goodbye. When she gives Emma a mysterious painting and the deeds to a house in India, Emma is shocked. Margaret has rarely spoken of a link to India before – she has been unwilling to ever speak of her past at all.
But now Margaret has a request for her Find Archana. Margaret asks Emma to give Archana the painting and – most important of all – to tell her that she forgives her.
With her grandmother on her deathbed, Emma travels deep into the heart of the Indian hills in search of answers, to a crumbling house overgrown with vines. And when she finds Archana, the secret Margaret has been keeping for over seventy years will finally be revealed – the story of a day spent painting by a stream full of water lilies, where a betrayal tore three lives apart forever…
Discover the secret of the girl in the painting today. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes, Lucinda Riley and The Storyteller’s Secret, Renita D’Silva’s exquisite novel explores the strength it takes to do what is right, no matter the cost.
Emma’s beloved grandmother, Margaret, is dying, and she has one last wish before she says goodbye. When she gives Emma a mysterious painting and the deeds to a house in India, Emma is shocked. Margaret has rarely spoken of a link to India before – she has been unwilling to ever speak of her past at all.
But now Margaret has a request for her Find Archana. Margaret asks Emma to give Archana the painting and – most important of all – to tell her that she forgives her.
With her grandmother on her deathbed, Emma travels deep into the heart of the Indian hills in search of answers, to a crumbling house overgrown with vines. And when she finds Archana, the secret Margaret has been keeping for over seventy years will finally be revealed – the story of a day spent painting by a stream full of water lilies, where a betrayal tore three lives apart forever…
Discover the secret of the girl in the painting today. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes, Lucinda Riley and The Storyteller’s Secret, Renita D’Silva’s exquisite novel explores the strength it takes to do what is right, no matter the cost.
495 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2019
393 people are currently reading
582 people want to read
About the author
Renita D'Silva
20 books410 followersRenita D’Silva loves stories both reading and creating them. Wartime Comes To West India Dock Road, the second book in her historical saga series set on West India Dock Road, is out on July 23, 2025. Her books have been translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in The View from Here, Bartleby Snopes, this zine, Platinum Page, Paragraph Planet, Verve among others, have been nominated for the Pushcart prize, the Best of the Net anthology, shortlisted for the LoveReading Very Short Story award and The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize and longlisted for the BBC National Short Story award. Her short story, Eavesdropping Shamelessly, is published in the Arts Council England funded Bridges Not Borders anthology of prizewinning stories. Her first psychological thriller, The Neighbours, won the Joffe Books Prize 2023. Her second psychological thriller, The Dream Wedding, is out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 15, 2023
This is the second book of Renita D’Silva that I read after ‘Beneath an Indian Sky’ which I really liked. It had strong characters you would remember the book by, and this is true for ‘The Girl in the Painting’ as well. Margaret and Archana will stay with you, well after you have finished reading the book.
The book shuffles between two separate timelines – one in the early 20th century and the other in the early 21st century. Margaret, is old and ill, now in hospice care. She asks her grand-daughter Emma to visit a property she owns in India and meet with Archana. She is to deliver a message to her saying she understands why she did what she did and has forgiven her, and also has regrets for what she did long back as well.
In the early 20th century, Radha and Archana are sisters who grow up in poverty. Their difficulties increase even more when Radha chooses to marry a person of a lower caste, and their father passes away suddenly. Their family is ostracised, and Radha’s choice does not work out either as her husband is completely irresponsible. Archana gets married to a person many years older than her. This is a community where Sati (the practice of a wife ending her life when her husband dies, as part of the funeral pyre) is practiced, and this fear preys on Archana’s mind.
At around the same time in England, Margaret and Winnie lose their family including their sister Evie to a fire. They have to move in with their uncle, aunt and cousins. The story centers around Margaret, and how she tries to move on with life, taking solace in pursuing arts. She falls in love with Suraj who wants to move back to India, as he finds the racism prevalent to be exhausting. In India, Margaret now runs into Archana who is one of her maids. The two of them bond instantly and Archana reminds Margaret of her sister Evie.
The two social ills – casteism/untouchability and Sati find key mentions but feel forced fitted into the story. The untouchability and Radha’s life have no background feeding to it and is also largely left off after the initial focus (and Sati which is surmised to have started during invasions of the country, was not prominent during the early 20th century, and was probably never a widespread practice). Some elements of how the story is told is most likely to give readers who do not have a cultural familiarity, a very incomplete & incorrect picture.
In stories with a background like this, the impact would have been stronger if the experiences of the characters lead to their evolving development & growth, that of the community, and as a result this would have made the story grow too. However, much of that reflection is left entirely to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for a free ecopy for providing an honest review.
The book shuffles between two separate timelines – one in the early 20th century and the other in the early 21st century. Margaret, is old and ill, now in hospice care. She asks her grand-daughter Emma to visit a property she owns in India and meet with Archana. She is to deliver a message to her saying she understands why she did what she did and has forgiven her, and also has regrets for what she did long back as well.
In the early 20th century, Radha and Archana are sisters who grow up in poverty. Their difficulties increase even more when Radha chooses to marry a person of a lower caste, and their father passes away suddenly. Their family is ostracised, and Radha’s choice does not work out either as her husband is completely irresponsible. Archana gets married to a person many years older than her. This is a community where Sati (the practice of a wife ending her life when her husband dies, as part of the funeral pyre) is practiced, and this fear preys on Archana’s mind.
At around the same time in England, Margaret and Winnie lose their family including their sister Evie to a fire. They have to move in with their uncle, aunt and cousins. The story centers around Margaret, and how she tries to move on with life, taking solace in pursuing arts. She falls in love with Suraj who wants to move back to India, as he finds the racism prevalent to be exhausting. In India, Margaret now runs into Archana who is one of her maids. The two of them bond instantly and Archana reminds Margaret of her sister Evie.
The two social ills – casteism/untouchability and Sati find key mentions but feel forced fitted into the story. The untouchability and Radha’s life have no background feeding to it and is also largely left off after the initial focus (and Sati which is surmised to have started during invasions of the country, was not prominent during the early 20th century, and was probably never a widespread practice). Some elements of how the story is told is most likely to give readers who do not have a cultural familiarity, a very incomplete & incorrect picture.
In stories with a background like this, the impact would have been stronger if the experiences of the characters lead to their evolving development & growth, that of the community, and as a result this would have made the story grow too. However, much of that reflection is left entirely to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for a free ecopy for providing an honest review.
April 7, 2019
Guilt becomes a lifelong companion if you allow it to stay and unpack its bags.
Renita D'Silva creates a multi-tiered story that shifts from the years beginning in 1913 to 1926. It gently finds its way to 2000 in a hospice care room just outside of London. All roads, in this case, lead to India with an eventual headwind leading home to England.
I must admit as I entered into the initial stages of this novel that the storyline seemed to be simplistic and more geared to Young Adult. But there was a draw here in regard to Margaret, the main character. As I turned pages, I felt the depth settle in.
Margaret was the youngest of three daughters living on an estate outside of London. Her father was serving in WW I and was determined to be missing in action. When a fire breaks out and tragedy visits this family, there is no other recourse but to send Margaret and her sister to live on her aunt and uncle's farm. Margaret feels deep remorse from not being able to protect her family. It is this heavy sense of loss and guilt that will become a second layer of skin for Margaret and will follow in her footsteps for much of her life.
D'Silva parallels her story now in 1915 in India. Radha and Archana live with their parents in a small village. Radha's life will be designed by her parents who are preparing an arranged marriage for her. Archana, born with a leg impediment, is constantly reminded that plans for her will be set to the side. But Fate has a way of stepping in unnoticed until it rears its head with harsh, penetrating eyes. Radha will be banished from her village. And more shocking developments are on their way.
The story pivots to 2000 and we will meet Emma, Margaret's granddaughter. Emma is caught up in a moral dilemma in regard to her own daughter's father. Margaret asks Emma to deliver a letter to someone in India from Margaret's past. Once she arrives there, Emma will see Margaret in a whole different light. A revelation comes to pass much like the shifting movement of a silken sari.
The Girl in the Painting reminds us just how treacherous our life journey can be. We are at the mercy of our own misguided mistakes and decisions and we bear the scars thrust upon us as we are caught in the receiving end of others' life choices and demands. One chess piece moved in error can forfeit the entire game. And Renita D'Silva shines a light on exactly that.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank Bookouture and Renita D'Silva for the opportunity.
Renita D'Silva creates a multi-tiered story that shifts from the years beginning in 1913 to 1926. It gently finds its way to 2000 in a hospice care room just outside of London. All roads, in this case, lead to India with an eventual headwind leading home to England.
I must admit as I entered into the initial stages of this novel that the storyline seemed to be simplistic and more geared to Young Adult. But there was a draw here in regard to Margaret, the main character. As I turned pages, I felt the depth settle in.
Margaret was the youngest of three daughters living on an estate outside of London. Her father was serving in WW I and was determined to be missing in action. When a fire breaks out and tragedy visits this family, there is no other recourse but to send Margaret and her sister to live on her aunt and uncle's farm. Margaret feels deep remorse from not being able to protect her family. It is this heavy sense of loss and guilt that will become a second layer of skin for Margaret and will follow in her footsteps for much of her life.
D'Silva parallels her story now in 1915 in India. Radha and Archana live with their parents in a small village. Radha's life will be designed by her parents who are preparing an arranged marriage for her. Archana, born with a leg impediment, is constantly reminded that plans for her will be set to the side. But Fate has a way of stepping in unnoticed until it rears its head with harsh, penetrating eyes. Radha will be banished from her village. And more shocking developments are on their way.
The story pivots to 2000 and we will meet Emma, Margaret's granddaughter. Emma is caught up in a moral dilemma in regard to her own daughter's father. Margaret asks Emma to deliver a letter to someone in India from Margaret's past. Once she arrives there, Emma will see Margaret in a whole different light. A revelation comes to pass much like the shifting movement of a silken sari.
The Girl in the Painting reminds us just how treacherous our life journey can be. We are at the mercy of our own misguided mistakes and decisions and we bear the scars thrust upon us as we are caught in the receiving end of others' life choices and demands. One chess piece moved in error can forfeit the entire game. And Renita D'Silva shines a light on exactly that.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank Bookouture and Renita D'Silva for the opportunity.
March 30, 2019
The Girl in the Painting is another wonderfully written book by one of my favourite authors. Her stories and the characters within them always touch my heart.
This is an emotional tale of love, friendship, motherhood, rejection, loneliness, sacrifice and betrayal.
I really connected with a couple of the characters. I’m going through a transitional stage in my own life, where I’m rediscovering my sense of self and the parts of me I’ve had to sacrifice for many years. Because of this I felt deep emotion and empathy towards some of the things these women had to go through.
I’ve never heard of ‘sati’ before, but it shocked me that women were expected to take their own lives at their husband’s funeral. Just the thought of it sickened me. I bet a woman didn’t come up with that idea, and I’m assuming men weren’t expected to kill themselves if their wives died before them. Absolutely horrific!
