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!

I liked the premise of historical fiction based on a real-life artist's family, but I really did not enjoy the depiction's of the younger daughter's mental illness and the older daughter's stressful predicament of hiding it from their cold, appearance-obsessed mother. With all of the horrors in the world right now, I just had a hard time reading about the physical and emotional suffering of children.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This review is for a pre-release copy of The Painter's Daughters, that I was given via NetGalley. It is due for publication February 27th, 2024, and is 320-pages long in the kindle edition.

This is a historical fiction novel based on real-life English painter Thomas Gainsborough, who was married and had two daughters in 1700's England. The story is basically about Thomas's wife moving them into the city of Bath to introduce the girls to society, but the younger daughter has mental health issues that the older daughter Peggy tries to hide from others. Eventually Peggy falls in love and wants to move on with her life, but what will happen to Molly?

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this novel with its period details and character studies. 4-stars.

"The Painter's Daughter" by Emily Howes is a poignant exploration of love, madness, and sisterly devotion set against the backdrop of 1700s England. With a compelling narrative centered around Peggy and Molly Gainsborough, daughters of the renowned painter Thomas Gainsborough, the novel skillfully delves into the complexities of family dynamics and societal expectations.

The strength of the book lies in its well-crafted characters, particularly Peggy. The portrayal of sisterly bonds and the challenges of dealing with Molly's mental struggles are portrayed very well and add emotional richness to the story. I did feel like the novel loses a bit of steam towards the end; I was eager for answer! But, despite this, the resolution provides a satisfying conclusion to the story, tying up the loose threads in a meaningful way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thomas Gainsborough is a man who loves his craft, though he would prefer landscape painting to painting portraits for money, a gambler, a philanderer, who relies on his wife for money, and a father who sees his daughters as children to pet and paint but would rather be anywhere else when there is a problem. Both his daughters, Molly, a year older, and Peggy, who he calls Captain, would do anything to gain his affection, attention or approval.

The story is told by Molly and Peggy. All of the sudden a new character Meg makes an appearance. Her chapters seemed to be put in at odd times and interrupted the flow.

Molly and Peggy are inseparable and Peggy takes on the role of older sister always protecting Molly. Molly has instances where she seems to be in a fugue state never remembering what happened. She also was prone to sleepwalking. Peggy did whatever was necessary to hide her sister’s proclivities from anyone who could potentially remove Molly from her. Their mother determined that for financial reasons the family needed to move to a more urban area where her husband could generate more income. The girls were required to become part of society but Molly’s unstable behavior became a problem.

Peggy believes she will have to protect Molly forever as she cannot fathom Molly living on her own or with a husband and any man she would marry would have to accept Molly in the package. Eventually they both meet a musician friend of their father’s and both fell in love. How far will sister devotion go? Why is Meg important? It is an interesting twist that will keep you engaged.

Thank you Simon &Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a beautiful story. I had no real familiarity with Thomas Gainsborough or his life before reading this book, aside from being familiar with his paintings. However, this book was so interesting and enlightening I began reading about him after finishing it. The story follows the main character Peggy, Gainsborough's daughter, and another character named Meg, who is a barmaid. The storylines intertwine in the most interesting way, and I will not divulge further, but I was so happy and thought the story so touching. The insight, and setting for much of the story was so well researched and transporting that I was sad when it ended. However, the book was so beautiful I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something truly well done. Highly recommend.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fictional story about Peggy and Molly Gainsborough, the two daughters of a real English portrait painter Thomas Gainsborough. The story is about family life, mental illness, and what society expects of both women and men in the time period.

Peggy and Molly are close sisters and each other’s only companions growing up. They basically raise themselves given their father is focused on his art and their mother is consumed by making ends meet and being accepted into society along with her daughters. Molly experiences mental illness and Peggy starting as a child covers for her sister to provide protection from the stigma and usual practice of putting someone in an asylum.

A parallel story about Meg, a pregnant unmarried young woman, merges with the Gainsborough family backstory.

