Michael's parents fled Ireland to go to Australia to escape the famine and political upheaval. Michael & his sister were to stay with their aunt until he could earn the rest of the ticket money to follow. But his aunt died, Lizzie had to go to the workhouse for a while. Finally, they had tickets. After arriving, things were not as they expected.

Their parents had moved to the gold fields where their dad has established a successful freight business. The brother & sister became very successful and philanthropic, taking in several orphans to work for them. The story jumps back and forth from their early days to the early 1900s. Jane, one of the orphans, is a central character. It is story of familial love, & charity. It has some definite surprises.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I was allowed to read it on #NetGalley.

This book is told with dual timelines and takes place in Australia. We follow Michael and Elizabeth and their ward Jane. One day after Elizabeth sees a painting she starts having these spells. Together they all try to figure out what might be the cause. Soon many secrets come to light.
It was a good story, it kept my attention.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

A big thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this terrific book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Tea Cooper wrote an amazing story in The Girl in the Painting. It is based in Australia during the late 1800's and early 1900's. The story centers around an eventually wealthy orphaned brother and sister who live and work together for their entire lives. Their relationship is one of loyalty, love and, of course, secrets. The dual timelines both involve Michael and Elizabeth - as children and as adults. I loved the characters and the story. It is very well written and before you know it, you are in Australia living this story. I highly recommend this book which is due out on March 9th. Read it and enjoy the adventure!

I enjoyed this story more than The Woman in the Green Dress! An interesting story, but maybe just a little too long. Jane and Elizabeth are my favorite characters. I like that the author tells what's true and what's not at the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance e-book. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

After showing an aptitude for mathematics, Jane, an orphan, gains the attention of siblings Michael and Elizabeth. They take her into their home, educate her, and teach her their auction house business. The book alternates with a young Michael and Elizabeth, as they arrive in Australia, only to discover that their parents have died. When adult Elizabeth has a fit after visiting a local art gallery, Jane realizes that there is some mystery in Elizabeth's life.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and engaging. The characters were very dynamic and the mystery unraveled nicely. I will definitely look for more books from this author. Overall, highly recommended.

If you are dealing with the gray days of winter - The Girl in the Painting is the perfect escape. To the golden fields of Australia, this is a story told in two parts - one for a brother and one for a sister. The siblings take in an orphan - and we read how they raise her - and train her to be an accountant -until .... UNTIL....Elizabeth, the sister, has an incident at an exhibit. No one know's what's wrong but Jane - the orphan - is determined to solve the mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this lovely book.

Sometimes when you pick up a book the cover and the description bring to mind a particular vision of how you think the book will end. When I picked up The Girl in the Painting, I anticipated a particular ending but discovered the book wasn't at all what I expected--it was better!

Tea Cooper is a new to me Australian author who specializes in historical fiction and whose books are just now being released in the U.S.A. The Girl in the Painting shares the heartbreaking story of Irish immigrants who after making a new life in Australia use their good fortune to help orphans, like Jane, in their country. Using flashbacks, Cooper shares the story of when Michael and Elizabeth Quinn first came to Australia, their origins in Ireland, and how they became very successful, upstanding citizens. Cooper uses the flashbacks to provide gradually ever more detailed information regarding the Quinn family story. About half way through the book, new characters and a huge plot twist are introduced and that also injects a huge mystery into the book. Although numerous obstacles are thrown in their way, Jane and Elizabeth unravel the mystery. The reader will soon find that everything is not what you expected or even that the characters themselves believed to be true.

For non-Australians, Cooper provides an interesting look at the history and landscape of this beautiful continent. For all readers, Cooper raises some interesting ethical and moral questions to consider. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I received a complementary copy of The Girl in the Painting from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. I am not required to provide a positive opinion.