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys emotional stories and characters with depth.
My favourite quotes:
She thinks of the painting that was created beside the stream, swollen water glimmering starburst silver, the opposite bank dotted with saris singing in kaleidoscope colour as they dried on rocks, the spiced grit taste of humid heat, cinnamon tea and companionship. The painting of a girl, stark sadness in her eyes.
The sun peeps over the horizon, its perfect golden reflection on the glass of the water, the sky a kaleidoscope of pinks and reds, setting the clouds on fire, more beautiful than anything an artist could conjure, his arm on her shoulder, her body against his. They are quiet, but it is as if they have spoken volumes. The silence between them charged with unspoken assurances, a conversation conducted without words.
Darkness, intense black easing as a new day stains the sky pink and cream. The sun, a mellow turmeric ball, appearing in a soft golden haze.
This is an emotional tale of love, friendship, motherhood, rejection, loneliness, sacrifice and betrayal.
I really connected with a couple of the characters. I’m going through a transitional stage in my own life, where I’m rediscovering my sense of self and the parts of me I’ve had to sacrifice for many years. Because of this I felt deep emotion and empathy towards some of the things these women had to go through.
I’ve never heard of ‘sati’ before, but it shocked me that women were expected to take their own lives at their husband’s funeral. Just the thought of it sickened me. I bet a woman didn’t come up with that idea, and I’m assuming men weren’t expected to kill themselves if their wives died before them. Absolutely horrific!
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys emotional stories and characters with depth.
My favourite quotes:
She thinks of the painting that was created beside the stream, swollen water glimmering starburst silver, the opposite bank dotted with saris singing in kaleidoscope colour as they dried on rocks, the spiced grit taste of humid heat, cinnamon tea and companionship. The painting of a girl, stark sadness in her eyes.
The sun peeps over the horizon, its perfect golden reflection on the glass of the water, the sky a kaleidoscope of pinks and reds, setting the clouds on fire, more beautiful than anything an artist could conjure, his arm on her shoulder, her body against his. They are quiet, but it is as if they have spoken volumes. The silence between them charged with unspoken assurances, a conversation conducted without words.
Darkness, intense black easing as a new day stains the sky pink and cream. The sun, a mellow turmeric ball, appearing in a soft golden haze.
March 8, 2019
I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this book and it is no secret that I badger this author mercilessly to find out when her next book is due. This lady constantly transports me to a place where I can see, hear, smell, almost touch the world she has created. I tried desperately to make this book last but the story of Margaret and Archana simply swept me away until I had no choice but to stay with them until the end. As ever the writing is evocative, placing me at the very heart of an Indian village amongst the villagers and their customs. Invariably I learn something from these fabulous books and in this one the subject of Sati was explored, the practice of a wife sacrificing herself on her dead husband's funeral pyre. As ever, the minute I finish one of Renita's books I want to go back and start it all over again. Highly recommended and waiting for the next.
April 10, 2019
With David’s betrayal biting at her heart, Emma’s visit to her grandmother was meant to be. With it, and from her grandmother, the deeds to a house in India and a special request for Emma to find a woman from her grandmother’s past – Archana – and a message to pass on to her.
Emma and her six-year-old daughter Chloe arrived in India, excited and awed by the sights and sounds surrounding them. And their arrival at the majestic but dilapidated old home, with the aged servants who had served and knew Emma’s grandmother a boon. Emma had a lot to discover, and a quest to fulfil.
In the 1920s, tradition was strong in Archana’s village, and when her sister defied her parents she was sent from their home, banned from returning. Meanwhile, Archana and her mother were ostracized because of that one error of judgement – until strangers arrived at her door. Her arrival home from school that day changed her life forever. It wasn’t something she wanted, but she knew it was her duty to do what was required.
Margaret’s young life had been one heartbreak after another, but when she received an art scholarship to attend university, she was nervous but excited. Her dream was to paint, to create with her drawings. Little did she know how good she was; how accepted and adored she would be. And how her life would change.
The Girl in the Painting by Renita D’Silva is my first by this author and won’t be my last. Heartbreaking, poignant, tender, harsh – a wonderful rendition of life in the 1920s which culminated in the search for answers in 2000. The horrors of Hindu tradition back then along with the honour bound duty to follow what must be done shocked me. I hadn’t heard of it before. For fans of historical fiction, this is one I recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Emma and her six-year-old daughter Chloe arrived in India, excited and awed by the sights and sounds surrounding them. And their arrival at the majestic but dilapidated old home, with the aged servants who had served and knew Emma’s grandmother a boon. Emma had a lot to discover, and a quest to fulfil.
In the 1920s, tradition was strong in Archana’s village, and when her sister defied her parents she was sent from their home, banned from returning. Meanwhile, Archana and her mother were ostracized because of that one error of judgement – until strangers arrived at her door. Her arrival home from school that day changed her life forever. It wasn’t something she wanted, but she knew it was her duty to do what was required.
Margaret’s young life had been one heartbreak after another, but when she received an art scholarship to attend university, she was nervous but excited. Her dream was to paint, to create with her drawings. Little did she know how good she was; how accepted and adored she would be. And how her life would change.
The Girl in the Painting by Renita D’Silva is my first by this author and won’t be my last. Heartbreaking, poignant, tender, harsh – a wonderful rendition of life in the 1920s which culminated in the search for answers in 2000. The horrors of Hindu tradition back then along with the honour bound duty to follow what must be done shocked me. I hadn’t heard of it before. For fans of historical fiction, this is one I recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Renita D'Silva for giving me the chance to read: The Girl In The Painting and I really enjoyed reading this book.
Margaret grew up England before WW I, she lives with her parents and her sisters in a wealthy upper class home.
Just before the start of WW I Margaret's life starts to fall apart, her baby brother George is stillborn, her mother is consumed by grief and she struggles to cope with her loss.
WW I starts and Margaret's father joins up, a silly decision and her mothers mental health declines.
Despite being warned it's not safe to stay in the family home, it's a huge target, Margaret's mother decides to stay and its a mistake. One night the family home is destroyed by an air strike and burns to the ground. Margaret's mother and younger sister Evie die in the fire.
Margaret, and her sister Winnie are sent to live at their Aunties farm, they find the farm a shock after living in their genteel home. They find out that their father has also died in the war and they don't feel welcome at their Uncle George's farm. They are made to feel like a huge burden and their Aunt Helen tries her best to make them feel wanted.
Winnie and Margaret are invited to the village dance and Winnie meets the Baron Andrew Cohen, They fall in love and marry. Winnie is so happy in her new life as a Baroness she is content being a wife and mother.
Margaret decides to take the chance she is given and leaves the farm to study art at Kings College in London as she is a talented painter, she starts to paint to cope with her grief of losing her family and she's given a scholarship. At a party she meets Suraj, an Indian man who's studying law in England and due to his heritage is snubbed by most English people and he's very lonely.
They fall in love, Margaret and Suraj marry and soon leave England for India.
Margaret loves India, Suraj's parents are not happy with his choice of wife and they refuse to meet his new bride. Sadly before he can repair his relationship with his parents die in a car accident and he has to move back to his family home to sort out his parents affairs and Margaret's world is changed yet again.
Here she meets and makes friends with her Indian maid Archana, who reminds her of her young sister Evie..Margaret is shocked not only by the poverty in India, but also the caste system and the practice of sati.
This is when a man dies he is cremated and his wife sacrifices herself as well, she is put alive on her husbands funeral pyre and they burn and go to heaven together.
When Archana's older husband dies, Margaret goes against the advice of her husband and saves Archana from her from sati but saving her brings with it huge consequences for both of them.
Her decision changes her life, her husbands and Archana's forever.
Years later Margaret sends her grand daughter Emma to India to deliver a message to Archana and also a painting. Emma discovers her grandmothers secrets, why Margaret wants to apologize to Archana and discovers Suraj has left his crumbling mansion in the Indian countryside to Margaret and as he never got over losing the love of his life.
The Girl In The Painting is a brilliant book, it's a story with many layers, details, customs, secrets and tragedy. All tied together to create a very compelling and interesting story. I really liked The Girl In The Painting , I gave it 4 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Kobo, Australian Amazon and my blog. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Merged review:
Thank you NetGalley and Renita D'Silva for giving me the chance to read: The Girl In The Painting.
Margaret grows up England before WW I, she lives with her parents and her sisters in a upper class home.Just prior to the start of WW I, Margaret's life starts to fall apart, her baby brother George is stillborn, her mother is consumed by grief and she struggles to carry on. Her father decides to join the army, a sudden decision and once that causes her mothers mental health decline even further.
Despite being warned it's not safe to stay in the family home, it's a huge target, she decides not to move to safe place in the country with her sister Helen and her husband George.
One night the family home is destroyed by an air strike and burns to the ground. Margaret's mother and younger sister Evie die in the fire. Margaret, and her sister Winnie are sent to live on their Aunties farm and they find the farm a shock after living in their genteel home. They receive more bad new, their father has been killed in the war and they don't feel welcome living at their Uncle George's farm. They are made to feel like a huge burden and their Aunt Helen tries her best to make them feel wanted.
Winnie and Margaret are invited to the village dance and Winnie meets the Baron Andrew Cohen, They fall in love and marry. Winnie is so happy in her new life as a Baroness she is content being a wife and mother. Margaret decides to take the chance she's given and leaves the farm to study art at Kings College in London. Margaret's a talented painter, she starts to paint to cope with her grief of losing her family and she's given a scholarship. At a party she meets Suraj, an Indian man who's studying law in England and due to his heritage he's snubbed by most people and he's very lonely.
They fall in love, Margaret and Suraj marry and quickly leave England for India.
Margaret loves India, Suraj's parents are unhappy with his choice of wife and they refuse to meet her. Sadly before he can repair his relationship with his parents are killed in a car accident, he and his new bride move back to his family home to sort out his parents affairs. Here she meets and makes friends with her Indian maid Archana, who reminds her of her young sister Evie. Margaret's shocked not only by the poverty in India, but also the caste system and the practice of Sati? When a man dies he's cremated and his wife sacrifices herself as well, she is put alive on her husbands funeral pyre and they burn and go to heaven together.
When Archana's older husband dies, Margaret goes against the advice of her husband and saves Archana from her from Sati but saving her brings with it huge consequences for both of them. Her decision changes her life, her husbands and Archana's forever.
Years later Margaret sends her grand daughter Emma to India to deliver a message to Archana and also a painting. Emma discovers her grandmothers secrets, why Margaret wants to apologize to Archana and discovers Suraj has left his crumbling mansion in the Indian countryside to Margaret and how he never got over losing his wife.
The Girl In The Painting is a brilliant book, it's a story about love, honor, customs, secrets and tragedy. All tied together to create a very compelling and interesting story.
Margaret grew up England before WW I, she lives with her parents and her sisters in a wealthy upper class home.
