Alchemy of a Blackbird by Claire McMillan has a bit of a slower start, but I appreciate a work of historical fiction that attempts to explore a less-examined era. I learned something reading this one, as opposed to some more well-trod topics.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Claire McMillan's book Alchemy of a Blackbird sweeps a reader around the world - from Paris to the Riviera, to Mexico in the wake of Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington, two non-fictional beings who lived and breathed at a critical moment in history. Their friendship was the connection that bound them through years of war, art, men, magical sensitivities, and growth toward their own artistic goals - known and discovered. Armed with brushes, paint and a shared interest in the occult and tarocchi (tarot cards) they made their way forward, keeping track of each other, as friends do..

Based on the lives of these two women who were in and amongst that group of artists, writers and poets who morphed into the dada movement, dove into surrealism and moved together, mixed and mingled until they all fell into different worlds, this author captures a time with a compelling touch. Her writing sparks with sensual references that hit home with this reader.

Other celebrities met within the covers of this book are Max Ernst, Benjamin Peret, Peggy Guggenheim, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Jean Nicolle, Pixie Colman Smith, and even William Butler Yeats.

There were moments that caused me to read and re-read - the one that's going to stick forever is a moment when Remedios wants to show her friend one of her favorite things to do to feel better about life. She takes Leonora to a mercado stall in the market district of the Mexican town, and buys a raven (the raven coming at a very high price - that she doesn't haggle down) that is frantic in a cage and two crows jammed into a box. She with the boxed crows, and Leonora carrying the caged raven walk little ways out of the bustle of town, and find a place to sit. Remedios opens the box, releasing the crows. Now she can breathe, she says. All the while she is talking about being blocked in her art, and how she works at finding ways to remove those blocks, and this is one of them. Leonora experiences her moment when she opens the raven's cage. My question, which had been present since the book began, is now brilliantly satisfied as I, with these two women watched the three black specks chase their freedom into the blue sky. It was a lovely moment.

"That's all magic is. The focus of will and intention applied to possibilities."

*A sincere thank you to Claire McMillan, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I really did enjoy this book, but it left me wanting more. I usually really eat up historical fiction. I'm hoping on a reread it'll be an even more enjoyable reading experience. Thanks for the arc!

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

This was a slow start for me...it took me a while to connect with the characters. I had previously read Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter which is a good companion read to this book. Once I was invested with the characters, I found this to be a page turner. It was interesting to learn more about these artists and especially the role of women artists during the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

I also enjoyed the information about the tarot cards interspersed throughout the novel.

Spanish surrealist artist Remedios Varo left Spain for Paris to escape the Spanish Civil War, then fled Paris for Mexico when the Nazis moved through France. As a young woman, she often supported the men in her life, creating forgeries or working as a commercial artist instead of focusing on her own creative artistry.

At an opportune moment, she is drawn to a Tarot deck. She learns to read the cards and does so, sometimes as a game with friends, sometimes as a way to uncover truths. Remedios’s dear friend, artist and writer Leonora Carrington, joins her in Mexico City. The two grow in their friendship, their understanding of the Tarot, and the spirituality of nature and the universe. Remedios finds her center and her art.

This is a character-driven novel, and Remedios is a fascinating study. The author has found a perfect structure for this amazing story. Remedios’s life is told in third person, until interrupted by an illustrated Tarot card. The message of the card relates to a person or other influence in her life, at which point the narration changes to that influence, in first person.

These first-person sections shift perspective and widen the world of the story, giving readers a second look at the time, place, people, and events. It is a masterful telling of a story, like being in an extraordinary house and then looking out different windows with spectacular views.

This is a brilliant novel about a captivating yet lesser-known artist and her growth as a painter and as a person. I recommend the print version; I read this on a small e-reader, and the Tarot illustrations were difficult to see.

I usually enjoy historical fiction but I think I have decided that I like historical fiction that is more set in a certain time period than a fictionalized telling of real people.

