Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish this book and was sad about it. It has a great premise and sounded very interesting. The copy that I received was very disjointed (it was in a word format that didn't work well with my kindle). Because of the format I was unable to follow the complete story. I had to give up at about 25% because I was more frustrated than enjoying the story.

I have it on hold at my local library and am looking forward to completing the book once released.

Thomas Gainsborough is the mid 1700s portrait painter in the title. The story traces his two daughters’ lives as well as that of their maternal grandmother’s. I really loved the sense of time and place the author brought to the novel, especially in Bath regarding medical treatment (think bloodletting, mercury rubs, and mental health—recall Bedlam?) and sanitation, or more accurately, lack of. As for the story itself, a major theme seemed to concern the differences between love, obligation, selfishness. The youngest daughter is the best developed character as much is told from her POV. Reflecting back, I wish there had been more written about Mrs. Gainsborough as she was the link between the two story lines. It was enjoyable and informative.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

The Painter Daughters
By Emily Howes

A Touching Story of Mental Health, Sacrifice and Betrayal

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


SUMMARY
Peggy and Molly are the daughters of the renowned portrait artist Thomas Gainsborough. The two sisters are best friends and enjoy playing in the English countryside. They often spy on their father while he paints and rattles their mother's nerves with their mischief.

When Molly periodically suffers from episodes of mental confusion, forgetting who and where she is, Peggy feels responsible for covering for Molly. When the family moves to Bath, Molly's episodes become more frequent and challenging for Peggy to conceal.

In Bath, the girls are introduced to polite society, and Peggy ultimately falls in love with her father’s friend, Johann Fischer, a well-known composer. Her world is turned upside down by a betrayal. Peggy questions everything she has ever done for Molly as the betrayal unfolds. Should she have always covered for Molly? Now everyone will know…

REVIEW
THE PAINTER DAUGHTER is an interesting and informative historical fiction novel set in the 1700’s. Peggy and Molly’s touching story and the themes of mental health, sacrifice, and betrayal were captivating.

In addition to the two sisters, the novel intermittently introduces another character, Meg Grey, a young woman working in the kitchen of her father's inn in Harwich. Although Meg's story is compelling, without a connection, it interrupts the flow of the main story. I frequently reread pages to ensure I wasn't missing something in this family drama. Who is this Meg Grey?

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Publisher Simon & Schuster
Published February 27, 2024
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

The painters daughters is about a painting done by Thomas Gainsborough. It is a fictionalization of the life of the family of Thomas and the mother of his wife. It is not clear as you are reading the book how it fits together.. There is a lot of repetition but not very much substance in what seems to be the major themes of the book which are 18th century mental illness and society. I think it would help it some of the afterward was a prologue. I also think more detail about the mental illness would be helpful.
#netgalley #simonandshuster #thepaintedsisters #emilyhowes

The description of this book does not do it justice. Slow at first it quickly entangled you to the point that you don't want to put it down. Theain character Peggy is easy to love throughout most of the book while her sister Molly you feel empathy for. One of the best books I have read in awhile. Definitely recommend. Great author, great book, exceptional writing.

I've been deep into historical fiction lately and The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes did not disappoint. Howes managed to bring many paintings from Thomas Gainsborough, a renowned 18th century English painter, to life.

The story is about sisters, Peggy and Molly Gainsborough. While Molly is the older sisters, Peggy knows that she must protect her sister. Molly occasionally will have "mental confusion" While their mother thinks they should be proper ladies, the girls would rather be free and barefoot in the fields.

Molly's illness starts to progress and while Peggy tries to hide it from everyone, it's becoming harder to protect her.

And then a young man enters and destroys the sisters relationship because.....men.

I quite enjoyed this book Howes did an amazing job are setting the scene and bringing the reader into the almost pastoral setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

The Painter’s Daughters is an historical fiction that captures Peg and Molly Gainsborough, the daughters of the well known painter Thomas Gainsborough. Beginning in their youth, when they are wild impetuous children, it follows them through to their final days.
The title may use the word “daughters”, but the story really focuses on the younger daughter, Peg. Peg does not understand where Molly goes sometimes, how she drifts away, what her “funny spells” are. Still, she works hard to protect her sister. The family moves to Bath, so the young girls can become useful. “Accomplished, handsome, fashionable daughters can be useful to a man.” Howe perfectly captures the expectations for young ladies of the era. But also how easily they could be taken advantage of, how often they were pawns in a meaningless game. It makes some interesting points about love, self-sacrifice and obligations. The final meeting of Fischer and Peg was the best scene in the book.
There’s also a secondary plot line involving an innkeeper’s daughter and the Prince of Wales.
The story was a bit of a slog to get through. I was hoping for more about Gainsborough himself and his works. He is more of a shadow character, not often in the frame.
Howe does a good job of setting the stage as to time and place, especially their time in Bath. The remedies for madness seemed well researched.
Other than Peg, I didn’t feel any of the characters were fully fleshed out.
There is an Author’s Note in the beginning which might have provided some insight. Unfortunately, in the ARC I had, it was so messed up as to be unintelligible.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

