This is a book about a famous and famously tight-lipped abstract painter. She’s in her nineties when we first meet her, just after a fairly substantial earthquake shakes her Western Oregon town. It’s almost like that earthquake shakes loose some cobwebs, because Violet, who we learn very early on is dying of cancer, starts recalling her long-hidden past, many burdens that she’s carried for many years. She eventually decides to reveal her secrets in a documentary that her filmmaker grandson has been asking her to make for a long time.

Mainly, I really enjoyed this book. I particularly loved Violet’s sections - in the past or present - because you can tell that she’s an artist. The whole world is vibrant and colorful to her, and the language reflects that. I highlighted many passages in her sections because they were so gorgeous. The other sections where we hear from the other members of her family don’t have that kind of language, so while they’re fine and effective, they seem muted in comparison. Also, we don’t hear much at all about Violet’s actual painting until MUCH later in the book. In fact, most of the advertised synopsis doesn’t start to happen until 70% of the way into the book.

There was a little extra oomph that this book didn’t have to make it a shining star, 5-star read, but it was definitely one of those quietly powerful books I love so much. I’d say if you’re a Lily King fan, this one might be a good one for you to check out.

I was invited by NetGalley and Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt to read the ARC of Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan, by Deborah Reed, in exchange for an honest review. It is a generational saga covering Violet’s life from youth to her death at 93.
At age 14, Violet escapes a difficult and abusive life, and runs cross-country to the Oregon coast, making a few friends along the way. Life on the road is tough for a young girl alone, but Violet imagines her life the way she hopes it will be. She sketches and paints scenes and people she sees along the way, depicting tragedy and pain as abstract art. In doing so, she becomes a talented artist. Always painting in pastel colors, she develops her unique style. Later she meets the man who will become a devoted husband; and he sends photos of some of her work to a gallery in New York City. Thus begins a brilliant and prosperous career as a famous artist.

Years later her son finds a DNA match that appears to be a half-sister. Near death, Violet acknowledges the daughter, but charitably doesn’t tell the woman she is the result of a rape. Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan, is the title of a documentary her grandson, Daniel, wants to produce about his beloved grandmother. After resisting the interviews for years, Violet finally shares her difficult life story with Daniel.
What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
Incorrect verb usage:
• Wasn’t vs. weren’t
• Showed vs. shown
• Was vs. were

A beautifully told journey of Violet Swan’s 90 year long life. She’s a strong women, who expresses herself through her art. This story was one that was hard to read, but really beauty to experience. The prose was exquisite, yet artistic and complex.

I really enjoyed this tale of elderly artist Violet Swan who is now approaching the end of her life and I found it a compelling read. Violet, after an inauspicious start in life, has now achieved fame and renown as an abstract painter. As her end nears, long hidden secrets start to come to the fore, not least when her much loved grandson Daniel persuades her to let him make a documentary about her life. Violet is a complex character and it’s a joy to get to know her. The book is an exploration of family, family relationships and family dynamics, and also about art and the power of art. Dramatic things have happened in Violet’s life, but the book is a quiet and calm one, which unfolds through a series of flashbacks – flashbacks which are expertly handled by the author so the that narrative proceeds seamlessly. A slow read, but a well-written and well-paced one, and a story that is both moving and heart-warming.

Gentle, interesting and with surprising twists in the plot, this carefully told story of Violet Swan was wonderful. This book contained wonderfully depicted characters and lots of family secrets unveiled. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the e-copy for review. All opinions are my own.

This book starts with an earthquake but then moves glacially slow in all of the right ways. We slowly get to know The 93-year-old famous abstract painter, Violet Swan. Moving back and forth from past to present we learn about Violet's life. Her history, her heart aches, the oh so difficult hard times and her precious and beautiful memories. As her grandson finally gets to know her in her last days while filming a documentary about her life, Violet relives those many memories with a new understanding and peace. I enjoyed reading and savoring this beautiful book and at the end, I loved the description of (no spoilers here, I'll let you read the description) and beautiful meaning behind Violet Swan' painting, Pale Morning Light with Violet swan... "Like the Dawn of a New day. Each one is an offering, take it, it's yours to do what you want with it." I'll end with our family motto which seems appropriate after this quote... "Make every moment count" ❤️
PS...This would be a great Book Club pick!