Just before the start of WW I Margaret's life starts to fall apart, her baby brother George is stillborn, her mother is consumed by grief and she struggles to cope with her loss.
WW I starts and Margaret's father joins up, a silly decision and her mothers mental health declines.
Despite being warned it's not safe to stay in the family home, it's a huge target, Margaret's mother decides to stay and its a mistake. One night the family home is destroyed by an air strike and burns to the ground. Margaret's mother and younger sister Evie die in the fire.
Margaret, and her sister Winnie are sent to live at their Aunties farm, they find the farm a shock after living in their genteel home. They find out that their father has also died in the war and they don't feel welcome at their Uncle George's farm. They are made to feel like a huge burden and their Aunt Helen tries her best to make them feel wanted.
Winnie and Margaret are invited to the village dance and Winnie meets the Baron Andrew Cohen, They fall in love and marry. Winnie is so happy in her new life as a Baroness she is content being a wife and mother.
Margaret decides to take the chance she is given and leaves the farm to study art at Kings College in London as she is a talented painter, she starts to paint to cope with her grief of losing her family and she's given a scholarship. At a party she meets Suraj, an Indian man who's studying law in England and due to his heritage is snubbed by most English people and he's very lonely.
They fall in love, Margaret and Suraj marry and soon leave England for India.
Margaret loves India, Suraj's parents are not happy with his choice of wife and they refuse to meet his new bride. Sadly before he can repair his relationship with his parents die in a car accident and he has to move back to his family home to sort out his parents affairs and Margaret's world is changed yet again.
Here she meets and makes friends with her Indian maid Archana, who reminds her of her young sister Evie..Margaret is shocked not only by the poverty in India, but also the caste system and the practice of sati.
This is when a man dies he is cremated and his wife sacrifices herself as well, she is put alive on her husbands funeral pyre and they burn and go to heaven together.
When Archana's older husband dies, Margaret goes against the advice of her husband and saves Archana from her from sati but saving her brings with it huge consequences for both of them.
Her decision changes her life, her husbands and Archana's forever.
Years later Margaret sends her grand daughter Emma to India to deliver a message to Archana and also a painting. Emma discovers her grandmothers secrets, why Margaret wants to apologize to Archana and discovers Suraj has left his crumbling mansion in the Indian countryside to Margaret and as he never got over losing the love of his life.
The Girl In The Painting is a brilliant book, it's a story with many layers, details, customs, secrets and tragedy. All tied together to create a very compelling and interesting story. I really liked The Girl In The Painting , I gave it 4 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Kobo, Australian Amazon and my blog. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Merged review:
Thank you NetGalley and Renita D'Silva for giving me the chance to read: The Girl In The Painting.
Margaret grows up England before WW I, she lives with her parents and her sisters in a upper class home.Just prior to the start of WW I, Margaret's life starts to fall apart, her baby brother George is stillborn, her mother is consumed by grief and she struggles to carry on. Her father decides to join the army, a sudden decision and once that causes her mothers mental health decline even further.
Despite being warned it's not safe to stay in the family home, it's a huge target, she decides not to move to safe place in the country with her sister Helen and her husband George.
One night the family home is destroyed by an air strike and burns to the ground. Margaret's mother and younger sister Evie die in the fire. Margaret, and her sister Winnie are sent to live on their Aunties farm and they find the farm a shock after living in their genteel home. They receive more bad new, their father has been killed in the war and they don't feel welcome living at their Uncle George's farm. They are made to feel like a huge burden and their Aunt Helen tries her best to make them feel wanted.
Winnie and Margaret are invited to the village dance and Winnie meets the Baron Andrew Cohen, They fall in love and marry. Winnie is so happy in her new life as a Baroness she is content being a wife and mother. Margaret decides to take the chance she's given and leaves the farm to study art at Kings College in London. Margaret's a talented painter, she starts to paint to cope with her grief of losing her family and she's given a scholarship. At a party she meets Suraj, an Indian man who's studying law in England and due to his heritage he's snubbed by most people and he's very lonely.
They fall in love, Margaret and Suraj marry and quickly leave England for India.
Margaret loves India, Suraj's parents are unhappy with his choice of wife and they refuse to meet her. Sadly before he can repair his relationship with his parents are killed in a car accident, he and his new bride move back to his family home to sort out his parents affairs. Here she meets and makes friends with her Indian maid Archana, who reminds her of her young sister Evie. Margaret's shocked not only by the poverty in India, but also the caste system and the practice of Sati? When a man dies he's cremated and his wife sacrifices herself as well, she is put alive on her husbands funeral pyre and they burn and go to heaven together.
When Archana's older husband dies, Margaret goes against the advice of her husband and saves Archana from her from Sati but saving her brings with it huge consequences for both of them. Her decision changes her life, her husbands and Archana's forever.
Years later Margaret sends her grand daughter Emma to India to deliver a message to Archana and also a painting. Emma discovers her grandmothers secrets, why Margaret wants to apologize to Archana and discovers Suraj has left his crumbling mansion in the Indian countryside to Margaret and how he never got over losing his wife.
The Girl In The Painting is a brilliant book, it's a story about love, honor, customs, secrets and tragedy. All tied together to create a very compelling and interesting story.
April 5, 2019
BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND EMOTIONALLY GRIPPING
This was one of those books that I didn't have the biggest expectations for but that just took my breath away!
Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐
Blurp
Emma knows that her grandmother, Margaret, let an adventurous life when she was a yong woman - a painter, member of the Bloomsbury group, traveller and philantropist. However, it isn't until Margaret asks Emma for a favour that she truly realises just who her grandmother actually. In her bedroom, Margaret has a painting that she herself painted of a women with the saddest eyes. Now Margaret wants Emma to find this woman, Achana, in India and deliver her a message. What Emma finds there changes not just her own life, but that of the two estranged women as well.
THE GOOD STUFF
The writing: I don't usually get all that worked up about writing (unless it is really bad!). But here, there was just something so warm and colourful about the writing, it made the book so inviting and beautiful. I could almost trick myself into believing that I was actually in India.
Indian culture: One of my favourite things about reading is that I can immerse myself in time periods and cultures that I don't know anything about. Therefore I was a massive fan of the insight into Indian history and culture, that this book provided me with. I was especially enthralled with the notion of sati (i.e. when a widow is placed alongside her dead husband's funeral pyre to die with him), which was such a gripping and big part of the story. It was not the practice, however, that interested me (though it was interesting in itself, that this was actually something that people did and believed in), but more the sort of brainwashing that led up to it, how these women are guiltet and guiled into believing that this is something they crave for themselves.
Margaret and Archana: The two MCs were amazing, wonderful and inspirings women in each their own way, but in one way in particuar they were so similar. They both dreamt of being able to make their own decisions and to take control over their own lives. But while that is what they both dream of, that is the core of who they both are, their upbringing and their circumstances are so vastly different, that they become totally different people. That was truly beautiful and a wonderful example of how much culture affect us.
The ending: While the ending might, to a certain degree, be a bit predictable, is was truly beautiful and I will gladly admit, that I shed a little tear. I would not have had it any other way.
THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF
Emma's parts: Emma was a character that was a little hard to care about simply because her parts (though there were quite few of them) were so repetitive. It felt as if the parts just repeated themselves, and that got a little boring.
Slow beginning: The book is narrated in the 3rd person from the view of the three main women, Margaret, Archana and Emma. Already from the prologue you know, that their stories are going to meet up. However, you have to go through more than half the book before that happens. It was a little annoying, because I knew it was going to happen, so I was just waiting for it. But once it happened, it was amazing!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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"Through our history, we make sense of who we are"
This was one of those books that I didn't have the biggest expectations for but that just took my breath away!
Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐
Blurp
Emma knows that her grandmother, Margaret, let an adventurous life when she was a yong woman - a painter, member of the Bloomsbury group, traveller and philantropist. However, it isn't until Margaret asks Emma for a favour that she truly realises just who her grandmother actually. In her bedroom, Margaret has a painting that she herself painted of a women with the saddest eyes. Now Margaret wants Emma to find this woman, Achana, in India and deliver her a message. What Emma finds there changes not just her own life, but that of the two estranged women as well.
THE GOOD STUFF
The writing: I don't usually get all that worked up about writing (unless it is really bad!). But here, there was just something so warm and colourful about the writing, it made the book so inviting and beautiful. I could almost trick myself into believing that I was actually in India.
"Her laughter is fake, a glassy tinkle tinged with mania"
Indian culture: One of my favourite things about reading is that I can immerse myself in time periods and cultures that I don't know anything about. Therefore I was a massive fan of the insight into Indian history and culture, that this book provided me with. I was especially enthralled with the notion of sati (i.e. when a widow is placed alongside her dead husband's funeral pyre to die with him), which was such a gripping and big part of the story. It was not the practice, however, that interested me (though it was interesting in itself, that this was actually something that people did and believed in), but more the sort of brainwashing that led up to it, how these women are guiltet and guiled into believing that this is something they crave for themselves.
"[...]they all hold each other, a family again, fractured by loss but, for the moment, together, bound by love, courage and war."
Margaret and Archana: The two MCs were amazing, wonderful and inspirings women in each their own way, but in one way in particuar they were so similar. They both dreamt of being able to make their own decisions and to take control over their own lives. But while that is what they both dream of, that is the core of who they both are, their upbringing and their circumstances are so vastly different, that they become totally different people. That was truly beautiful and a wonderful example of how much culture affect us.
The ending: While the ending might, to a certain degree, be a bit predictable, is was truly beautiful and I will gladly admit, that I shed a little tear. I would not have had it any other way.
THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF
Emma's parts: Emma was a character that was a little hard to care about simply because her parts (though there were quite few of them) were so repetitive. It felt as if the parts just repeated themselves, and that got a little boring.
Slow beginning: The book is narrated in the 3rd person from the view of the three main women, Margaret, Archana and Emma. Already from the prologue you know, that their stories are going to meet up. However, you have to go through more than half the book before that happens. It was a little annoying, because I knew it was going to happen, so I was just waiting for it. But once it happened, it was amazing!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
April 29, 2019
Quite possibly one of the best historical books I've read so far this year!
I LOVED this book. It was so hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading it til the end but yet I didn't want the end to come. You spend so much time with these characters they feel like family. You know their thoughts before they think them.
Starting out in early twentieth century London and India to 2000. So it is a bit of a time travel but most of the book is spent in the past. My heart is hurting for these characters . The ultimate betrayal changes more lives than two. Heartbreaking for sure but this book was so fascinating.
Emma must go to India for her grandmother, Margaret who moved there from London during the early 1900's to marry the Indian man she met in London. Going to India was a huge culture change for Margaret. I could very easily picture myself in India from the descriptions, the food,homes,the overwhelming poverty and the absolute dislike of the white woman marrying the Indian man especially since his parents arranged for him to be married to another Indian woman and he goes against it to pick his own bride that is not one of their own.
