Secrets. Every family, whether rich or poor, has them. What happens when these secrets are no longer hidden?
What would it have been like to be the daughter of a famous painter? Fourteen-year-old Cornelia has a famous father, Rembrandt van Rijn. He was once greatly admired and his paintings sought after. Now he is tottering on the brink of insanity. Even so, Cornelia would love for him to show her some affection. She has a burning desire to paint and would also love for him to teach her his techniques.
Cornelia’s mom died when the plague swept the country four years ago. She idolizes her memories of her mother and misses having her around. One day, she makes a terrible discovery about her mom that changes her life forever and threatens to crush these favorable memories.
Her one friend and confidant is her brother. When he falls in love, gets married, and leaves home, she is left alone with her father, who makes her feel like an inconvenience. Her brother knows she is not happy there and encourages her to spend time with him and his new wife. But then her brother catches the plague that is once again sweeping through Amsterdam.
Cornelia may feel plain and ugly, but she has her admirers. One of them is Neel, her father’s only remaining pupil. He is poor, and he is devoted to Rembrandt. The other one is Carel, the son of a wealthy shipping magnate. Her heart is drawn toward one then toward the other. She is being discouraged from seeing Carel though. Why do Cornelia’s dad and his parents discourage them from seeing each other? Is it because her dad never married her mom? Is it because Rembrandt doesn’t want Cornelia seeing someone wealthy? Which young man will she choose?
Life in Amsterdam during the 1600s comes to life. Little is known about how the plague is spread or how it can be effectively treated. For instance, they believed the plague was spread by bad vapors. For this reason, there are certain parts of town that people are afraid to visit. They also believed that tobacco smoke would kill the contagion.
If you are a fan of historical fiction novels, you will love this one. I bought my copy of this book from Amazon. If you would like to purchase your own copy, I have provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon link: I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter
Favorite Sentences:
My favorite items are the four jars each containing its own flayed human arm.
Heat comes so fast to my cheeks that I nearly drop from light-headedness, though I have the quickness of mind to pretend that I am looking at someone behind him – an old woman, it just so happens, whose chins are laid like a pale pudding upon the platter of her wagon-wheel ruff.
How convenient to do whatever one wishes, then to claim God has made one do it.
But he speaks again, his words pinning me to my seat like a spider binding a moth in its web.
New Words Learned:
carillon – a set of stationary bells hung in a tower and sounded by manual or pedal action, or by machinery
contrapposto – a position of the depicted human body (as in late Renaissance painting and sculpture) in which twisting of the vertical axis results in hips, shoulders, and head turned in different directions
cutpurse – a pickpocket; a thief who cuts purses from girdles
drayman – a person who drives a dray, a low, strong cart without fixed sides, for carrying heavy loads.
Recommended Articles:
The Creation of Eve – a Review
Reign of Madness – a Review
Lynn Cullen Interview – Sofonisba Anguissola, Juana the Mad, and Historical Fiction
About the Author:
Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as an April 2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her previous novel, Reign of Madness, is about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand.
