Evelyn Toynton

Toyton's novel is inspired by the relationship between Jackson Pollak and his wife, Lee Krasner (although she changes all the names). Belle Prokoff, widow of groundbreaking painter Clay Madden, lives as a relative recluse, fending off would-be biographers and collectors who believe she has some juicy memories to share or some of his last paintings hidden in her house. She hires a college girl as her companion, not knowing that the girl's significant other is a struggling painter who worshipped Madden and would do anything to get a show of his own. An unscrupulous British biographer, failing to get the dirt he wants from Belle, approaches everyone who knew the couple in Madden's last alcoholic years, even going so far as to bed the aging woman who was in the car with Madden when he was killed. His meddling does have a few positive outcomes, such as Belle's renewal of friendship with a woman (perhaps lover) who had warned her that caring for Madden would ruin her own career.

If all this sounds dismal, well, there are some bright moments, such as the loyalty of Belle's friend Ernest and her housekeeper Nina and the kindness of her new companion, Lizzie. While I enjoyed the book, in the end, I would have preferred to read a good biography of Madden and Krasner instead.… (mais)

Louisa, Rolf, and Otto grow up as childhood friends in Germany. With Hitler's rise to power these Jewish children scatter: Rolf and Otto to America, and Louisa to Switzerland and England. Louisa is desperately seeking companionship, particularly male companionship, and she has a habit of attaching herself to men as the needy girlfriend.

When Louisa makes her way to New York she begins a relationship with Rolf, who has always been obsessed with his childhood friend. A seemingly needy Louisa suits Rolf just fine, but a health issue soon after their marriage leaves Louisa in a different state entirely. The book proceeds to examine how their marriage evolves. Character weaknesses come into full relief.

I found this book to be uneven. There were two things happening in the book which didn't seem to fit together. Louisa being a submissive wife was not all that closely tied to the accident and its aftermath. I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second. I also found the treatment of Nazi Germany to be uneven. It sometimes seemed incidental, even to characters who were trying to get family members out in the shadow of death camps.… (mais)