"Alchemy of a Blackbird" paints the real-life saga of surrealist artist Remedios Varo, tracing her harrowing flight from Nazi-occupied Paris, her anxious wait in Marseilles for escape documents, to her eventual rebirth and artistic revival in Mexico. As someone who gravitates towards historical fiction spotlighting real figures, especially when sprinkled with elements of the occult and tarot, this book initially screamed 'must-read' for me, despite my usual steer clear policy on WWII narratives due to what feels like an overpopulated genre.

However, the book didn't quite hit the mark I had hoped for. The inclusion of the occult felt superficial, used sporadically more as a narrative garnish rather than a deeply explored theme. This, I believe, was partly due to the narrative's distant viewpoint from Remedios herself.

The structural choice of starting each chapter with a third-person view of Remedios, only to shift into a first-person perspective of various other characters partway through, disrupted my immersion. Initially, this technique seemed aimed at providing fresh insights into Remedios and the unfolding events, but it ultimately felt more like an interruption, diluting the story's flow. The heavy sprinkling of historical figures and dates within these shifts felt as though the author was keen on deploying her research rather than enriching the story's fabric. A more intimate first-person portrayal of Remedios, perhaps at the expense of these ancillary narrative diversions, might have offered a deeper connection.

Despite the fascinating premise of showcasing Remedios Varo's metamorphosis, the narrative's execution left me feeling detached, like an observer being narrated to rather than being drawn into the experiential whirlwind of her life. The promise of delving into the depths of the occult and witnessing a personal transformation remained unfulfilled, leaving me yearning for a more immersive journey into Varo's heart and mind.

This historical fiction novel has an extremely engaging format. Each chapter follows the story of Remedios Varo, but is broken by the image of a tarot card, a unique and enjoyable separation. I think it fits in well with the type of story McMillan has crafted.

Overall, I was left constantly wanting more. In particular with Leonora and Remedio's friendship.

I enjoyed this book so much. It has pieces of various favorite subjects for me; tarot, art, friendship, bad romances and history. The pages with tarot cards were especially well written to where I would have liked to have a book or guide written from this author about all the tarot cards. The book jumps at times and there was opportunity to talk about other subjects I would have loved to learn (ie crystals, plants, understanding art) but that’s my only negative feedback; that there wasn’t more to learn! Highly recommended for anyone into the arts and/or esoteric.

Alchemy of a Blackbird is the story of Remedios Varo. She was a Spanish-born, Mexican painter in the first half of the 1900s. Follow her story from Nazi Germany to Mexico and from losing her passion for art to being a successful painter whose art is sought by the wealthy in Mexico. This was such an interesting story of a women who I had never heard of nor seen her art and after reading this I wanted to see her paintings. While a big part of this book is about her muse and the journey to find who she is as a painter, the actual art itself is not a part of the story. I did not get a good idea of the type of art she created, other than the commissions for Bayer and the government, but when I saw her surrealist paintings they made sense with the mystical elements that McMillan discusses in this story.

I highly recommend both this story and Varo's art to any reader of fiction.

I really enjoyed reading this story. I just told my sister she had to read it, too!
Thanks netgalley and the publishers for allowing to read this!!!

Alchemy of a Blackbird is an historical novel and is based on the true story of the painters and occultists Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington. Both women had to break away from their famous partners in order to become icons in their own right. What connected them were the tarot cards, which are the driving force in this story. These two artists were among the early feminists before that term was used as often as it is today. They were women who promoted and proved that women are equally capable of creating art A very enjoyable and engaging read. Highly recommended. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.

Great book and has great characters i enjoy the story and how the author made them so real I felt like I was walking in the story and watching all the characters unfold..

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the advanced copy of Alchemy of a Blackbird in exchange for my honest review.

Claire McMillan's Alchemy of a Blackbird tells a fictionalized story of artist Remedios Varo. Told through multiple points of view with chapter openings featuring tarot cards, this creative novel follows Remedios and her friends and lovers as they flee from Paris during wartime and find refuge in Mexico. Through all her moves and the people she keeps company with, Remedios learns who she is an artist and a woman. She learns how to transform or "alchemize" her experiences to keep herself inspired, finding the true artist within her.