This beautiful book is about families, both biological and found, and the love and tensions that bind them. Its about art, and how it both illuminates life, and provides a shelter from its harshness. The central figure of the book, Violet Swan, the oldest surviving member of her family, looks back on a long, sometimes difficult, yet fruitful life. A runaway as a child, now a widow, but living with her son and his family, she seems to be engaged in a reckoning with the mistakes she made and the happiness of the life she managed to create. She reminded me that while remaining engaged with the larger world, it is critical to stay focused on the tiny moments that make up a life.

Thanks to Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for introducing me to this author and the chance to read this book.

Pale Morning Light of Violet Swan is a lyrical novel that moves at a leisurely pace, as it tells the story of artist Violet Swan's life. We first meet Violet at age 93 and go back through time to different points in her life. The book alternates between past and present as we learn about her heartaches as well as special times. We meet members of Violet's family and the characters are interesting and feel real. I felt connected to Violet and enjoyed not just her story but especially the way art and nature are a part of the tale, which resonated with beauty and peace even during difficult times. I recommend this as an excellent read.

The cover of this book looks so calming and elegant. The second I saw this cover it put me in the mood for some high brow literature. The only problem was that I wasn’t quite in that sam mood when I picked this one up to actually start reading.

When I first read the description for this one, it was back in early spring and was due to be released in the early summer but then it got pushed back to the fall and while I might have been ready for some heavy reading in the spring/summer, I was not in the mood for that in the fall.

But I picked it up anyway because that cover is truly stunning and I love the artistic feel of it and I thought it might be a nice change of pace from all the murder and horror I have been reading lately.

Summary
The story of a famous abstract painter at the end of her life—her family, her art, and the long-buried secrets that won’t stay hidden for much longer.

Ninety-three-year-old Violet Swan has spent a lifetime translating tragedy and hardship into art, becoming famous for her abstract paintings, which evoke tranquility, innocence, and joy. For nearly a century Violet has lived a peaceful, private life of painting on the coast of Oregon. The “business of Violet” is run by her only child, Francisco, and his wife, Penny. But shortly before Violet’s death, an earthquake sets a series of events in motion, and her deeply hidden past begins to resurface. When her beloved grandson returns home with a family secret in tow, Violet is forced to come to terms with the life she left behind so long ago—a life her family knows nothing about.

A generational saga set against the backdrop of twentieth-century America and into the present day, Violet Swan is the story of a girl who escaped rural Georgia at fourteen during World War II, crossing the country alone and with no money. It is the story of how that girl met the man who would become her devoted husband, how she became a celebrated artist, and above all, how her life, inspired by nothing more than the way she imagines it to be, will turn out to be her greatest masterpiece. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
While this book might not have been what I was in the mood for, it doesn’t mean that it was a bad read. While I might have been more in the mood for horror and mysteries, this book was a slower paced, like a gentle breeze with thoughtfulness and reflection. I also loved the it featured the Oregon Coast, which is a place that I go often so I felt that I really had a sense for the scenery and setting of this novel. For me the setting added a lot for that simple reason. When the setting is that familiar to me as a reader, it takes on a life of its own and thus makes me enjoy the novel that much more.

I enjoyed the main character, Violet, and thought that her character was a colorful and abstract as her paintings and she had a genuine quality about her that was refreshing in this book. While it might not have been the past paced read that I was looking for, it forced me to slow down and savor the story and characters in a way that I wasn’t in the mood or even prepared to do.

In many ways I think if I had read this book a few months ago, I would have given it five stars. The reflection, pace, and overall peace of the novel made it perfect for a lazy summer afternoon where it’s light out longer and the days are warm and you can forget about everything around you and just be absorbed in the intensity of the book. But considering I read it at a time when I was more geared up for dark twisty mysteries, I think I might have enjoyed it less based on my mood. My mood made it difficult to review.

This book was a deep and reflective book and I would consider it more high brow and intellectual. There were a lot of heavy themes and a lot of things to unpack and process in this book. There is a distinct sadness around Violet’s character that radiates off the pages and I really enjoyed that about her character. If you love books with a lot of heart as well as books that make you think and examine not just the characters but even yourself, then you are going to love this book.

Endearing story of a woman whose life journey was marked with struggles but ended with a loving family. She left Georgia at fourteen and traveled out west and discovered a love of art and painting. She also discovered good and bad people along the way. She finally met a man who she could love and had a family ...