In this excellent debut historical fiction novel, Emily Howes hits a home run with her depiction of the lives of Molly and Peggy Gainsborough, daughters of the portrait artist. It is an intriguing look into their lives and the secret the family tried to hide.

Children Mary (Molly) and Margaret (Peggy) Gainsborough lead a carefree life in the English countryside while their father Thomas tries to earn a living as a landscape artist. Realizing there is more money to be had as a portrait artist and bowing to his wife's wishes for a more societal life for their daughters, the family moves to Bath in the early 1700s. Success finds Thomas, but at what cost to his daughters? Molly's mental health declines, and Peggy, trying to keep the severity of it from her parents, vows to protect her from commitment to Bedlam. Little did Peggy know the implications of keeping this vow would have on her life.

This carefully crafted novel is beautifully written and transported me to 1700s English life. It is well-researched, resulting in an intimate look into the lives of the Gainsborough family and the society in which they moved. It is a fast-paced and engaging story that captured me from page one. Ms. Howes's next book is about the life of Mrs. Charles Dickens, and I can't wait. If you enjoy historical fiction or good storytelling, you should pick up this book. It's excellent.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is February 27, 2024.

I really enjoyed THE PAINTER'S DAUGHTER. I was hooked from the start. It was a well written exceptional story I think many will enjoy.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

Beautifully written, I couldn't put this book down. I loved the exploration of family ties, especially between sisters. One of the best historical novels I've ever read. Getting to go inside the minds of two characters from the same family in different generations added the perfect balance of understanding the families history, without revealing too much. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book.

This will be one of the biggest historical debuts of 2024.

Intrigued by the amazing blurbs and endorsements this novel has received, I couldn’t wait to read this.

The painter Gainsborough’s daughters are two women forgotten by history — although their faces are in his most famous paintings. A tale of sisterly love, mental health, sacrifice, betrayal and essentially what it means to be a woman with limited choices. It had me gripped throughout.

A remarkable story that, according to the author's epilogue, is loosely based on historical documentation from the 1700-1800s in England. The story follows the two daughters of a portrait artist whose lives and experiences illustrate contrasting commitment in a society where, to choose a man could mean turning one's back on family. Mental illness and period associated stigma is wrestled with. The epilogue ties the story together. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks!

I wanted to like this book. But I found it boring. I feel like that can be the case with some historical fiction book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
 
The Painter’s Daughters was an emotional gut punch. It was almost scary how much I related to Peggy and her thoughts regarding Molly. This book kept me hooked and engaged. There were high stakes and I enjoyed the switching of perspectives. I could almost feel the pressure and tension leaking off the page.
 
The ending was the only disappointment. I understand that the events are loosely based on history, but the writing was my main issue. The ending felt rushed and lacking in emotion compared to the rest of the book.
 
In conclusion, I loved following the life of Peggy and watching both sisters grow and adapt, although the ending did leave something left to be desired.

The Painter’s Daughter’s by Emily Howes is a debut historical fiction novel following the daughters of the painter, Thomas Gainsborough. Peggy and Molly are very close especially because Molly is mentally unwell and Peggy feels like it is her responsibility to take care of her sister. This is a behind the scenes look at the girls from one of Gainsborough’s most well known portraits and really examines how different real life is from the painting.

I don’t read a ton of historical fiction but when I do, I really enjoy historical accounts of real people. Mostly because I like looking into it after reading the book. Emily Howes does a wonderful job in this book of bringing these characters to life. The writing has a historical feel while still being easy readable. I really enjoyed reading about the girls growing up. There is a secondary story line that I actually found a lot more interesting than the main story following Meg. I wish there would have been more about her but after finishing the book, I understand why there was not.