Looking for a book set somewhere other than small town USA? Then pick up a copy of Tea Cooper’s The Girl in the Painting which takes place in Australia, 1860s and 1910s.
This dual time novel is an interesting story that follows Irish Immigrant Michael O’Cuinn from London, England to the gold mines of Australia in the 1860s. Tragedy strikes his family more than once and as the story progresses we see how family means everything to Michael. His compassion for others is quite evident, and it’s that compassion that creates a bond stronger than blood relations between characters.
Jane Piper is an orphan who has an incredible talent for numbers. In the contemporary time line (1910s Australia) she is taken in by Michael and his sister. She blossoms under Elizabeth’s tutelage. When Jane and Elizabeth visit a special art exhibition, the story begins to unwind in a crazy kind of spiral that reveals our characters are not who we think they are and that their past is quite different than readers are led to believe.
The story begins slow, but sets the foundation for the last half of the novel. The painting for which the book is titled, doesn’t make an appearance until mid-way through the story. It’s this painting that sets off a bizarre series of events that keeps the reader engaged.
There is a great deal discussed about the Chinese faith in the historical storyline, though very little is mentioned about the Christian faith. Catholicism plays a slight role in the historical setting. Not much is mentioned in the way of faith in the contemporary story. This is more of a clean read.
Despite the slow progression in the beginning, the persevering reader will be rewarded with a story that examines the true meaning of family and overcoming hardship for the sake of others.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Girl in the Painting

Jane Piper is an orphan who has a wonderful aptitude for numbers and because of that brother and sister, Micheal and Elizabeth Quinn offer to become her benefactors. They were themselves, orphans, when they came to Australia from Ireland since their parents died shortly after arriving in Australia.

This was slow in the beginning for me and this impeded my interest but I kept reading and the layers kept showing up. I began to see the sense in slowly adding each piece integral to the story. Things really begin to pick up after Elizabeth violently reacts to an art exhibition that she sees, and she keeps repeating the word, “G’woam.” No one knows what it means but they are more mystified by Elizabeth’s demeanor after her reaction. Something has changed her. Her brother is worried and her doctor wants to put Elizabeth in an asylum so she can rest and her brother Micheal is very resistant to this idea.

Unexpectedly, Micheal dies and that's when things take even more of an uptick.

Through Marigold Penter’s art and Elizabeth’s memories, this was an over sweeping story of bringing two long-lost sisters back together.

I really liked Jane and her quick thinking, her impulsiveness, and her loyalty to Elizabeth and Michael though not related to her, she is determined to find out (with Timothy, Marigold’s son) what exactly happened to Elizabeth and fill in the missing pieces of her life.

My gratitude to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. All opinions expressed are mine.

The Girl in the Painting was my first experience with a Tea Cooper novel, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised. This was a beautiful, historical fiction novel that wraps the reader up into a dual timeline set in historic Australia. We mainly follow Michael and Elizabeth Quinn, Irish immigrants to the land down under, and an orphan girl named Jane who they've taken into their home as their new ward.

Jane quickly adapts to the dramatic change in her lifestyle, and is beyond grateful that these generous siblings have chosen to give her the opportunity to better her education, and help out with the accounts at the family business. However, Michael and Elizabeth are both harboring deep, dark secrets that threaten the family's security and stability. Once brought to light, Jane struggles to solve the mysteries surrounding the two people she's come to care the most about, but will stop at nothing to do so.

I found myself enchanted with this lovely novel right from the opening pages, and I loved how poetic and whimsical so much of the writing was. The mystery kept me glued to the pages, as I found myself completely engrossed and immersed in everything unfolding, and while I had guessed some of the mystery correctly, certain parts of it still ended up surprising me.

I loved my first experience with a novel by this author, and really enjoyed the way that the past and present collided, and the focus on strong female heroines who dared to go against society's expectations for females during this time period. I would wholeheartedly pick up a book by this author in the future, and I'll definitely be recommending this one.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a time slip novel set in Australia.

The story centers around Michael and Elizabeth who are siblings. The story goes back and forth about 40 years as they tell the story. It's hard for me to give too much of a description without giving the story away. There are lots of twists and turns in the novel that will leave you questioning who the characters are and how they are part of the story.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I was hooked from the first page. This novel is certainly one to read. It is set in England and Australia at the

end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth, Jane from the orphanage, has a

brilliant mind and a now grown-up Elizabeth. are destined to meet. under very strange circumstances. Elizabeth

has ornithophobia. Can Jane help her to unravel the cause? This tale is a true mystery filled with trauma,

betrayal and intrigue., A captivating read.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own. I liked this story, and I liked how the author gradually let the reader know how the girl in the painting connected to the mystery of this story. The setting was also great-Australia! I read this book very fast because I wanted to see what happened next. When I start reading a book by author Tea Cooper, I know it is going to be a winner. Highly recommend!

