Review: THE LADY WITH DARK HAIR by Erin Bartels

On April 18, 2024 By vickleaIn Book Review1 Comment

ABOUT THE BOOK

ISBN-13:9780800741662. Publisher:Baker Publishing Group. Publication date:03/26/2024. Pages:352

Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella’s greatest work—a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.

In 1879, Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists’ pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella’s sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen.

This dual-timeline story from award-winning author Erin Bartels takes readers from the sleepy Midwest to the sultry Mediterranean on a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one’s dreams.

My Thoughts

This book is a brilliantly written dual-timeline novel with captivating characters and fascinating research intertwined seamlessly into the story. The present day protagonist is Esther, an art history major who is the head of the family’s museum that promotes a family ancestor, artist Francisco Vella. She is also the caretaker of her mentally ill mother Lorena, quite a quirky and demanding woman. The other part of the story is told in the late 1800’s and is about Viviana, a woman in hiding from justice in Spain while pursuing her interest in art with Vella, a man who is a merchant of art supplies. I was captured by the unselfishness of Esther caring tirelessly for her mother, even though she would like to have her own life. Equally compelling was the story of Viviana as she travels with Vella and finds out that it is not always easy or advisable to travel using an alias. The novel includes a cleverly written mystery about a painting and its origins as well as its artist. “The Lady with the Dark Hair” is a story within a story, cleverly written to reveal details methodically and keeping me glued to the page as I sought answers to the identity of the artist and the outcome of Esther’s life of selflessness. I really enjoyed the pace of the plot because it was perfect to keep me interested. The characters were dynamic and also believable and relatable. The story was complex, but the author’s way of revealing the layers like peeling an onion was exceptionally unique and delightful. I loved the story, learned from the research and identified with the characters. This novel is thought-provoking, intriguing and remarkably written to entertain as well as educate.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Christian Historical Fiction and Mystery, Rated PG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

**ERIN BARTELS** writes character-driven fiction for curious people. Her readers know to expect that each of her novels will tell a unique story about fallible characters so tangible that it’s hard to believe they are not real people. Whether urban, rural, or somewhere in between, her settings come alive with carefully crafted details that engage all the senses and transport the reader to a singular time and place. And her themes of reckoning with the past, improving the present, and looking with hope to the future leave her readers with a sense of peace and possibility.
Erin is the award-winning author of *We Hope for Better Things*, *The Words between Us*, *All That We Carried*, *The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water*, *Everything Is Just Beginning*, and *The Lady with the Dark Hair*. A two-time Christy finalist and winner of two WFWA Star Awards and two Michigan Notable Book Awards, Erin has been a publishing professional for more than twenty years. After eighteen years in Michigan’s capital city, she now lives with her family in a charming small town surrounded by farm fields and pasturelands.
You can find her on Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor and on Instagram @erinbartelswrites.

Purchase Links

Review of EVERYTHING IS JUST BEGINNING by Erin Bartels

On January 22, 2023 By vickleaIn Book Review3 Comments

About the Book:

Product Details
Publisher: Revell
Language: English
Publication Date: 01/17/2023
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 080074165X
ISBN-13: 9780800741655
SKU: 9780800741655

Synopsis:

On the night of December 31, 1989–as the Berlin Wall is coming down, the Soviet Union is inching toward democracy, and anything seems possible–a down-on-his luck musician crashes a party and crosses paths with the accomplished and enigmatic young heir to a fading musical dynasty, forever altering both of their futures.

My Review and Rating:

This book is amazing! The prose is like lyrical poetry and the song lyrics come alive and make the story so touchingly realistic. The entire plot just flowed from the page into my heart. The story of Michael Sullivan, a lyricist who has been kicked out of his band, and Natalie Wheeler, a blind musician who is extraordinarily gifted, is one that should be read and appreciated by all who need a story to make them think and feel good about life. It is the story of daring to reach out for a better future and of forgiving those who have held you back in your past so that you can achieve your dreams. I loved getting to know each of the characters, even the seemingly unredeemable Uncle Mike who drinks and gambles to forget his tragic past. I found myself wanting Michael to forgive his father Steve completely and find a new relationship with him. I was totally invested in the stories of the characters because they became like real people to me. The plot was moderately paced, not too fast which I think would ruin it and not too slow which would make it drag. It was perfectly paced for the story that was being told, the story of young love, exploration into new beginnings and support from those who had forged a path in the past. I think my very favorite character was Deb Wheeler, a talented musician who gave up her promising career for personal reasons. She elicited sympathy from me but also a great deal of respect because of her compassion and wisdom that she showed to all whose lives she touched. This is one of the most beautifully written tales I have ever read and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s refreshingly original and totally engaging.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Five plus stars for this clean Christian read.

About the Author:

**ERIN BARTELS** is the award-winning author of *We Hope for Better Things*, *The Words between Us*, *All That We Carried*, *The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water*, and *Everything Is Just Beginning*. She lives in the capital city of a state that is 40% water, nestled somewhere between angry protesters on the Capitol lawn and couch-burning frat boys at Michigan State University. And yet, she claims it is really quite peaceful.
Find her on Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor and on Instagram @erinbartelswrites. Information and photo are from the author’s website at http://erinbartels.com

Available NOW! Purchase Links:

https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465077

Review of ALL THAT WE CARRIED by Erin Bartels

On January 6, 2021 By vickleaIn Book Review3 Comments

*The cover is just as beautiful as the book itself.*

*Five big stars for this wonderful book. Rated G.*

Oh, my! I don’t even know where to start with this amazing book! I would give it more than five stars if I could because it had me pondering, imagining, and crying at times, too. What a wonderful story of a broken relationship between two siblings who take a hike together in order to try to reconnect. If things could go wrong on the hike, they did and both Olivia and Melanie are left wondering what they were thinking when they chose to go on this trip. The characters were so very realistic that I could see myself in Olivia, the sister who just had to organize everything down to the last detail. The story also included Christian beliefs, why we believe what we do. This story had me doing some deep diving into my own beliefs as I read the story of the two sisters coming to terms with what they believe and why. I really enjoyed reading about the character of Josh, a young man who always seemed to be there to rescue them right at the moment when they needed him. Definitely a picture of Jesus! And then there was Justin. He was a young man who was so needy and whose needs were met in the most miraculous of ways! I can’t say more without spoiling the story for others, but I highly recommend this book for all who want to read a tale of two sisters, a hiking trail and their journey to the truth.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Photo and bio from author’s webpage at http://www.erinbartels.com

ERIN BARTELS is the award-winning author of We Hope for Better Things—a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, winner of the 2020 Star Award from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association in both the debut and general fiction categories, and a 2019 Christy Award finalist—The Words between Us—a 2020 Christy Award finalist—and All That We Carried (coming January 2021). Her short story “This Elegant Ruin” was a finalist in The Saturday Evening Post 2014 Great American Fiction Contest. Her poems have been published by The Lyric and The East Lansing Poetry Attack. A member of the Capital City Writers Association and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, she is former features editor of WFWA’s Write On! magazine and current director of the annual WFWA Writers Retreat in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Erin lives in the beautiful, water-defined state of Michigan where she is never more than a ninety minute drive from one of the Great Lakes or six miles from an inland lake, river, or stream. She grew up in the Bay City area waiting for freighters and sailboats at drawbridges and watching the best 4th of July fireworks displays in the nation. She spent her college and young married years in Grand Rapids feeling decidedly not-Dutch. She currently lives with her husband and son in Lansing, nestled somewhere between angry protesters on the Capitol lawn and couch-burning frat boys at Michigan State University. And yet, she claims it is really quite peaceful.