There is much celebration when she falls pregnant and her husband is so looking forward to their child. In India, Archana plays a huge role in Margaret's life and she has her own story as well that intertwines greatly with Margaret's. Such tragedy and sadness in both of their lives but yet hope,forgiveness and redemption in this book. This book reads like one of those fabulous miniseries, after all it is 498 pages so it has a lot of material to cover. So many emotions at work here. You'll run through all of them with this book so do have the tissues ready.
This is my first read by this author and I already can't wait to dive into another by her.
Publication Date: April 11, 2019.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
I LOVED this book. It was so hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading it til the end but yet I didn't want the end to come. You spend so much time with these characters they feel like family. You know their thoughts before they think them.
Starting out in early twentieth century London and India to 2000. So it is a bit of a time travel but most of the book is spent in the past. My heart is hurting for these characters . The ultimate betrayal changes more lives than two. Heartbreaking for sure but this book was so fascinating.
Emma must go to India for her grandmother, Margaret who moved there from London during the early 1900's to marry the Indian man she met in London. Going to India was a huge culture change for Margaret. I could very easily picture myself in India from the descriptions, the food,homes,the overwhelming poverty and the absolute dislike of the white woman marrying the Indian man especially since his parents arranged for him to be married to another Indian woman and he goes against it to pick his own bride that is not one of their own.
There is much celebration when she falls pregnant and her husband is so looking forward to their child. In India, Archana plays a huge role in Margaret's life and she has her own story as well that intertwines greatly with Margaret's. Such tragedy and sadness in both of their lives but yet hope,forgiveness and redemption in this book. This book reads like one of those fabulous miniseries, after all it is 498 pages so it has a lot of material to cover. So many emotions at work here. You'll run through all of them with this book so do have the tissues ready.
This is my first read by this author and I already can't wait to dive into another by her.
Publication Date: April 11, 2019.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 14, 2019
..."true mettle is doing what is right despite the circumstances...It is being true to oneself, one's principles."
Emma, betrayed by her partner (David) takes their daughter, Chloe, to India at the behest of her dying grandmother. Emma has been tasked with a mission, to find a woman named Archana, and to give her a painting along with a request for forgiveness. Emma knows very little about her grandmother's former life in India as a young English bride married to an Indian lawyer -- only that something had happened and that her grandmother, Margaret, returned home to England alone.
Margaret Thronber was born and raised in England and in 1913 her world came crashing down with the war. She finds a way to nurture her artistic talent at University where she meets and falls for the enigmatic and mysterious Suraj. Her experiences with him allow her to feel known and give her a sense of belonging she has lost. Can she do the unthinkable and marry him, go to India and create a life for herself after all?
Told in alternating points of view and flipping back and forth in time, this beautiful story examines the emotions of guilt, anger ambition, grief and unbelonging. It challenges our personal beliefs in notions such as the bonds of duty and obedience to our family and our culture. As Emma, Margaret and Archana reveal their heartaches, we also must see them tackle the biggest hurdle of all -- forgiveness.
I really enjoyed this novel and could almost picture myself in every scene as the characters come to life on the pages. Beautifully written it will tug at the heart and give much for thought. I really do love the setting of India and learning about the country and culture. The concept of sati was hard to swallow, being the feminist I am. I think it would make a great book club selection as there is so much to discuss.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
Emma, betrayed by her partner (David) takes their daughter, Chloe, to India at the behest of her dying grandmother. Emma has been tasked with a mission, to find a woman named Archana, and to give her a painting along with a request for forgiveness. Emma knows very little about her grandmother's former life in India as a young English bride married to an Indian lawyer -- only that something had happened and that her grandmother, Margaret, returned home to England alone.
Margaret Thronber was born and raised in England and in 1913 her world came crashing down with the war. She finds a way to nurture her artistic talent at University where she meets and falls for the enigmatic and mysterious Suraj. Her experiences with him allow her to feel known and give her a sense of belonging she has lost. Can she do the unthinkable and marry him, go to India and create a life for herself after all?
Told in alternating points of view and flipping back and forth in time, this beautiful story examines the emotions of guilt, anger ambition, grief and unbelonging. It challenges our personal beliefs in notions such as the bonds of duty and obedience to our family and our culture. As Emma, Margaret and Archana reveal their heartaches, we also must see them tackle the biggest hurdle of all -- forgiveness.
I really enjoyed this novel and could almost picture myself in every scene as the characters come to life on the pages. Beautifully written it will tug at the heart and give much for thought. I really do love the setting of India and learning about the country and culture. The concept of sati was hard to swallow, being the feminist I am. I think it would make a great book club selection as there is so much to discuss.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
June 30, 2023
This is a dual timeline historical fiction by Indian author Renita D’Silva set in 1920s India and contemporary England. The story shifts between Emma dealing with an unpleasant discovery about her partner and her grandmother’s tragic early life in WWI England and then rural India. When Emma visits her grandmother Margaret she is given a painting and the title deeds to a house in India. Margaret begs her to go to India, find Archana, and beg her forgiveness.
Emma discovers the story of Margaret, the love of her life Suraj and their maid Archana. It takes in the hardships of the war, colonialism in India, the brutality of the caste system, and the practice of Sati (suttee) where a bride is thrown on her husband’s funeral pyre. There is romance, betrayal and the pull between duty and personal fulfillment. The story also highlights the rift between a desire to do good and the consequences of cultural interference and misunderstanding.
This was an engaging, poignant read with some powerful messages. I found myself intrigued by and invested in Margaret’s story although Emma’s story fell flat for me. I would love to read another book by this author. 4.5 stars.
Emma discovers the story of Margaret, the love of her life Suraj and their maid Archana. It takes in the hardships of the war, colonialism in India, the brutality of the caste system, and the practice of Sati (suttee) where a bride is thrown on her husband’s funeral pyre. There is romance, betrayal and the pull between duty and personal fulfillment. The story also highlights the rift between a desire to do good and the consequences of cultural interference and misunderstanding.
This was an engaging, poignant read with some powerful messages. I found myself intrigued by and invested in Margaret’s story although Emma’s story fell flat for me. I would love to read another book by this author. 4.5 stars.
March 22, 2019
Thank You Net Galley, Bookouture and Renita D'Silva for the chance to review this book.
I would like to begin by thanking Renita D'Silva for this wonderful book that actually brings the flavor of earth in India. Just like a saying from one of favorite movies, 'Le aayi Mitthi Ki Khusboo'. I haven't read any of her works before even though I have been looking forward to it for a very long time. The Girl In The Painting is a story that shows us about opportunities that may come knocking but that really needs a strong will to peruse it in spite of the obstacles and thorns in our path. It transported me back to my history classes when we did learn about the horrendous practices of 'Sati' and 'untouchability' which thankfully got eradicated. The writing style is rich and the prose really brings forth vibrant hues and colors thru the lives of Margaret and Archana. The love and betrayal faced by Margaret and the loneliness and despair faced by Archana is beautifully conveyed leaving me teary-eyed at many stages.
Hoping to read all by this author.
I would like to begin by thanking Renita D'Silva for this wonderful book that actually brings the flavor of earth in India. Just like a saying from one of favorite movies, 'Le aayi Mitthi Ki Khusboo'. I haven't read any of her works before even though I have been looking forward to it for a very long time. The Girl In The Painting is a story that shows us about opportunities that may come knocking but that really needs a strong will to peruse it in spite of the obstacles and thorns in our path. It transported me back to my history classes when we did learn about the horrendous practices of 'Sati' and 'untouchability' which thankfully got eradicated. The writing style is rich and the prose really brings forth vibrant hues and colors thru the lives of Margaret and Archana. The love and betrayal faced by Margaret and the loneliness and despair faced by Archana is beautifully conveyed leaving me teary-eyed at many stages.
Hoping to read all by this author.
April 17, 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Emma is a loving granddaughter who follows through to check out her dying grandmother’s house in India. It is year 2000, and this beautiful saga shifts and becomes a story of past and present when Emma promises to give a mysterious painting to someone called Archana.
Leaving England to head to India could not have come at a better time for Emma as her relationship is greatly suffering. As a mother to eight-year-old Sophie, Emma is forced to make difficult choices.
The story shifts back to the early 1900’s, during and after World War I, and tells of the difficult and tragic life of Margaret, Emma’s grandmother. It also tells of Archana, someone who played a pivotal role in Margaret’s life, who Emma struggles to locate. Both Margaret’s and Archana’s stories are tragic and their lives are expertly chronicled.
Reading this stunningly amazing book by Renita D’Silva was very much like watching a captivating mini-series. There were many stories told, with much sadness, yet this book managed also to deliver hope and joy. The storytelling by this talented author was done with exquisite perfection.
Some of the things I enjoyed during this read were the intense drama, romance, family and learning of Indian culture. Times were hard after the war, so there were some difficult passages, such as tragic experiences. This compelling read was very difficult to put down and I felt for all three women, Emma, but especially Margaret and Archana. Their lives held such drama, and it felt so very real.
This wonderful read is definitely highly recommended. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I will definitely look for both previous and future works.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Emma is a loving granddaughter who follows through to check out her dying grandmother’s house in India. It is year 2000, and this beautiful saga shifts and becomes a story of past and present when Emma promises to give a mysterious painting to someone called Archana.
Leaving England to head to India could not have come at a better time for Emma as her relationship is greatly suffering. As a mother to eight-year-old Sophie, Emma is forced to make difficult choices.
The story shifts back to the early 1900’s, during and after World War I, and tells of the difficult and tragic life of Margaret, Emma’s grandmother. It also tells of Archana, someone who played a pivotal role in Margaret’s life, who Emma struggles to locate. Both Margaret’s and Archana’s stories are tragic and their lives are expertly chronicled.
Reading this stunningly amazing book by Renita D’Silva was very much like watching a captivating mini-series. There were many stories told, with much sadness, yet this book managed also to deliver hope and joy. The storytelling by this talented author was done with exquisite perfection.
Some of the things I enjoyed during this read were the intense drama, romance, family and learning of Indian culture. Times were hard after the war, so there were some difficult passages, such as tragic experiences. This compelling read was very difficult to put down and I felt for all three women, Emma, but especially Margaret and Archana. Their lives held such drama, and it felt so very real.
This wonderful read is definitely highly recommended. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I will definitely look for both previous and future works.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 12, 2019
The subtitle says it all. Heartbreaking, family secrets, betrayal, love!
This was a compelling story that switched between India in 1926 and England of 2000. It evoked strong emotions with the beauty of its prose. For me it started slowly and it was some time before I was fully immersed.
As Margaret is nearing the end of her life she deeds her Indian house to her granddaughter Emma with an accompanying request. To take a particular painting to India to her former maid Archana.
Margaret sends a heartfelt message for Archana,
"Tell her… tell her that I understand why she did what she did, that I forgave her for it a long time ago. Ask her, please, to forgive me."
