The Painter' Daughters is the story of Molly and Peggy Gainsborough, daughters of famous painter Thomas. The story is told from Peggy's perspective, with the occasional chapter from the perspective of a young woman named Meg, whose connection to the Gainsboroughs and the story as a whole only becomes clear towards the book's end. I had rather mixed feelings about the book. I thought it did a great job portraying the impact of Molly's undiagnosed medical condition - intitally a sort of mental vagueness that was later accompanied by seizures and more worrying behaviour - on the family at a time when medical matters were less well understood than they are now, when abnormal behaviour was viewed almost as a moral defect that reflected badly on the entire family. Given the Gainsboroughs relied on social connections and reputation for their income it was imperative that Molly's condition be kept as quiet as possible. The dynamic between Molly and her younger sister Peggy, who took on the role of Molly's keeper in an effort to keep her safe and placate their mother, was particularly interesting and I appreciated the nuance with which Howes depicted it, allowing Molly to eventually express her dissatisfaction and resentment and Peggy to question her own motives as well as the possibility and advisability of what she was trying to achieve.

However, not all aspects of the book worked for me. I especially question the inclusion of Meg's storyline. Not only was it a story as old as time, but I don't think it added anything significant to the story. The cause of Molly's illness simply didn't feel important to me. I think the story would have been stronger had we heard from both of the painter's daughters directly, although I do understand that a point could be being made by not having Molly speak for herself. However, I loved when we did hear from her and would have liked more. 

Was hesitant to read this since I struggle with historical fiction. I was pleasantly surprised; this was so enjoyable for me because the story focused on the family's day-to-day lives over time. It read like relatable historical literary fiction. 

Energy: Consoling. Conscientious. Hopeful. 

Scene: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 A multi-story home on a bustling street in Bath, England, in the late 1700s

Perspective: We follow our main character, the daughter of a painter, from 11 years old in the 1750s and as an adult in the 1770s. We also get the perspective of an innkeeper’s adult child in the 1720s. 

 

🐕 Howls: Meg’s chapters and Peggy’s internal conflict about romance were more challenging for me to stay interested in (that’s just a me thing). 

🐩 Tail Wags: The sister’s relationship and resulting conflicts. Exploring a 1700s city through a child’s eyes. The writing style and prose.

 

 

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🎬 Tale-Telling: The writing is light, poetic, and elegant without appearing pretentious. The narrative is time-jumping but linear. The narrator’s voice was relaxing and easy to listen to. 

👥 Characters: Likeable, resilient main characters that were easy to root for. Each family member has their own way of dealing with Molly’s condition (some in cruel, dismissive ways!)

🤓 Reader Role: Time-traveling bystander watching events unfold and seeing how the characters handle them. 

🗺️ World-Building: Immersive, sensory, atmospheric, vibrant. 

🔥 Fuel:  What is happening with Molly? Can she be helped? Why do certain things trigger their mother, and why won’t she talk about her past? As the story evolves, we see them grow up and face adult challenges together. Although Molly’s mental health is a major part of the plot, other elements drive the story, from meeting new family members to Peg’s aspirations for her future and the discoveries she makes about her parents. From Meg’s perspective, there’s some withholding at first, but her perspective becomes more revelatory as we connect the dots and wonder how she’ll handle her situation and survive.

📖 Cred: Blending of historical facts with fictional characters and events

🚙 Journey: Slow burn, scenic, bittersweet, winding path. The ending is conclusive but abrupt and sad if you get attached to one of the characters.  

 

Content Heads-Up: Mental illness (child and adult; descriptive, on page; dissociating, panic). Blood, body fluids. Pregnancy. Financial insecurity/homelessness. Loss of child (brief recall, off page). Misogyny. Patriarchy (opinions and limitations for women). Medical (mystery illness, weakness, loss of consciousness). Death. 

Rep: Heterosexual. Cisgender. White British characters.

 

📚 Format: Audible

 

Historical fiction tends to be my comfort read, and I dove headfirst into this one. Howes tells the story of the two daughters of English portrait painter, Thomas Gainsborough. From a young age, Peggy watches over her older sister, Molly, who suffers from mental illness and has spells where she isn’t herself. But nothing can be kept secret for that long as more people are invited into their inner circle, and the small world Peggy grew up in steadily expands.

With colorful, observant writing, Howes explores the forbidden, and all that’s hidden underneath a pretty surface. I especially enjoyed her writing about the act of painting, and the small details that might escape other peoples’ notice. In a novel where not much happens, Howes makes the story feel unrelenting as we wait for the pin to drop. The crescendo is dramatic and scintillating, exploring what one might do to protect someone they love.

A stunning debut, and I look forward to more from Howes!