YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

A picture hides a thousand words . . .

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences . . .

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Date changed. Restarting June 10th 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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On holidays and it's a rainy, gloomy first morning so I'm going to spend a few hours immersed in this :)

First quarter - (view spoiler)[ 100 pages in and utterly obsessed! I loved Odelle's perspective and how the London she grew up dreaming of differed in reality. The casual everyday racism she experiencies is horrific! Also, the prejudice over the colour of her skin disallowing her to work in a job she is well-equipped for, made me so angry. I'm hoping her connection with Quick will alter that.

Olive's perspective has just been introduced. She is a painter and I'm wondering if she is the artist of the painting previously mentioned, despite the initials on it differing. (hide spoiler)]

Starting this either tonight or tomorrow!

Klancy wrote: "Starting this either tonight or tomorrow!"

I'm just over half way through and absolutely adoring this one! I hope you end up loving it as much as I am!

Second quarter - (view spoiler)[As soon as I wrote my last update I realised that the IR signature on the painting obviously stood for Isaac. I also had an idea that Olive might have been the painter though and this was soon proven. I love how selfless she is about her artwork. I wonder how the painting ended up in hands. Quick doesn't trust him and it's making me do the same.

I loved the interaction about writing between Quick and Odelle. She has an interesting perspective on writing for an audience that, as a writer myself, I found quite inspiring. This conversation had me wondering is she was Olive with a name change, though? (hide spoiler)]

Dannii wrote: "Klancy wrote: "Starting this either tonight or tomorrow!"

I'm just over half way through and absolutely adoring this one! I hope you end up loving it as much as I am!"

That makes me super excited to start it! I hope I love it too :) Then we can fangirl over it after lol

Third quarter - (view spoiler)[This is getting more political as it progresses and I'm learning so much about the ramifications for the individuals residing in that time as the war looms over them. My theories still abound over the painting! (hide spoiler)]

Fourth quarter - (view spoiler)[What an astounding wonderful read! I was captivated throughout. Poor Teresa's treatment for not providing her brother's whereabouts was the catalyst that sparked so many things and this resounded through the decades. I also felt horrific for Olive when she discovered Isaac was also having an affair with her mother and seemed not the least bit sorry over it. It made me realise that, like Olive, I was viewing his character through my own lens of expectations and not seeing him for who he truly was.

I am torn over the ending. The world never got to know the genius that was residing inside Olive. It is what she genuinly wanted but given her early demise it seemed harsh she was lost to history and her work still attributed to the man who betrayed her.

I've been thinking a lot about the title. It could refer to so many characters and so many things. Isaac was Olive's muse and, in a way, Olive was Teresa's. Both Quick and the history of the painting was Odelle's, as they allowed her to write. History and politics were also a sort of muse but money was the real motivator for so many events that occured. (hide spoiler)]

Klancy wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Klancy wrote: "Starting this either tonight or tomorrow!"

I'm just over half way through and absolutely adoring this one! I hope you end up loving it as much as I am!"

That makes m..."

I finished it yesterday and this has become a new favourite for me!

Pg 57
(view spoiler)[Quick ran out of the office immediately after seeing Lawrie's painting...I'm calling it now that she's one of the girls in the painting! (hide spoiler)]

Pg 115
(view spoiler)[Whenever I read books that have alternating time periods, I always end up liking the older time period more. I have no idea why...I guess just because I feel like the answers are always hidden in the past. Like Teresa just told Olive the story about two sisters. One was thrown into a well, and the other was beheaded because a lion wouldn't attack her. The people threw her head down into the well for the other sister to find, which is the image that is depicted in the painting Lawrie has in the present. So that must mean Olive paints it? (hide spoiler)]

Dannii wrote: "Fourth quarter - What an astounding wonderful read! I was captivated throughout. Poor Teresa's treatment for not providing her brother's whereabouts was the catalyst that sparked so many things and..."

(view spoiler)[Isaac is the absolute worst and I’m still seething because Olive will never get the recognition she deserves. Even thinking about how Lawrie and Quick’s coworker were speculating on Isaac’s genius just makes me so mad. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[As much as I enjoyed learning about the history at the time, the book just dragged for me. I only really liked reading the 1936 portion of the book because, honestly, I just wasn’t very interested in Odelle and Lawrie’s relationship. Teresa was probably my favorite character, though (hide spoiler)]

Klancy wrote: "Pg 115
[spoilers removed]"

I loved both perspectives but am always more immediately intrigued by the one in the past, too.

Klancy wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Fourth quarter - What an astounding wonderful read! I was captivated throughout. Poor Teresa's treatment for not providing her brother's whereabouts was the catalyst that sparked so ..."

It actually hurt to read! I finished it seething for the lack of recognition. I kinda liked that about it too though, how the book could make me feel that way

Dannii wrote: "Klancy wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Fourth quarter - What an astounding wonderful read! I was captivated throughout. Poor Teresa's treatment for not providing her brother's whereabouts was the catalyst t..."

I wish it had made me feel more throughout the book rather than just toward the end. For a good portion of it I was just bored. I was very intrigued with Quick’s character, though, and why she acted so weird toward the painting. It was the only thing about the 1963 part of the book that kept me interested.

I wish I had loved it more! I’m glad you did :)

Thank you, Klancy :) It's always interesting to see how the same book affects its readers so differently