The painting Margaret lyrically refers to "was created beside the stream, swollen water glimmering starburst silver, the opposite bank dotted with saris singing in kaleidoscopic colour as they dried on rocks, the spiced grit taste of humid heat, cinnamon tea and companionship. The painting of a girl, stark sadness in her eyes."
(To me that gorgeous description of the painting is just one example of D'Silva's enchanting word smithing abilities.)
In that India of the past Margaret, always so sure of herself, had set in train actions that had unthought repercussions. Cultural differences are spanned, betrayals revisited and the mystery of the painting unveiled. A cross generational story that envelopes!
A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley
This was a compelling story that switched between India in 1926 and England of 2000. It evoked strong emotions with the beauty of its prose. For me it started slowly and it was some time before I was fully immersed.
As Margaret is nearing the end of her life she deeds her Indian house to her granddaughter Emma with an accompanying request. To take a particular painting to India to her former maid Archana.
Margaret sends a heartfelt message for Archana,
"Tell her… tell her that I understand why she did what she did, that I forgave her for it a long time ago. Ask her, please, to forgive me."
The painting Margaret lyrically refers to "was created beside the stream, swollen water glimmering starburst silver, the opposite bank dotted with saris singing in kaleidoscopic colour as they dried on rocks, the spiced grit taste of humid heat, cinnamon tea and companionship. The painting of a girl, stark sadness in her eyes."
(To me that gorgeous description of the painting is just one example of D'Silva's enchanting word smithing abilities.)
In that India of the past Margaret, always so sure of herself, had set in train actions that had unthought repercussions. Cultural differences are spanned, betrayals revisited and the mystery of the painting unveiled. A cross generational story that envelopes!
A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley
March 2, 2019
Lovely ~ Touching ~ Affecting
tl;dr: love across the generations with so many complications
Renita D'Silva is new to me, but now i will look for her. Her writing and plotting is so strong, I am surprised she isn't as well known as Kearsley or Williams. This historical novel (romance) is wonderfully descriptive. You feel as if you have been transported. The story tells of a granddaughter's quest to find a woman in India, Archana. I liked how the author didn't simplify the characters, and allowed their differences to shine. She creates a complicated, compelling story of how actions can have ramifications that go past your lifetime. This book was touching but not trite, heartrending by not histrionic. I loved this book.
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Seema Rao Write : Instagram| Blog| Twitter|
tl;dr: love across the generations with so many complications
Renita D'Silva is new to me, but now i will look for her. Her writing and plotting is so strong, I am surprised she isn't as well known as Kearsley or Williams. This historical novel (romance) is wonderfully descriptive. You feel as if you have been transported. The story tells of a granddaughter's quest to find a woman in India, Archana. I liked how the author didn't simplify the characters, and allowed their differences to shine. She creates a complicated, compelling story of how actions can have ramifications that go past your lifetime. This book was touching but not trite, heartrending by not histrionic. I loved this book.
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Seema Rao Write : Instagram| Blog| Twitter|
May 26, 2019
After reading and loving Renita D’Silva’s Beneath An Indian Sky, I pounced on this and…was stunned. I’m still stunned. What a fantastic, emotional tale spanning decades and continents! Warning: Make sure you have tissues near…the story is tragic and uplifting, and you’ll never forget it.
Even the opening line is shockingly emotional: England 2000 "Margaret sits in the arbor in the grounds of what was once her childhood home and is now a hospice…” Margaret’s granddaughter, Emma, who is undergoing heartbreak, comes to visit. Margaret gives her the deeds to her old house in India and a painting she painted decades ago, and asks her to find her old friend, Archana, to right a wrong. What happened between these two women so long ago for them to need each other's forgiveness?
The tapestry of this story is epic, and the writing is gorgeous. I really felt that I was in India, seeing, smelling and experiencing everything right down to the extraordinary food and the air wafting with spices. I felt as if I knew Margaret, Archana and Emma and found myself rejoicing, laughing and crying with them. This story is special. You won’t ever forget it. Wish I could give it ten stars!
Even the opening line is shockingly emotional: England 2000 "Margaret sits in the arbor in the grounds of what was once her childhood home and is now a hospice…” Margaret’s granddaughter, Emma, who is undergoing heartbreak, comes to visit. Margaret gives her the deeds to her old house in India and a painting she painted decades ago, and asks her to find her old friend, Archana, to right a wrong. What happened between these two women so long ago for them to need each other's forgiveness?
The tapestry of this story is epic, and the writing is gorgeous. I really felt that I was in India, seeing, smelling and experiencing everything right down to the extraordinary food and the air wafting with spices. I felt as if I knew Margaret, Archana and Emma and found myself rejoicing, laughing and crying with them. This story is special. You won’t ever forget it. Wish I could give it ten stars!
May 11, 2019
"Life can change in an instant. It can turn you upside down, inside out."
Renita D'Silva's new book is a fantastic emotional journey spanning decades and continents. Warning: Make sure you have a packet of tissue in the vicinity... you'll need it!
The story is laid out in two time periods, the 1920s and the year 2000. Margaret and Archana, two women living on opposite sides of the world. Their lives couldn't be any more different and yet their paths will cross each other with tremendous, life-changing consequences.
In 2000, Margaret is an old frail lady living out her last days in a hospice in England. She has one last wish - the final request of a dying woman. She gives her granddaughter Emma the deeds of a house in India and a painting she had painted when she was young and asks her to travel to India and trace a woman named Archana. She wants Archana to forgive her for what she has done to her and for Archana to know that Margaret has forgiven her herself a long time ago. What has happened between these two women a very long time ago for them to need each other's forgiveness? What did they do? Emma is intrigued by this mystery. Her grandma has never mentioned any connection to India, she didn't like to talk about her past at all, and now all of a sudden she has been handed the keys to a mansion there. Emma wants to dig deep and grant her nana's last wish, but will she be able to accomplish her mission in time or is it already too late for Margaret to tie her last loose end?
No other author has the ability to evoke in me the kind of emotions the talented Renita D'Silva does with her books. She is one of my favourite authors and I have read and loved each and every one of her books. Her writing is just breathtaking, poetic, it's like music, and with each book she writes she succeeds in making me dream with my eyes open. As I'm reading one of her books, I can always almost see, feel, smell and hear everything she describes. I'm always impressed by her choice of words and swept away by her stories. She always takes me to India, a beautiful country I've never visited but at the same time feel I know well, thanks to her clear descriptions and crisp, melodic 'voice'.
'The Girl in the Painting' is a marvellous work of fiction as colourful as a rainbow and as delicious as the yummy Indian food described within its pages. It burns with desire, love and passion but make no mistake, it also harbours heartbreaking scenes of betrayal, scandal and shame, not to mention death. This book made me realise that nothing in life is safe or to be taken for granted, that everything can change in the blink of an eye. I also learned about a shocking Indian tradition that thankfully has now been banned and deemed unlawful. The author has once again created interesting lifelike characters that as a reader you can't not feel attracted to. By the end I felt as if I have known Margaret, Archana and Emma since forever and I found myself rejoicing, laughing and crying with them. Yes, I needed that packet of tissues!
A huge well done to the author for writing such a brilliant, mesmerising story and thanks to Bookouture for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review. Highly, highly recommended!!
Renita D'Silva's new book is a fantastic emotional journey spanning decades and continents. Warning: Make sure you have a packet of tissue in the vicinity... you'll need it!
The story is laid out in two time periods, the 1920s and the year 2000. Margaret and Archana, two women living on opposite sides of the world. Their lives couldn't be any more different and yet their paths will cross each other with tremendous, life-changing consequences.
In 2000, Margaret is an old frail lady living out her last days in a hospice in England. She has one last wish - the final request of a dying woman. She gives her granddaughter Emma the deeds of a house in India and a painting she had painted when she was young and asks her to travel to India and trace a woman named Archana. She wants Archana to forgive her for what she has done to her and for Archana to know that Margaret has forgiven her herself a long time ago. What has happened between these two women a very long time ago for them to need each other's forgiveness? What did they do? Emma is intrigued by this mystery. Her grandma has never mentioned any connection to India, she didn't like to talk about her past at all, and now all of a sudden she has been handed the keys to a mansion there. Emma wants to dig deep and grant her nana's last wish, but will she be able to accomplish her mission in time or is it already too late for Margaret to tie her last loose end?
No other author has the ability to evoke in me the kind of emotions the talented Renita D'Silva does with her books. She is one of my favourite authors and I have read and loved each and every one of her books. Her writing is just breathtaking, poetic, it's like music, and with each book she writes she succeeds in making me dream with my eyes open. As I'm reading one of her books, I can always almost see, feel, smell and hear everything she describes. I'm always impressed by her choice of words and swept away by her stories. She always takes me to India, a beautiful country I've never visited but at the same time feel I know well, thanks to her clear descriptions and crisp, melodic 'voice'.
'The Girl in the Painting' is a marvellous work of fiction as colourful as a rainbow and as delicious as the yummy Indian food described within its pages. It burns with desire, love and passion but make no mistake, it also harbours heartbreaking scenes of betrayal, scandal and shame, not to mention death. This book made me realise that nothing in life is safe or to be taken for granted, that everything can change in the blink of an eye. I also learned about a shocking Indian tradition that thankfully has now been banned and deemed unlawful. The author has once again created interesting lifelike characters that as a reader you can't not feel attracted to. By the end I felt as if I have known Margaret, Archana and Emma since forever and I found myself rejoicing, laughing and crying with them. Yes, I needed that packet of tissues!
A huge well done to the author for writing such a brilliant, mesmerising story and thanks to Bookouture for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review. Highly, highly recommended!!
April 1, 2019
The story is split between 2 time periods; 'present': 2000 and the 1920s, and centres around 2 women, Emma and Margaret her Grandmother.
Emma discovers her partner, her ‘much renowned’ former professor at University, has lied over the fundamental work that made his name in academia, fabricating facts and deceiving everyone. His weak, deceitful behaviour is a part of their personal relationship too. They have a young daughter, Chloe. Emma has to decide if she will make public the extent of her partner’s deception to the academic world, which in turn will destroy their family life…
Her Grandmother advises her to take time out to consider her decision at a distance; to take Chloe to the house she once lived in with the love of her life, in India. There, Emma discovers the part of her Grandmother’s life that she never divulged to anyone; how Margaret in the past did the ‘right thing for the wrong reason’; how she always felt that women should make their own decisions but how this philosophy can go wrong – particularly where cultural differences are involved; and how lack of forgiveness can cause such pain and sadness.
This is an amazing tale – of an “outrageous” marriage (at the time) between a bohemian from the Charleston community and an Indian academic - their life in India, helping with the Independence movement (echoes of Freda Bedi in the 30s), and experiencing cultural clashes. Forgiveness is a primary theme – but there’s so much more here, and you lament time lost… Fascinating,I loved it.
