The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar

“If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

         --Vincent van Gogh
                                                     
This was the first book selected for our book club for 2024. I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had not just read The Last Masterpiece involving art history and really more information than I wanted. This one at least focused on one particular artist. 

Protagonist Emsley Wilson is co-owner of an art auction house in Hollywood. Before her much adored and famous grandmother passes away, she gives Emsley a mysterious box containing a diary. It turns out the diary dates back to the 1800's and belonged to Johanna Bonger van Gogh, the sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh. The novel continues with two timelines, that of Emsley and Johanna. 

Emsley is going through some rough times and is inspired by the determination and perseverance shown by Johanna through her diary. Johanna had married Theo van Gogh, Vincent's brother. When both brothers die tragically, leaving Johanna a widow with a young son, she is forced into survival mode. She runs a boarding house to make a living while working to keep a promise to Theo to reveal Vincent's art to the world. 

I just read an article from the New York Times titled "The Woman Who Made van Gogh." Between that and the novel I have learned a great deal about a woman I had never heard of. It is pretty surprising to me how unappreciated Vincent's art was until Johanna began her relentless project. 

I have visited Arles where Vincent lived and worked with Gauguin for a time. Now I would love to get back to Amsterdam to the Van Gogh Museum. Maybe soon...

I rated the book a 3. Will be interesting to hear from the Page Turners when we meet in a week. To be continued then....

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Page Turners had a stimulating discussion of the novel, in spite of the scarcity of good questions from the author. Some members found the beginning slow and the plot too predictable. All learned of an inspiring woman, Johanna, unknown to us before. I believe that, in itself, made the reading worthwhile. The book received an average rating of 3.4.