This is a heartbreaking story about what we do and give up for those we love and try to protect. I received this book from NetGalley for this review.

I have never heard of the 19th century painter but apparently he was famous throughout England and many of his paintings were of his two daughters. This story is an historical fiction of their lives. They start off in the countryside but the mother wants to move to the city to introduce her daughters to high society. The only problem is one of the daughters has a secret; she’s going mad and the sister has to protect her from anyone knowing or the mad sister will be sent to an asylum. As they get older and the episodes are happening more and more their lives are changing and not for the better.

Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are the daughters of a famous painter and are often the objects of his paintings. They are often called to be in society, and Molly has a mental condition that would make her vulnerable to being in an asylum. Peggy tries to shield Molly until she falls in love with a friend of her father's.

This was a beautiful story of sisters, family, and how far we can go to change another person's issues. It was beautifully written.

Based on the renowned artist Thomas Gainsborough’s paintings of his daughters, Emily Howes researches little known information and pieces together an intricate story of the family’s life. Molly and Peg are inseparable as children and Peg recognizes early on that Molly has mental health issues and struggles to help her. As Gainsborough seeks recognition of his work and Molly’s health issues tear at all of them we see that these were the times when asylum was the only answer. The strength portrayed by Peg as a loving caring sister and her understanding of how it affects both of their lives is very moving. Howes also adds Molly’s mother’s own story of illegitimacy as the child of the Duke of Beaufort which was fascinating. An absorbing detailed read. Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy of #ThePaintersDaughters.

I wish that I could say I loved this book. I tried. I really did. But the jumping from what seemed to be modern thinking to what seemed to be appropriate thinking of the time was jolting. I could not stay present in the book. Ultimately, I would not be able to recommend this. And it's a shame because it really had all the earmarks of a book that would appeal to me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Painter’s Daughters on exchange for my review.

The Painter’s Daughters weaves together two strands, one following sisters Molly and Peg through their childhood into adulthood, and the other following Meg at a major turning point in her life.

Questions about love and loyalty, and the lengths people will go to to ensure the wellbeing of their children and loved ones are key to this story. None of the characters live a life free from difficulties, though they all find pockets of pleasure and hope as well.

The story is engaging and readable. For those who enjoy family sagas, this would be a good read.

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley

The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes is an exploration of the daughters of Thomas Gainsborough, the subjects of six of his paintings. The novel’s prose centers on colors, paints, and excess further highlighting that the daughters are raised by an artist in an artist house and their mother needs to help their father sell the paintings as well as the world of nobility their mother is trying to enter them into.

As children, Peggy realizes that her sister, Molly, is having trouble with her emotions, will walk around in the middle of the night with a blank stare, and will stop being present. Their father is aware of Molly’s mental health but puts pressure on Peggy to watch after her sister while the mother wants to ignore it.

Peggy catches her father having an affair, furthering creating tears in their relationship that started when they moved from Ipswich to London to give both of the girls better chances to become refined ladies and make connections for their future as well as to change Molly’s environment in the vain hopes that it would change her behavior. Peggy expresses a desire to paint in an effort to get her father’s attention again.

The novel deals most with the theme of parentified children and codependency, as Peggy is not only a parentified child, but is expected to care for her older sister–keeping Molly in line is the only thing Peggy can do to keep the two of them together and to keep everyone happy, but it comes at the cost of Peggy’s innocence and parts of her childhood. Children grow up and learn the worst parts of the world as they get older, but to be asked to be your older sibling’s caretaker is a very different thing when you’re still young and you are being asked to be constantly vigilant regarding said sibling’s mental health. Never fully having the chance to live for yourself is a heavy burden to bear and the author handles it sensitively and through the viewpoint of a child who doesn’t know what else to do.

Pregnancy, miscarriage, and sexual assault are all depicted in the book, so I suggest those triggered by this content proceed with caution.

I would recommend this to readers looking for historical women’s fiction dealing with parentified children or are interested in stories from the POV of the children of an artist. I would not recommend this to readers looking for a cozy read.