Emma discovers her partner, her ‘much renowned’ former professor at University, has lied over the fundamental work that made his name in academia, fabricating facts and deceiving everyone. His weak, deceitful behaviour is a part of their personal relationship too. They have a young daughter, Chloe. Emma has to decide if she will make public the extent of her partner’s deception to the academic world, which in turn will destroy their family life…
Her Grandmother advises her to take time out to consider her decision at a distance; to take Chloe to the house she once lived in with the love of her life, in India. There, Emma discovers the part of her Grandmother’s life that she never divulged to anyone; how Margaret in the past did the ‘right thing for the wrong reason’; how she always felt that women should make their own decisions but how this philosophy can go wrong – particularly where cultural differences are involved; and how lack of forgiveness can cause such pain and sadness.
This is an amazing tale – of an “outrageous” marriage (at the time) between a bohemian from the Charleston community and an Indian academic - their life in India, helping with the Independence movement (echoes of Freda Bedi in the 30s), and experiencing cultural clashes. Forgiveness is a primary theme – but there’s so much more here, and you lament time lost… Fascinating,I loved it.
April 1, 2019
‘The Girl in the Painting’ is Renita’s newest novel, to be released on 11th of April. I couldn’t wait, therefore I took my copy from Netgallery, as soon as it was available. It was like a much-desired gift and more. The book met all my expectations, made me emotional, made me re-read paragraphs and made me think again about the human condition, history, from where I can save for a trip to India, and how much I would like to share justice for 24 hours.
In the rural England, the war dismantled a family; the fire (which runs like the leitmotif throughout the book) killed some of them; and the malevolent relatives completed the disaster: two sisters were pushed on different roads for good. While Winnie got married, Margaret devoted herself to study and drawing. Soon she’ll fall in love and she’ll move to the other half of the world. Did I mention, at the beginning of the 20th century, love was a forbidden concept?
Meanwhile, in India, the untouchable – a word of fear, defining the lowest caste, takes the story to unexpected picks. Renita built an untouchable – like feeling in Archana, which drove her to the pyre. The strong symbol of fire has a double connotation here: purification and redemption, but would be that a free choice?
With every new novel, Renita’s style becomes more sophisticated, fine braid of feelings. Her characters live long after the reader finishes the book, the action is a high spiral of surprising events; her books are ‘one more chapter, until the dawn’ type.
But reading the last book I noticed something else, something that makes each of her books one of a kind; the endless love for India, Renita D’Silva’s birth place and UK, her present home. With all the words, the lines, the paragraphs, the chapters, this writer weeps her nostalgia. Being unable to choose, she mixes her love in the amazing melting pot of literature, producing unforgetable novels.
I’ll draw 5 shining stars on Renita’s tiara for ‘The Girl in the Painting’.
In the rural England, the war dismantled a family; the fire (which runs like the leitmotif throughout the book) killed some of them; and the malevolent relatives completed the disaster: two sisters were pushed on different roads for good. While Winnie got married, Margaret devoted herself to study and drawing. Soon she’ll fall in love and she’ll move to the other half of the world. Did I mention, at the beginning of the 20th century, love was a forbidden concept?
Meanwhile, in India, the untouchable – a word of fear, defining the lowest caste, takes the story to unexpected picks. Renita built an untouchable – like feeling in Archana, which drove her to the pyre. The strong symbol of fire has a double connotation here: purification and redemption, but would be that a free choice?
With every new novel, Renita’s style becomes more sophisticated, fine braid of feelings. Her characters live long after the reader finishes the book, the action is a high spiral of surprising events; her books are ‘one more chapter, until the dawn’ type.
But reading the last book I noticed something else, something that makes each of her books one of a kind; the endless love for India, Renita D’Silva’s birth place and UK, her present home. With all the words, the lines, the paragraphs, the chapters, this writer weeps her nostalgia. Being unable to choose, she mixes her love in the amazing melting pot of literature, producing unforgetable novels.
I’ll draw 5 shining stars on Renita’s tiara for ‘The Girl in the Painting’.
April 25, 2019
Renita D'Silva’s books take my breath away. The Girl in the Painting combines the most beautiful, evocative descriptions with an utterly compelling storyline – I stayed up late into the night reading, desperate to know the fate of the characters. The way the author conveys each of their predicaments, and their reactions to them, was totally convincing. They’re a disparate group of people but it seems as though Renita D'Silva knows exactly what it would be like to step into any of their shoes. The story will stay with me. A truly brilliant book.
April 24, 2019
Fascinating, as a Spider Spins His Web
More amazing writing by Renita. I couldn't put it down. The plot is spun as a spider spins his web. Fascinating! Their is a little sex and one adultery scene. I think it's free of profanity (very little). I wouldn't recommend to a young teen .
More amazing writing by Renita. I couldn't put it down. The plot is spun as a spider spins his web. Fascinating! Their is a little sex and one adultery scene. I think it's free of profanity (very little). I wouldn't recommend to a young teen .
April 27, 2019
The three narratives of Emma, Margaret, and Archana are tenderly woven together in a tale of sacrifice, love, and betrayal. The India of the early twentieth century is vividly painted on the page, and the horrors of the Hindu traditions were shocking even as the Indian culture was exquisitely detailed. As with most dual timelines, I felt more connected with the historical narratives than the contemporary one, which I found a bit repetitive. But overall, this is a beautiful, poignant, harrowing read that touched my heart.
July 4, 2025
What a fantastic story...heartbreaking and uplifting..have downloaded a few more books by the same author..duty is such a complex word and shows us how we all interprete it and choose the outcome..
April 13, 2019
The Girl in the Painting by Renita D'Silva is an epic novel of loss, heartbreak, betrayal and redemption. From the outset it was evident the author was really enjoying writing this story as so much emotion oozes from every page and it was as if this was a story she had been waiting for the opportunity to tell for a long time. The reader feels every ounce of pain, hurt and anguish that the characters are experiencing and I think Renita really got inside the heads of her characters through such astounding, imaginative, visual creative and lyrical writing. I was instantly swept up in the story and it soon becomes an absorbing, haunting, tense and powerful read.
The Girl in the Painting is a book that definitely deserves to be read more than once. Firstly it is quite a long book, at a little over 500 pages, and as the characters are so well thought out and all their traits and problems are so detailed and experience so much, I know there are bits that I have missed out on that would have helped me understand the bigger picture even more. Secondly as the writing is excellent from beginning to end with each word so carefully selected I want to go back and savour certain paragraphs and to delve a little deeper into their meaning in order to read between the lines that little bit more. I read the book quickly because I was so caught up in the story and the outpouring of feelings and emotions expressed by each character but I deeply regret doing so because there are so many layers to peel back in order to understand the motives and actions of our main characters which lead to varying consequences because of the decisions they make. I know there were hints dropped that I missed out on because I was racing through the chapters. This book is truly a stunning and well accomplished read which is definitely the best book Renita D'Silva has written
The story is told through three voices and normally I would find following three strands with three distinct opinions challenging but here it works seamlessly throughout the entire story. We move back and forth between the three characters until they all merge to make for a captivating, emotional but affirming conclusion. Emma in the year 2000 is perhaps the character with the least strongest voice but she does have an important role to play in bringing about redemption, resolution, forgiveness and acceptance. Emma's grandmother Margaret is nearing the end of her life and she has given Emma a task. She is to go to India and find a woman named Achrana to give her a letter and painting and to convey a message. The reasons for this task only become apparent as we weave our way through a story that becomes intense and compelling and one in which you feel you have travelled back in time.
Emma thinks this is a blessing in disguise. For she herself is facing a challenge and the decision she makes will have an effect on both herself and her daughter Chloe. She is torn in two, questioning whether everything she has believed has been a lie and whether she should take the step and confront the person in relation to the evidence that she has discovered. Is the time for closing her eyes to what is clearly before her running out? At the same time she won't let Margaret down and by accepting her request she may help herself come to some form of clarity which will perhaps alter in her life in a good way. I enjoyed the scenes set in modern times with Emma, and like Margaret and Achrana, she was going through internal battles that she needed to fight her way through in order to emerge calmer on the other side. The chapters from her viewpoint I felt weren't as heavy as sometimes I felt Achrana and Margaret's were and therefore they helped balance the story nicely.
Margaret was a deeply complex character and one very much shaped by events in her childhood. Never before in a book have I truly felt that one event moulded a character and changed them so much. Margaret is haunted by the loss of her mother and disabled sister Evie at the family home due to an air raid during World War One. Her father was lost in the war, the circumstances questionable. Margaret and her one remaining sister Winnie were the sole survivors but Margaret for many many years is eaten up inside because she could not save Evie. She feels a weight upon her shoulders and in her heart and mind and she seeks some form of escape. She believes that she has let Evie down and needs to make up for this. Margaret throughout her life is seeking acceptance and redemption for what she views as a deep and troubling sin. She must channel her feelings into some form of expression as the emotions of not belonging, guilt, anger and grief wear away at her constantly. She does through her painting which will have a significant bearing on the overall plot.
I couldn't say Margaret was a strong character because the events of her childhood broke her down and changed the person she was destined to be. She feels life is futile and the sense of displacement grows and grows for her. I don't think she mastered the situation initially in a strong and powerful way and it was a change to see a character really suffer such turmoil and heartbreak. Nothing came easy for her and she battled with the thoughts raging through her mind on a daily basis. At certain points she did appear to garner some strength but it is as if gusts of wind come and shake her confidence and her abilities. Guilt was the predominant word I would say in relation to her and it formed the backbone of her actions and the choices she made and this led to the ultimate act of betrayal or did she see it as a form of redemption for all the years she was seeking atonement and forgiveness in order to clear her conscious?
Margaret wants to live for Evie to gain all the experiences that Evie would never be afforded the opportunity to but all her anger and grief comes out through her paintings. She is discovered to be a rare talent but no one truly knows the reasons behind such vivid and eye catching paintings. As she finds herself embraced by the Bloomsbury set a man catches her eye. Suraj is in England having travelled from India to study as a lawyer. From the moment they set eyes on each other that is it there is no else. Will this be the acceptance Margaret has been seeking? Will Suraj fulfil the gaping hole in her heart which seems to grow ever wider? I felt and believed the deep connection between the pair and it did feel real and special and this perhaps would be the making of Margaret.
Their union is frowned upon given their different backgrounds but Margaret goes against convention and follows her heart soon finding herself living in India. A tragic incident sees Margaret and Suraj living in the family home and this is where the various strands of the story start to come together as Margaret meets Achrana. Is this where her destiny was always leading her too? By coming to India the old Margaret starts to emerge and she learns that people are so much more than their appearance caste, religion and beliefs. That they all love, live, hurt and hate in the same way. India will be a pivotal turning point for Margaret but amidst the heat, sounds, smells and vistas of a different country will tradition cause the most upset? Will Margaret find that India and an act of what was believed to be for the good of another turn her life upside down once again and change the way she lives out the rest of her life?