Elizabeth Quinn is very lucky to have a brother like Michael. He has taken care of her since her parents died.
Now she does what she can when others need help. Jane is like a daughter to her she was taken out of an orphanage and Elizabeth and Michael mentored her and now she is helping run one of their businesses.
When an English artist comes to Australia to show her paintings, Elizabeth is starting to have strange dreams about the paintings. Now she is asking Jane to help her with her strange memories and dreams.
I was given this book to read and review by the publisher through Netgalley.
It is a historical fiction, having taken several historical events that actually happened and weaving it into this story.
Very entertaining.

I wasn’t planning on requesting any more ARCs that are released in March 2021 because the queue was getting slightly overwhelming, but I couldn’t resist The Girl in the Painting. I read The Woman in the Green Dress by the same author last year, and was very pleasantly surprised, so I hoped this book would do the same. And fortunately, it did.

The Girl in the Painting is a beautiful story that spans several years and is told from two different timelines and several perspectives. The majority of the book is set in colonial Australia, which is a beautiful setting for a historical fiction novel like this. There were many ingredients to this book, and put together they made for a very compelling read. Especially the mystery that is introduced later on had me completely captivated.

If Tea Cooper writes another book in the future, I’ll be sure to pick that up as well, because she’s an amazing writer of historical tales.

Fascinating book! I loved learning about the cultural places in Australia and the way the modern Art galleries came to be. Of course the novel is much more than this, but the detail in the story really makes it shine. You can tell the author has done some work! It never reads like that though. A sumptuous saga and tale I am pleased to have read.

A very well written historical novel. Good plot and character dynamics and a nice Australian setting. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Unfortunately this was a mixed bag for me.

The historical part of the book (Australia, 1860s-1915) was well done/researched and quite interesting with some wonderful descriptions of life/towns at the time. But I found the rest of the writing rather stilted and bumbling with dual timelines/stories/speakers.

It involves a brother and sister (Michael & Elizabeth) who (in one timeline) we see as youngsters making their way alone to Australia to meet their parents and how they carve out a place of their own. As adults, they adopt an orphan (Jane) and give her a chance to develop her exceptional math abilities and advance in the workplace. Seventy-five percent in, there is a jarring twist as a mystery evolves around Elizabeth’s past.

There were moments when I felt that it was hinted that this would take an even more sinister turn than it did and made me feel a little lost and off balance. It was a slow starter and a bit overly long and other than Jane, I found a disconnect with most of the characters.

But for those who enjoy (mostly) Australian historical fiction, it will probably be an enjoyable read.

Thanks to #ThomasNelson and #NetGalley for providing me the early ARC for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Let me say first that this book deserves a five-star rating. The plot is interesting, the historical details are compelling, and the characters engaging.

The story switches between two timeframes, about fifty years apart. The earlier story focuses on a young Michael and Elizabeth, brother and sister, who travel to Australia to join their parents who went out first from Ireland to establish a home. The second story centers on young orphan, Jane, who is brought into the home of a much older Michael and Elizabeth, who have become wealthy landowners. The stories merge as a mystery surfaces into what happened before Michael and Elizabeth emigrated. The logical-minded Jane puts her talents to use to help untangle the mystery.

This was a plot that felt unnecessarily complicated in areas. This isn’t to say it’s a complicated plot – only that there were some extra elements that didn’t seem to add much to the overall story.. Regardless of this nitpick, this was a good read and the author handles the material well.
I like when a historical fiction writer includes a little information in the back of the book, as Cooper does here, that clues the reader in on what parts of the book were true. To me, it shows the writer did her research and she also includes a note about where her inspiration for the book came from.

A solid book for fans of historical fiction.