This is definitely not a quick read! This book is meant to be savored slowly. While it can be a little jarring in places and can be difficult to get into, you just need to persevere. It is well worth it! Violet Swan has lived a very full life with her art but she has also lived a very hard life. On her own at 14, disfigured, poor and searching she makes her way from the woods of Georgia to the Oregon coast in an amazing journey. All of the characters are rich with personality and quirks and the setting is breathtaking. A lovely tale that will leave you feeling as though you knew Violet as well as anybody can.
.I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

While enjoying this novel, I couldn’t help but think of the elderly version of Rose in James Cameron’s Titanic, when she reveals that, “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.” That perfectly explains our heroine in the Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan, a Novel of Life in Art.

An out-of-the-blue earthquake shakes up more than just the terra firma in this tale of family, long-buried secrets, and undying, though often unexpressed, familial love.

Violet, her son Frank, and daughter-in-law Penny are living a peaceful life of daily sameness on the peaceful Oregon coast when they are jostled into alertness and self-awareness. Sure, the house is a bit tossed on the inside – shelves fallen down, a bump on Frank’s head. But it is what is unfolding inside the hearts of the home’s inhabitants that moves this tale along.

That’s not to say that life has always been easy for the Swan family. Violet viciously misses her husband Richard, and so does her son Frank. Both Violet and her Penny are concerned about Frank, who seems caught up in a cycle of staring at his cell phone and testy moodiness. Then there is Violet’s grandson who lives in California, but who hasn’t been back home in years, despite the fierce closeness he and Violet share.

As the cast our characters thaw before our eyes, we also travel back in time with Violet as she tells the reader of her tale of how she came to live in coastal Oregon, the trials she met along the way, meeting the love of her life and Frank’s father Richard, and why she’ll never leave her coastal home. As Violet herself tells us, “The thing about time was that no matter how Violet had changed on the outside, on the inside she had remained every age she ever was.”

Then, too, as if the hauntingly beautiful landscape of coastal Oregon on which this story is cast isn’t enough, the tale is also painted along the way with Violet’s soul-stirring art.

Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan is a life-affirming read, if a bit slow-going and moody at times. If you’re a fan of stories with feisty older ladies such as Hazel Prior’s How the Penguins Saved Veronica or Danielle Steel’s Neighbors, then this might just be for you.

A big thank you to Deborah Reed, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for providing a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

#PaleMorningLightWithVioletSwan
#ANovelOfLifeInArt
#DeborahReed
#MarinerBooks
#HoughtonMifflinHarcourt
#NetGalley

Deborah Reed opens Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan: A Novel of a Life in Art with an earthquake on the Oregon coast that knocks 93-year-old Violet, a renown abstract artist, to the floor, shattering the glass covering old family photos and making a gash in son Francisco's head when a kitchen cupboard comes loose and strikes him. Although no one is seriously injured the earthquake foreshadows changes this family will soon face, dark family secrets that will soon come to light.

Violet has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, but has not told Francisco and daughter-in-law Penny, who handle the lucrative sale of her paintings, a success that constantly surprises Violet. Living upstairs from Francisco and Penny, Violet regularly overhears argument but never sounds of love. Grandson Daniel, a film maker and Violet’s only grandchild, has announced he is coming up from Southern California because he has something to tell everyone.

Filled with memories of her past—her loving husband, her grandson as a child, her own horrific childhood experiences that caused her to make a difficult journey from Georgia to the West Coast on her own as a young teen, aging Violet’s mind frequently jumps between past and present as one thing reminds her of another, giving readers brief glimpses of her a life she has made on the West Coast and the secrets she has concealed for well over a half century.

Readers learn that Daniel, a film maker, has been wanting to make a documentary of Violet’s life and career, but Violet has turned him down in the past. With little time to live, she will soon change her mind.
Deborah Reed gives readers a story in which an earthquake and the colors of nature can symbolize, shape, and reflect lives. Sometimes tragic and other times uplifting, Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan is well worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books and Deborah Reed for the advance reader copy.

A beautifully written look into the long life of Violet Swan. Uncovering so many ups and downs throughout the artists life, I was strongly compelled to continue with this one. I look forward to more from this author.

An earthquake finally loosens the tight hold Violet has kept on her personal history. She's 93 and knows that she's dying but she's never been willing to explain much about herself, allowing her art to speak for her. This hasn't been satisfying for her son Francesco or his wife Penny or most of all her grandson Daniel. Now, though, she agrees to a documentary Daniel wants to make. This moves back and forth in time to tell her story. It's a tale of poverty,. struggle, art, and love. She's a fascinating character and a good reminder that often our elders are more than they seem. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

“I think you know. There’s something going on in this family. It’s not exactly what it seems. I don’t know why, but before the earthquake it seemed easier to dismiss or hide or just live with. But now it’s as if things won’t fold back up and fit into the box they came in.”