Achrana is the third person we follow and as we delve deeper and deeper into the story things start to become clear and there are many comparisons to be drawn between Achrana and Margaret. The majority of which I only truly understood having finished the book. Achrana's family have always struggled and when sister Radha brings further upset, upheaval and disrespect upon the family it is Achrana who has to step up and forgo her dreams. Achrana I thought was a very selfless person whose loyalty to her family was always evident, yet she too batted with what Indian tradition dictated. She was always seeking acceptance but yet there was an independent streak too which was battling to emerge. She was torn in two, freedom and education were her goal but she was trapped due to the shackles of expectation and duty. The Indian burial tradition sati which features heavily here was something I had not heard of before and it did stir up a lot of emotions and opinions. It was controversial and it led to life complications for Achrana which I felt were complex and unfair.
It's when Margaret and Achrana meet and the story takes further numerous twists and turns that I think the overall plot upped itself to another level. Having already been an astounding read things really ramped up and I was divided as to what I wanted the overall outcome to be and whether I approved of one characters actions over another. I wouldn't hesitate to recommended The Girl in the Painting. The characters and plot twists long live on in your mind once you have read the last word. I was taken on an exhilarating journey with such well crafted characters and I was sad to leave them behind.
The Girl in the Painting is a book that definitely deserves to be read more than once. Firstly it is quite a long book, at a little over 500 pages, and as the characters are so well thought out and all their traits and problems are so detailed and experience so much, I know there are bits that I have missed out on that would have helped me understand the bigger picture even more. Secondly as the writing is excellent from beginning to end with each word so carefully selected I want to go back and savour certain paragraphs and to delve a little deeper into their meaning in order to read between the lines that little bit more. I read the book quickly because I was so caught up in the story and the outpouring of feelings and emotions expressed by each character but I deeply regret doing so because there are so many layers to peel back in order to understand the motives and actions of our main characters which lead to varying consequences because of the decisions they make. I know there were hints dropped that I missed out on because I was racing through the chapters. This book is truly a stunning and well accomplished read which is definitely the best book Renita D'Silva has written
The story is told through three voices and normally I would find following three strands with three distinct opinions challenging but here it works seamlessly throughout the entire story. We move back and forth between the three characters until they all merge to make for a captivating, emotional but affirming conclusion. Emma in the year 2000 is perhaps the character with the least strongest voice but she does have an important role to play in bringing about redemption, resolution, forgiveness and acceptance. Emma's grandmother Margaret is nearing the end of her life and she has given Emma a task. She is to go to India and find a woman named Achrana to give her a letter and painting and to convey a message. The reasons for this task only become apparent as we weave our way through a story that becomes intense and compelling and one in which you feel you have travelled back in time.
Emma thinks this is a blessing in disguise. For she herself is facing a challenge and the decision she makes will have an effect on both herself and her daughter Chloe. She is torn in two, questioning whether everything she has believed has been a lie and whether she should take the step and confront the person in relation to the evidence that she has discovered. Is the time for closing her eyes to what is clearly before her running out? At the same time she won't let Margaret down and by accepting her request she may help herself come to some form of clarity which will perhaps alter in her life in a good way. I enjoyed the scenes set in modern times with Emma, and like Margaret and Achrana, she was going through internal battles that she needed to fight her way through in order to emerge calmer on the other side. The chapters from her viewpoint I felt weren't as heavy as sometimes I felt Achrana and Margaret's were and therefore they helped balance the story nicely.
Margaret was a deeply complex character and one very much shaped by events in her childhood. Never before in a book have I truly felt that one event moulded a character and changed them so much. Margaret is haunted by the loss of her mother and disabled sister Evie at the family home due to an air raid during World War One. Her father was lost in the war, the circumstances questionable. Margaret and her one remaining sister Winnie were the sole survivors but Margaret for many many years is eaten up inside because she could not save Evie. She feels a weight upon her shoulders and in her heart and mind and she seeks some form of escape. She believes that she has let Evie down and needs to make up for this. Margaret throughout her life is seeking acceptance and redemption for what she views as a deep and troubling sin. She must channel her feelings into some form of expression as the emotions of not belonging, guilt, anger and grief wear away at her constantly. She does through her painting which will have a significant bearing on the overall plot.
I couldn't say Margaret was a strong character because the events of her childhood broke her down and changed the person she was destined to be. She feels life is futile and the sense of displacement grows and grows for her. I don't think she mastered the situation initially in a strong and powerful way and it was a change to see a character really suffer such turmoil and heartbreak. Nothing came easy for her and she battled with the thoughts raging through her mind on a daily basis. At certain points she did appear to garner some strength but it is as if gusts of wind come and shake her confidence and her abilities. Guilt was the predominant word I would say in relation to her and it formed the backbone of her actions and the choices she made and this led to the ultimate act of betrayal or did she see it as a form of redemption for all the years she was seeking atonement and forgiveness in order to clear her conscious?
Margaret wants to live for Evie to gain all the experiences that Evie would never be afforded the opportunity to but all her anger and grief comes out through her paintings. She is discovered to be a rare talent but no one truly knows the reasons behind such vivid and eye catching paintings. As she finds herself embraced by the Bloomsbury set a man catches her eye. Suraj is in England having travelled from India to study as a lawyer. From the moment they set eyes on each other that is it there is no else. Will this be the acceptance Margaret has been seeking? Will Suraj fulfil the gaping hole in her heart which seems to grow ever wider? I felt and believed the deep connection between the pair and it did feel real and special and this perhaps would be the making of Margaret.
Their union is frowned upon given their different backgrounds but Margaret goes against convention and follows her heart soon finding herself living in India. A tragic incident sees Margaret and Suraj living in the family home and this is where the various strands of the story start to come together as Margaret meets Achrana. Is this where her destiny was always leading her too? By coming to India the old Margaret starts to emerge and she learns that people are so much more than their appearance caste, religion and beliefs. That they all love, live, hurt and hate in the same way. India will be a pivotal turning point for Margaret but amidst the heat, sounds, smells and vistas of a different country will tradition cause the most upset? Will Margaret find that India and an act of what was believed to be for the good of another turn her life upside down once again and change the way she lives out the rest of her life?
Achrana is the third person we follow and as we delve deeper and deeper into the story things start to become clear and there are many comparisons to be drawn between Achrana and Margaret. The majority of which I only truly understood having finished the book. Achrana's family have always struggled and when sister Radha brings further upset, upheaval and disrespect upon the family it is Achrana who has to step up and forgo her dreams. Achrana I thought was a very selfless person whose loyalty to her family was always evident, yet she too batted with what Indian tradition dictated. She was always seeking acceptance but yet there was an independent streak too which was battling to emerge. She was torn in two, freedom and education were her goal but she was trapped due to the shackles of expectation and duty. The Indian burial tradition sati which features heavily here was something I had not heard of before and it did stir up a lot of emotions and opinions. It was controversial and it led to life complications for Achrana which I felt were complex and unfair.
It's when Margaret and Achrana meet and the story takes further numerous twists and turns that I think the overall plot upped itself to another level. Having already been an astounding read things really ramped up and I was divided as to what I wanted the overall outcome to be and whether I approved of one characters actions over another. I wouldn't hesitate to recommended The Girl in the Painting. The characters and plot twists long live on in your mind once you have read the last word. I was taken on an exhilarating journey with such well crafted characters and I was sad to leave them behind.
April 12, 2019
Margaret grows up in England around the time World War One began, her father joins up to fight, leaving her and her mother to cope alone.
Knowing it unsafe to stay in the family home they are determined not to leave, but then tragedy strikes when the house is destroyed in a bombing raid and only Margaret and her Sister, Winnie survive. They move to their Uncles farm, but feel in the way and unwanted.
But, Winnie then finds love and marries and Margaret decides to leave the farm and study in London….where she meets Suraj….they eventually fall in love and move to India.
More tragedy, when Suraj’s parents die in an accident and life in India is so different to that back home, the poverty, the caste system and other traditions, such as Sati, where a widow will throw herself on the funeral pyre of her husband to die….
The Girl In The Painting is a marvellous, well written and compelling book, a story of many facets, local customs, many secrets and so much tragedy and sadness. A tale of consequences and doing the right thing. Stunning.
Thank you to Bookouture for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Merged review:
Margaret grows up in England around the time World War One began, her father joins up to fight, leaving her and her mother to cope alone.
Knowing it unsafe to stay in the family home they are determined not to leave, but then tragedy strikes when the house is destroyed in a bombing raid and only Margaret and her Sister, Winnie survive. They move to their Uncles farm, but feel in the way and unwanted.
But, Winnie then finds love and marries and Margaret decides to leave the farm and study in London….where she meets Suraj….they eventually fall in love and move to India.
More tragedy, when Suraj’s parents die in an accident and life in India is so different to that back home, the poverty, the caste system and other traditions, such as Sati, where a widow will throw herself on the funeral pyre of her husband to die….
The Girl In The Painting is a marvellous, well written and compelling book, a story of many facets, local customs, many secrets and so much tragedy and sadness. A tale of consequences and doing the right thing. Stunning.
Thank you to Bookouture, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Knowing it unsafe to stay in the family home they are determined not to leave, but then tragedy strikes when the house is destroyed in a bombing raid and only Margaret and her Sister, Winnie survive. They move to their Uncles farm, but feel in the way and unwanted.
But, Winnie then finds love and marries and Margaret decides to leave the farm and study in London….where she meets Suraj….they eventually fall in love and move to India.
More tragedy, when Suraj’s parents die in an accident and life in India is so different to that back home, the poverty, the caste system and other traditions, such as Sati, where a widow will throw herself on the funeral pyre of her husband to die….
The Girl In The Painting is a marvellous, well written and compelling book, a story of many facets, local customs, many secrets and so much tragedy and sadness. A tale of consequences and doing the right thing. Stunning.
Thank you to Bookouture for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Merged review:
Margaret grows up in England around the time World War One began, her father joins up to fight, leaving her and her mother to cope alone.
Knowing it unsafe to stay in the family home they are determined not to leave, but then tragedy strikes when the house is destroyed in a bombing raid and only Margaret and her Sister, Winnie survive. They move to their Uncles farm, but feel in the way and unwanted.
But, Winnie then finds love and marries and Margaret decides to leave the farm and study in London….where she meets Suraj….they eventually fall in love and move to India.
More tragedy, when Suraj’s parents die in an accident and life in India is so different to that back home, the poverty, the caste system and other traditions, such as Sati, where a widow will throw herself on the funeral pyre of her husband to die….
The Girl In The Painting is a marvellous, well written and compelling book, a story of many facets, local customs, many secrets and so much tragedy and sadness. A tale of consequences and doing the right thing. Stunning.
Thank you to Bookouture, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
February 15, 2020
Well 2.5 [ my bookclub choice ]
Story, premise all good. Characters real enough. Writing good enough. The Vanessa Bell connection is plausible (fictitious but plausible) But there are probs.
The timeline is all off. After careful research, Margaret wd have been born aprox 1900. Her husband earlier. (He is already a lawyer by 1922)
He dies in 1999. At age 100+. Hardly realistic.
