-Rachel Pomie Petit Pizzaro, from the novel
This was my first novel by this author. I liked it, didn't love it. I must admit I learned something about the artist Camille Pissaro, one I had never heard of before. Apparently, he was a very important French painter and a leader of the impressionist movement. I have Googled his work and it is lovely.
This book is mostly the story of Camille's mother, Rachel, who, as a young woman, was quite rebellious, much to her conservative mother's chagrin. (See quote) She grew up on the island of St. Thomas, along with other Jewish families who had been displaced by the inquisition.
I enjoyed the settings of St. Thomas and Paris, both of which I have had the pleasure to visit. I didn't care for the magical realism and, at times, found the descriptions tedious---not a page-turner for me. The chapters were very long and there were many characters to try to keep up with. However, I must admit the lyrical writing is quite beautiful. I have rated the book a 3.
The Marriage of Opposites reminded me a bit of The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar in which a relative of Vincent van Gogh's is determined to introduce his art to the world while in this novel, the parents of Camille Pissaro tried to thwart his artistic genius.
The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissaro
-----------------------When the Page Turners met, it was clear that no one disliked the book. The average rating was 4.3, the highest rating of any of our selections this year. There were several members giving a rating of 5, fans of the author's style and perhaps, art lovers. One participant knew someone who had experienced something similar to the shunning of Rachel and her second husband. Most of us enjoyed learning more of the history and culture of St. Thomas and some Jewish traditions.
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