The novel, Kay’s debut, is set in the 1900s and details the life of Jennet Mallow a talented artist and mother, it follows her struggle with married and family life and the lack of time this leaves to fulfill her artistic passion.
The most fascinating aspect to this book is the descriptions of fictional pieces of art work:
'Those overlays of net and silk are there to add a new dimension and to deepen the illusion of cloud and mist that imbues so much of Jennet Mallow's painting in that period. And Yet these veils are symbolic, as, in later work, would be her tightened strings and wires.Curators in public spaces would often hang the paintings with their coverings looped back or drawn half way to reveal the underlying paint and to stop visitors from lifting the veils themselves. But however transparent they may be, or pushed aside, they still whisper ambiguity; simultaneously revealing and concealing.'
I am quite a fast reader but this book has taken me a couple of weeks to read, as parts I just needed to read again not because I didn’t understand but because there were many levels to the writing.
Although I bought this book because it was a Times Recommended Read of The Week, the front cover is an imitation water painting of Jennet with Sandiago in the background. The colours attract the eye and the style is an intriguing wash which some how draws the eye.
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