I have one word to describe Diane Chamberlain’s newest book- incredible! As a long-time fan of Diane Chamberlain, I was super excited to get an advanced copy. I was not disappointed! I love the writing style (2 stories overlapping), the strong female characters, and the surprise ending. As a lover of history & art, I love that the plot centered around preserving a painting. I love all of Diane Chamberlains books, but this is my new favorite! I will be recommending this book to everyone and can see it being a hit in book clubs.

Thank you NetGalley for inviting me to read this novel. I’ve been a fan of Diane Chamberlain’s for a few years now, and each new book gets better and better.

This novel goes back and forth from the 1940s to 2018. Anna Dale is a young artist in 1940 picked to paint a mural for a town in NC that she’s never been to. And in 2018, Morgan Christopher is released from prison on the condition that she completes the restoration of this mural many many years later.

There are many small twists and turns throughout the book. Easy light read, couldn’t put it down!

This story flips between Morgan in 2018 and Anna in 1939. Morgan is a young woman who finds herself released from prison early in exchange for taking on a major art restoration project. While Morgan is an artist, she has never studied or undertaken restoration projects and she has a large task to complete before her deadline. She sees the mural that Anna created back in 1939, and many questions come up. Who was Anna? What was going through her mind when she painted certain elements on the mural? And, what ever happened to Anna?
I found myself very intrigued by the restoration process of the painting and saw the pieces and colors be uncovered in my mind. And, learning more about Anna was fascinating as well. I couldn't read the story fast enough, and I can't wait for this book to be published in January!

Diane Chamberlain has done it again with an unforgettable novel that tackles racism, murder, art, relationships, and more.

In 1940, Anna Dale is a young woman who wins a competition to paint a mural that will be displayed in the Edenton, North Carolina post office. Anna is far from her home in New Jersey and decides to stay in the little town while she goes through the process of creating the painting. While she quickly befriends a number of the folks in town, there are others who are upset that she won the competition. Anna also learns that racial prejudices are prevalent, and there might be danger lurking.

In 2018, Morgan Christopher, a former art student, is in jail for a crime she didn't commit. She is offered a get out of jail card in the form of being released on probation if she agrees to restore an old painting that was supposed to have been displayed in the Edenton post office decades prior. She agrees, but never expects to uncover a plethora of secrets, lies, and deep-rooted history in a small town.

This book was very hard to put down, and as usual, is written so richly and with care that it reads like a film. I felt moments of joy, heartache, speculation, and suspense while reading it, and Diane Chamberlain is on top of her game as usual. I have read all but her very first two novels, which I will get to now that they have been re-released, and I don't think I would rate any one of them less than 5 stars. I was completely honored to receive an ARC from St. Martin's Press after reviewing her previous novel (personal favorite THE DREAM DAUGHTER). This is another one I will highly recommend to anyone who looks to me for recommendations.

The hardest parts about finishing a Diane Chamberlain novel are knowing whatever I read next will not compare, and that I will have to wait awhile until her next novel. 5 very enthusiastic stars from me!

Thank you so much for providing me with this book early to review! I was so surprised to find this in my email and it couldn't have come at a better time. I really needed a book to get me out of a reading slump. I haven't been reading books that I love lately and I really needed a book to love. I always read Diane Chamberlain without even reading the synopsis. She is an autobuy author for me. This is my 22nd book that I've read by Diane Chamberlain and she does not disappoint with this book. I love when authors are able to blend a historical fiction timeline with a present timeline seamlessly. I was able to predict one of the connections, but it didn't affect my feelings toward the book at all. I also really enjoy the way that Diane Chamberlain is able to put hard-hitting issues in an accessible way for readers. When you leave a Diane Chamberlain book she always leaves you feeling like you've learned something and it really makes you think. She is able to take a contemporary story an extra step that really pushes boundaries without going too far. I will continue to read everything Diane Chamberlain writes and will continue to fully promote her to my youtube subscribers. Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this e-book!

Diane Chamberlain’s books are always five star reads! This one was endearing, touching and I learned something about art restoration. Morgan Christopher, a young art student, is in prison for a crime she did not commit. She receives an offer which will put her on parole if she agrees to restore a mural painted in 1940. This mural was painted by Anna Dale. As Morgan works on the restoration she becomes more curious about Anna and the peculiarities she is finding in the painting as she works on it. The story moves between the present time and 1940 in perfect synchronicity. It just works perfectly. The story becomes more engrossing the more you read and I loved the perfect ending.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I always love when a new Diane Chamberlain book comes out. This book tells a story about 2 different women - Anna in 1939 and Morgan in 2018. Anna painted a mural in 1939 and never finished it. Morgan was wrongly accused and sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit. A lawyer got her out early as she was chosen to restore this mural from 1939. Morgan had no idea how to restore a mural but she wanted out of prison so would “give it a go”. Both stories tie together very nicely with a big red bow tied around it towards the end and I loved it!! Well done Diane Chamberlain!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy. All opinions are my own.