This week’s post brings together two recent novels, one contemporary and set in Maine, and the other a fictional account of the lives of Thomas Gainsborough’s two girls. Also included are highlights of an elegant wine dinner.
LIFE IN & OUT OF PRISON
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
Maine author Monica Wood’s recent novel, How to Read a Book, is both heartwarming and heartfelt. Violet, only 22, is one of a group of female inmates who meet weekly with Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher, known as the Book Lady. Or more casually as Bookie. These tough women approach books in a judgmental way and regularly attack the choices Harriet makes as she tries out different genres. Violet is both more accepting and more articulate.
Frank is a retired machinist and craftsman, the husband of the woman killed when Violet was driving. He does odd jobs at a local bookstore where Harriet buys books for her group. When released from prison, Violet is pretty much dumped in Portland, a long way from the mill town where she grew up. Equipped with an apartment, she must find a job and make her way in the world of the Outs. She visits the bookstore and sees Frank whom she recognizes from the courtroom. How and why Violet, Harriet, and Frank become entangled in the outside world unfolds over the course of the novel. Providing other perspectives are Harriet’s niece Sophie and Frank’s vengeful daughter Kristy.
I found this a novel to treasure. The chapters rotate among the principals and are told in Violet’s, Harriet’s, and Frank’s voices. The novels and poetry that the book club reads provide links to the overall themes of right and wrong, acceptance and forgiveness. Chief among them is Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. This book of short verses (1916) consists of accounts of the lives of residents in the fictional small town of Spoon River. I recall reading excerpts in high school.
I liked the novel’s setting in Portland, a city I know somewhat, especially its inviting independent bookshop, Longfellow Books, here named Wadsworth. How to Read a Book is a quick read, and an absorbing feel-good one! (~JWFarrington)
ILLNESS AND LOVE ENTWINED
The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes
Thomas Gainsborough was a prolific 18th century portrait painter—society dames, cultured and titled gentlemen, and very often his family. He and his wife Margaret had two daughters, a year apart in age, Molly, the older of the two, and Peggy. Gainsborough painted them when they were 5 and 6 and several more times over the years as they became fashionable young ladies.
Emily Howes’ The Painter’s Daughters, traces the two girls’ extremely close relationship into adulthood. Peggy knows that there is something not quite right about Molly when she becomes vacant and disappears into her own thoughts. Drilled by their mother to be well behaved and a credit to their father and his reputation in society, Peggy doesn’t talk about what she knows and invents ways to bring her sister back into line to appear normal and be safe.
Their father sees Molly’s behavior, but doesn’t openly acknowledge it, while their mother is in fierce denial. It’s a house of secrets, and this is just one of several that impacts how the family functions. A move from tiny Ipswich to higher-toned Bath is designed to give the girls opportunities to make their debut in society and find wealthy husbands.
Molly’s mental illness affects them all, and both daughters are ultimately bound by their love and care for each other and thwarted in their quest for fulfilling marriages. Interwoven with their story is the backstory, hinted at, but not initially revealed, of Gainsborough’s wife Margaret.
The setting, this time and place, are meticulously and convincingly detailed. I found the initial chapters a bit slow, but curiosity about how the sisters’ lives turned out and my interest in the craft of painting kept me engaged. Overall, it’s a tender portrayal of sibling love and mental illness. In her private life, Howes is a practicing psychotherapist. Recommended for fans of historical fiction. (~JWFarrington)
DINING CHEZ NOUS
Spring Showcase Wine Dinner
One of the dining venues here serves a mix of pub fare and more elaborate even elegant entrees. Several times a year, there’s an opportunity to sign up for a special menu with a different wine paired with each of five courses. This week was one of those times, and the focus was on local produce and lighter dishes for spring.
We began with white asparagus on a bed of green asparagus puree with some crisped prosciutto and accompanied appropriately by a rosé.
This was followed by mushroom agnolotti in an onion broth, then delicate duck breast with bok choy and radish, and a palate cleanser of pink pineapple infused with passionfruit, topped with jalapeno rings, cilantro leaves, and lime granita.
Next up was a focus on cauliflower florets and cauliflower puree with seared scallops, and then finally a lemon butter cake with crème anglaise.
The dishes were elegant and delicious, and each wine nicely complemented its dish.
Note: Header photo is The Painter’s Daughters Chasing a Butterfly (c.1756), (independent.co.uk.) Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