This story is really about sisterhood and the bond that exists there. It isn’t something that is always perfect but it is something very unique. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical stories because it is a great departure from a lot of other historical books I have read.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author has a wonderful talent for character development and establishing the relationships of all the characters. I started this book not knowing anything about a painter named Gainesborough, just thinking it was an historical novel and ended up enjoying the story of two sisters and their parents and all the hardships they endured. A compelling and beautifully told story. I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley as an advance reader copy in exchange for an objective review.

The setting: "..love, madness, sisterly devotion, and control...the two beloved daughters {Peg and Molly} of renowned 1700s English painter Thomas Gainsborough... Molly periodically experiences bouts of mental confusion ,..and Peggy instinctively knows she must help cover up her sister’s condition." The sisters are very tightly bound together [often physically]. They move from Ipswich to Bath to find a suitable husband for Peg and to cover up Molly's issues [which are kept secret]--bedlam and asylum comes up again and again. Their mother--what a piece of work!

Did NOT FEEL THE LOVE that others did. Yes, well researched and well written, but flat. Far too repetitive for my liking -- [ok, Molly's issues did show up repeatedly], but.. On the whole I was bored.

And then the side story of Meg-- a young girl, pregnant by royalty who leaves her home in search of the father hoping for money and...
Could this storyline have been excised--in my mind, yes. although there is a connection, I didn't feel it really added anything to the novel although it did have more spark than much of the rest. [I'm sure others have different opinions.]

Every once in a while a description resonated with me:
"...a voice so tight I fear it might snap the air between them in two"
"suspended in hostility"

And a big disconnect for me was that towards the end of the book, when Molly has said so little all along, she becomes somewhat talkative, even a tad eloquent, Usually, Meg spoke/for her.

What I did find interesting was the information about Bath and the use of mercury as a medicinal cure. Additionally, the cultural tidbits, styles of dressing, and information about society at that time.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I slogged through 2.5, not rounding up.

The Painter's Daughters
by Emily Howes
Pub Date: 27 Feb 2024

Peggy and Molly Gainsborough—the daughters of one of England’s most famous portrait artists of the 1700s and the frequent subject of his work—are best friends. They spy on their father as he paints, rankle their mother as she manages the household, and run barefoot through the muddy fields that surround their home. But there is another reason they are inseparable: from a young age, Molly periodically experiences bouts of mental confusion, even forgetting who she is, and Peggy instinctively knows she must help cover up her sister’s condition.

When the family moves to Bath, it’s not so easy to hide Molly’s slip-ups. There, the sisters are thrown into the whirlwind of polite society, where the codes of behavior are crystal clear. Molly dreams of a normal life but slides deeper and more publicly into her delusions. By now, Peggy knows the shadow of an asylum looms for women like Molly, and she goes to greater lengths to protect her sister’s secret.

But when Peggy unexpectedly falls in love with her father’s friend, the charming composer Johann Fischer, the sisters’ precarious situation is thrown catastrophically off course. Her burgeoning love for Johann sparks the bitterest of betrayals, forcing Peggy to question all she has done for Molly, and whether any one person can truly change the fate of another.

A tense and tender examination of the blurred lines between protection and control, The Painter’s Daughters is a searing portrait of the real girls behind the canvas. Emily Howes’s debut is a stunning exploration of devotion, control, and individuality; it is a love song to sisterhood, to the many hues of life, and to being looked at but never really seen.
#ThePaintersDaughters

A fascinating story about the Gainsborough family: from the artist father, Thomas Gainsborough, to the mother who frets about her daughters, to the two daughters, Molly and Peggy, and their close relationship. Peggy was the younger daughter but she felt that she had to protect her older sister. That relationship sometimes put them at odds with each other; but first and foremost they were close. The author takes known historical facts about Thomas Gainsborough and his family and weaves them into an engrossing tale.

Hooked from the START! This had so much about it that I loved: a complex sister relationship, madness, money, womanhood & marriage, and of course art. Everything is strung together with stylistically engaging prose. The writing was beautiful.

We follow the story of the famous artist Thomas Gainsborough’s daughters, who have an intensely codependent relationship throughout the book. Peggy, the youngest sister, narrates the story as they grow up, doing her best to keep the secret of older sister Molly’s ‘madness’. We also follow the story of Meg, a mysterious girl with an equally engaging storyline.

I loved learning more about the life of this artist’s family! Most is fact and I believe some is fictionalized truth/fabricated slightly by the author to tell the story she wanted to tell, which, considering I’m reading a novel and not a textbook, I am completely fine with.

Really really loved and I look forward to future books Emily Howes writes!