I didn't know that Remedios Varo was a real person until the end of the novel when I read the author's historical notes about all of the characters and events. So to me, this was just a well-written novel about a woman finding her place in the world - a world that favors men, even men who are more talk than action. I liked the friendship between Remedios and Leonora because it reminded me of myself and my best friend, the way they had inside jokes and liked to read each other's tarot.

After reading this book, I want to look up more information about Remedios and find pictures of her artwork. Apparently, there are some at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, so maybe I'll have to check that out some day!

If you like historical fiction or art or both, then you'll also enjoy McMillan's new novel.

Alchemy of a Blackbird is published by Atria Books and is available to purchase now. I received a free e-ARC from the publisher.

Book is fiction but based on facts and a real person.
Remedios Varo, (December 1908 – October 1963) was a Spanish surrealist painter working in Spain, France, and Mexico.
During her early adult years, the books clearly show how female artist were not taken serious at that time. Been in occupied France did not make things easier. Through pure determination her art became more developed and popular after been established in Mexico
Been interested in history, art and woman’s lives. This book was perfect reading for me.
The friendship between Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington shows how a strong tie between two women can exist and through mutual support can help each other.
It also gave me a bit of insights on the use of Tarot cards which I had very little knowledge of.

I absolutely loved this book! The story of two friends, artists who are trapped in occupied France with a host of other artists and friends, waiting for exit papers to leave. Remedios is an artist who doesn't understand just how good she is and is suffocating under the expectations of the others she is with. Leonora is a fellow painter who crumbles under the stress of occupied France. When Remedios stumbles onto a deck if Tarot cards, it literally changes her life by helping her to navigate through what she is experiencing. Told through the perspectives of Remedios, Laura, the creator of the tarot deck, and the others in their lives, Alchemy of a Blackbird gives a fascinating look into the world of tarot and the lives of Laura and Remedios. The writing is terrific, and the character of Remedios is particularly fascinating as she grows and frees herself from the stifling expectations of others. Definitely a 5 star read!

Alchemy of a Blackbird is a fictionalized account of the life of surrealist artist Remedios Varo. It follows her escape from the Nazis in Paris, her time in Marseilles, and her eventual move to Mexico.
I love historical fiction, especially when it's about real people. And I'm a sucker for anything involving the occult and tarot, so this book was right up my alley.
The story itself was interesting, but I didn't love it. I felt like the occult stuff was just kind of thrown in there to make it seem more interesting, but it didn't really add anything to the story. And I thought the point of view was really jarring. It started out in third person, then switched to first person for random chapters. It was really hard to keep track of who was who and what was going on.
Overall, I think this book could have been better. I would have liked to see more focus on the occult stuff, and I think the point of view should have been consistent. But if you're a fan of historical fiction, it's worth checking out.

eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was DNF for me. Unfortunately, I recently watched Transatlantic and this book felt like a novelized version of the show, repeating the same stories with very similar characters. I very much enjoyed the show but it made it difficult for me to get into this book and truly enjoy it.

Claire McMillan offers a mystical occult approach in presenting an intimate historical fiction, yet biographical perspective, on the emotional evolution and artistic explosion of two women artists, Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington, during the Surrealist Revolution that emerged during the fear and turbulence of Nazi-occupied Europe in “Alchemy of a Blackbird.”

While a refugee in France living in secret communes with other artists, writers and philosophers like painter Max Ernst, poet Benjamin Peret, American heiress Peggy Guggenheim, and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, among others, Remedios learned both the Ryder-Waite-Coleman Tarot and the Tarot of Marseille by strokes of good luck from chance meetings with random booksellers. As a result, Remedios carried a deck of Tarot cards with her always and used the knowledge of these insightful tools for the remainder of her life.

Author Claire McMillan separates each chapter with a colorful picture of a Tarot Card, along with its explanation, and attributes aspects of the card to the person in the succeeding chapter to which it refers. The book is also structured with first-person narrative chapters by numerous characters referred to in the text that add depth and understanding to the historical context. Tarot lovers, and artists, will both thoroughly enjoy this novel as I certainly did.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Claire McMillan, and Publisher Altria Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Claire McMillan has a way with words and story telling. I always enjoy the beautiful words that are always used in the writing. Thank you NETGALLEY and publisher for the free e-ARC.