Margaret would be 100 in 2000, when Emma goes to India. Again, not realistic. Arch would have been born aprox 1906. In 2000 she wd be 94. (She marries in 1922).
In real time Emma wd be the great daughter. I do not like authors who “play god” with timelines. Thus the two stars.
Lots of repetition and boring bits regarding Indian customs, the satir, the untouchables ( drilling things into the reader’s head ). We are an educated bunch - don’t insult us.
Other points -
If Margaret’s paintings were SO well received , then why not more recognition, being fêted, more sales, more $$. Nothing was mentioned
Arch says it was her fault (she got pregnant ) WTF. She was raped. See the four references - page 412 to 416.
- He lurches at her
- his hand digging into her flesh
- in trying to pull away ...
- No she attempts once more to pull away from his GRASP
How is this her fault?
— the rape was totally out of character of Mr. Nice Guy. Margaret shd have no regrets leaving him.
Then there’s Emma. She thinks she’s to blame for her boyfriend’s behaviour. page 449. Please.
So a great story once more ruined by a really bad editor. Good read for young adults perhaps.
Story, premise all good. Characters real enough. Writing good enough. The Vanessa Bell connection is plausible (fictitious but plausible) But there are probs.
The timeline is all off. After careful research, Margaret wd have been born aprox 1900. Her husband earlier. (He is already a lawyer by 1922)
He dies in 1999. At age 100+. Hardly realistic.
Margaret would be 100 in 2000, when Emma goes to India. Again, not realistic. Arch would have been born aprox 1906. In 2000 she wd be 94. (She marries in 1922).
In real time Emma wd be the great daughter. I do not like authors who “play god” with timelines. Thus the two stars.
Lots of repetition and boring bits regarding Indian customs, the satir, the untouchables ( drilling things into the reader’s head ). We are an educated bunch - don’t insult us.
Other points -
If Margaret’s paintings were SO well received , then why not more recognition, being fêted, more sales, more $$. Nothing was mentioned
Arch says it was her fault (she got pregnant ) WTF. She was raped. See the four references - page 412 to 416.
- He lurches at her
- his hand digging into her flesh
- in trying to pull away ...
- No she attempts once more to pull away from his GRASP
How is this her fault?
— the rape was totally out of character of Mr. Nice Guy. Margaret shd have no regrets leaving him.
Then there’s Emma. She thinks she’s to blame for her boyfriend’s behaviour. page 449. Please.
So a great story once more ruined by a really bad editor. Good read for young adults perhaps.
March 21, 2022
This is the first book I’ve read by Renita and it certainly won’t be the last.
This book has you hooked by the end of the first chapter. It then sets up an, interesting, detailed backstory and I couldn’t wait for the main characters to meet. Then I couldn’t put it down.
This book broke my heart a few times, but then put it in together again.
I was lucky enough to receive a ARC of this book.
This book has you hooked by the end of the first chapter. It then sets up an, interesting, detailed backstory and I couldn’t wait for the main characters to meet. Then I couldn’t put it down.
This book broke my heart a few times, but then put it in together again.
I was lucky enough to receive a ARC of this book.
May 3, 2019
Just finished the book and LOVED it. Many things to learning about cultural differences. I think this is my favorite of all her books, so far. Monsoon Memories was the first one I read and so enjoyed it. Her use of the English language is so beautiful. I've read several others and enjoyed them as well. Again, highly recommend.
Oh Amazon there is a FABULOUS review by Chris. Reviews the book without giving the story away. Chris said everything I would have if I could. ;-)
Oh Amazon there is a FABULOUS review by Chris. Reviews the book without giving the story away. Chris said everything I would have if I could. ;-)
March 4, 2019
This is a lovely historical novel. I felt truly engrossed with the characters, and felt connected to their dilemmas and the beautiful historical setting. I very much recommend the book to everyone that enjoys fascinating settings and interesting storylines.
April 14, 2019
There is nothing that I didn’t love about this book!
The chapters alternate between Margaret, Archana and Emma, with us being taken back to the early 1900’s to learn about Margaret life in London and her move India; and Archana’s very different life growing up in India. We’re then taken to 2000 where we learn about Emma, and hear about Margaret.
Margarets life starts off privileged with a lovely family life, but as a young girl her life is changed dramatically through family tragedy and the war. Years later she finally gets to do something she wants, and moves away to start a new life. One that brings her out of her shell and gives her everything she had dreamed of. She finds love and moves to India with her husband…..
Archana is from a poor village in India with strict ideals and traditions. She had a close knit family but then her wayward sister causes mayhem and the family falls apart. Her life is a struggle but she plods on and is eventually married. Although it’s not the life she’s dreamed of she settles for what she has…..
Then her and Margaret meet, become close and then tragedy strikes again…….
Emma is going through her own struggles and is shocked and delighted when her Grandmother asks her to go to India to deliver a present and a heartfelt message. She doesn’t know much about her Grandmothers life in India. What will the journey uncover? What secrets has her Grandmother kept hidden?
For me, this is unlike anything I have ever read and I completely fell in love with the story and characters. I was completely and utterly sucked in to the story and it really felt like I was reading someone’s memoir.
The writing style is fantastic, it was easy to read and Renita is absolutely fantastic in her story telling and the way she allows you to completely understand and get to know the characters. All my emotions came to the surface….I cried, smiled, laughed and even felt the anger, relief and betrayal.
I’ve not read any of Renita’s previous books but now I know I absolutely must. I’m so glad that I’ve had the opportunity to discover this amazing talent and her beautiful stories. If you’ve not read anything by Renita before then you most definitely should, you won’t be disappointed.
This honestly is one of the most beautiful and poignant stories I have ever read!
The chapters alternate between Margaret, Archana and Emma, with us being taken back to the early 1900’s to learn about Margaret life in London and her move India; and Archana’s very different life growing up in India. We’re then taken to 2000 where we learn about Emma, and hear about Margaret.
Margarets life starts off privileged with a lovely family life, but as a young girl her life is changed dramatically through family tragedy and the war. Years later she finally gets to do something she wants, and moves away to start a new life. One that brings her out of her shell and gives her everything she had dreamed of. She finds love and moves to India with her husband…..
Archana is from a poor village in India with strict ideals and traditions. She had a close knit family but then her wayward sister causes mayhem and the family falls apart. Her life is a struggle but she plods on and is eventually married. Although it’s not the life she’s dreamed of she settles for what she has…..
Then her and Margaret meet, become close and then tragedy strikes again…….
Emma is going through her own struggles and is shocked and delighted when her Grandmother asks her to go to India to deliver a present and a heartfelt message. She doesn’t know much about her Grandmothers life in India. What will the journey uncover? What secrets has her Grandmother kept hidden?
For me, this is unlike anything I have ever read and I completely fell in love with the story and characters. I was completely and utterly sucked in to the story and it really felt like I was reading someone’s memoir.
The writing style is fantastic, it was easy to read and Renita is absolutely fantastic in her story telling and the way she allows you to completely understand and get to know the characters. All my emotions came to the surface….I cried, smiled, laughed and even felt the anger, relief and betrayal.
I’ve not read any of Renita’s previous books but now I know I absolutely must. I’m so glad that I’ve had the opportunity to discover this amazing talent and her beautiful stories. If you’ve not read anything by Renita before then you most definitely should, you won’t be disappointed.
This honestly is one of the most beautiful and poignant stories I have ever read!
April 17, 2019
I love Renita’s books. She is an auto-buy author for me. One thing that makes me enjoy her books is her wonderful, lyrical writing. Renita masterfully brings scenes to life through her words. In this book, India once again comes alive. I not only could visualize the country and its people but could also catch the spicy scents, feel the heat or rain falling and experience the unique cultures of the country. I felt like I taken a trip to India with Renita as my tour guide.
In addition to the descriptiveness of the setting, I loved learning new things especially about the cultural practices. For instance, I learned about Sati from this book. Although now obsolete, Sati was once practiced in parts of India. The author portrays the practice in a way that makes it easy for readers to understand why anyone would have embraced such a barbaric, horrific practice. We got to see why Sati was revered by some of the families. I also had an ‘Aha’ moment when I learned about Bindi. I have always seen Hindu women with the red dot on their foreheads but assumed it’s just decorative. Renita covers different cultural aspects in her story telling without shifting the focus from the main themes.
The themes in this book are quite relatable. The women might have been in India but they represent thoughts, yearnings and experiences that I am certain many women can identify with. Some of the themes that stood out for me include loss, betrayal, motherhood, infertility and female friendships. I also liked the theme of family though some of the families didn’t have the best relationships.
As always with Renita’s books, the character development was perfectly done. I can still visualize the MCs especially Margaret and Archana. I think of Archana with her limp and the white saris that she had to wear. The descriptiveness of their personalities, physical appearances and mannerisms makes me feel like I know these women.
I loved The Girl in the Painting by Renita D’Silva. It’s the kind of book that you want to read slowly to make it last longer but at the same time, struggle to put it down. It made me smile, cry and yes, want to travel to India. I can still hear the children laughing and see their innocent faces as they brought strange gifts to Memsahib. I still think of the women dressed in colorful clothing and see the girls trying to balance between girlhood and rushed womanhood. My heart still breaks for all the women who had their dreams shattered and rejoices for those who found the right way home. I miss all the characters already especially the lovely Archana.
This is another book by Renita that I won’t forget anytime soon. Recommended.
In addition to the descriptiveness of the setting, I loved learning new things especially about the cultural practices. For instance, I learned about Sati from this book. Although now obsolete, Sati was once practiced in parts of India. The author portrays the practice in a way that makes it easy for readers to understand why anyone would have embraced such a barbaric, horrific practice. We got to see why Sati was revered by some of the families. I also had an ‘Aha’ moment when I learned about Bindi. I have always seen Hindu women with the red dot on their foreheads but assumed it’s just decorative. Renita covers different cultural aspects in her story telling without shifting the focus from the main themes.
The themes in this book are quite relatable. The women might have been in India but they represent thoughts, yearnings and experiences that I am certain many women can identify with. Some of the themes that stood out for me include loss, betrayal, motherhood, infertility and female friendships. I also liked the theme of family though some of the families didn’t have the best relationships.
As always with Renita’s books, the character development was perfectly done. I can still visualize the MCs especially Margaret and Archana. I think of Archana with her limp and the white saris that she had to wear. The descriptiveness of their personalities, physical appearances and mannerisms makes me feel like I know these women.
I loved The Girl in the Painting by Renita D’Silva. It’s the kind of book that you want to read slowly to make it last longer but at the same time, struggle to put it down. It made me smile, cry and yes, want to travel to India. I can still hear the children laughing and see their innocent faces as they brought strange gifts to Memsahib. I still think of the women dressed in colorful clothing and see the girls trying to balance between girlhood and rushed womanhood. My heart still breaks for all the women who had their dreams shattered and rejoices for those who found the right way home. I miss all the characters already especially the lovely Archana.
This is another book by Renita that I won’t forget anytime soon. Recommended.
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