This book is absolutely breathtaking. This is the story of Violet Swan, a famous painter, at 93, living with her only son and his wife in a small town by the sea. There's an earthquake and it's the beginning of the unraveling of all things. As this family starts reckoning with all that's going on.

"She believed life was better lived when one left open the gate, so that whatever had wandered into the corral could just as easily wander out."

Simultaneous to the current day timeline, we get to go back in time and read about Violet's harrowing journey during WW2 as she travels from her home, alone, as a young teen, to California. All that she endures and her tenacity and resilience.

"The opaline streaks across the heavens, the flock of cerulean warblers migrating over the forest like pieces of moving, frenetic blue sky, caused Violet to weep the way the country preachers had."

The writing in this book is poetic, visual, and takes your breath away. It's an experience that you will want to savor as you sit and let the words wash over you. The colors, the music, the motion, it's unlike anything.

"When Violet turned back to the sky, a wave of loneliness turned with her. Penny was like a barometer. An emotional reactor to things unsaid. Violet guessed this was why she talked so much, as a way to fill the air, temper the world’s volatility, smooth everything over, and put herself at ease."

As if that's not enough, the characters are deep, complex and 3-dimensional. They each go through their own journey and change and evolve throughout the story. You can imagine these people so well. You want to give each of them a hug.

And the small town, the beach, the beautiful romance of Violet and her husband are all icing on this incredible cake. I can go on and on but you'll want to read it for yourself. It's absolutely magnificent.

with gratitude to netgalley and Mariner Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I felt confused while reading this. I had to keep rereading sentences on every page because of the sentence structure making things difficult to completely comprehend.

I enjoy slow, quiet novels and this was one of those although it begins with an earthquake, which certainly isn't quiet, when a house is moving, things are falling off the walls, furniture is shifting, and the body and mind are in an uproar. During the earthquake, we are with 95 year old Violet Swan, a renowned abstract artist, at the end of her days. While she is still on the floor of her loft, her mind goes back to the past, and later, she will revisit the past in her dreams, the retelling of her memories to her producer grandson, and in her art, her last masterpiece.  Violet has secrets, about exactly how the fire started that caused the burns on half her body, about brutality to her body and soul, about where she came from and why she ran. 

The arrival of her grandson, Daniel, to the home where Violet lives with her son Francisco and his wife Penny, is the catalyst for Violet to finally tell her secrets. Violet's art is known to evoke "tranquility, innocence, and joy". Even as a young Violet was struggling to survive day by day, with barely enough to eat, working long hours, wearing threadbare clothes, she knew she wanted to paint and spent every non working minute learning her art. She also had an address, all the way across the country, and she made it to that address and the man she would marry, after a hard four year journey. 

In the background of this story are the sounds of the bird that bangs on her gutter, in Violet's last days, a sound that Violet enjoys, the sound of her old cat, the sound of her son and daughter in law arguing, and later the sound of her grandson Daniel and the sound of his surprise. And now there is going to be the sound of Violet telling her story as Daniel films a documentary about her and her life, in her loft, among her art supplies and paintings, in the place she most wants to be. There is a melancholy feeling to this story that leads into a sense of contentment, a gift from Violet, to her family, that I didn't expect. 

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

A beautiful story about one woman's journey from childhood during prohibition until her death in 2018. 90 years of being shaped by the world around her and finding the ability to release her emotions through art. A strong woman who loved the simple things, experienced horrible things that made her stronger, and weaker, and owning that.

Thank you NetGalley , Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Deborah Reed for review of this book.
Deborah Reed has written a gripping book about Violet Swan a ninety-three year old abstract artist with a mystery for her life.. She has scars from the hand down to her foot of one side of her body which has led to many questions but very few answers as Violet is seriously private about her life. She lives in the loft of her first home where she spends her time painting her picture and she wants to desperately finish her current picture.. Violet Swans secrets start when she is 14 and last her entire life and affect her entire family. As they all have their secrets. It isn’t until Daniel, her grandson, shares his secret that things start to break open with the entire family.
Deborah Reed is written a great character-driven novel and is a great read.
#Netgalley #houghton Mifflin Harcourt #PaleMorningLightwithVioletSwan