Helpful Score: 2
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-house-girl.html
The House Girl is two parallel stories - two women in two different time periods and two different situations. Yet, their stories belong together in this book. It is 2004, and Lina Sparrow is a young lawyer trying to establish herself in her firm and get on the partner track. She is assigned to a class-action lawsuit that looks to get reparations for families and descendants of American slaves. Her job is to find a lead plaintiff to represent the "class" for the lawsuit - an individual who can be the face of the lawsuit.
In her research, she discovers a controversy in the art world - a claim that the work of renowned Southern artist Lu Anne Bell is actually the work of her house girl - a young slave by the name of Josephine. Lina sets out to discover Josephine's story and hopefully a descendant who could be part of the lawsuit.
The book tells Lina's story and Josephine's story. Lina's story is that of her career, this lawsuit, and of her relationship with her parents - her mother who died when she was a child and her father who himself is an artist and who has never spoken of her mother with Lina. At least not until now. It is a story of the impact of this on Lina and her journey of self-discovery.
Josephine's story is the story of the life of a slave on a plantation in Virginia in 1852. It is the story of the horrors and losses that life entailed. It is the story of a quest for freedom, and all those who either helped or hindered that quest.
A number of convenient - some may say too convenient - coincidences draw the two stories together. However, that did not hinder my enjoyment of the book. The stories are beautifully told, and I found myself feeling for both Lina and Josephine and drawn into both their lives.
A beautiful debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Tara Conklin.
The House Girl is two parallel stories - two women in two different time periods and two different situations. Yet, their stories belong together in this book. It is 2004, and Lina Sparrow is a young lawyer trying to establish herself in her firm and get on the partner track. She is assigned to a class-action lawsuit that looks to get reparations for families and descendants of American slaves. Her job is to find a lead plaintiff to represent the "class" for the lawsuit - an individual who can be the face of the lawsuit.
In her research, she discovers a controversy in the art world - a claim that the work of renowned Southern artist Lu Anne Bell is actually the work of her house girl - a young slave by the name of Josephine. Lina sets out to discover Josephine's story and hopefully a descendant who could be part of the lawsuit.
The book tells Lina's story and Josephine's story. Lina's story is that of her career, this lawsuit, and of her relationship with her parents - her mother who died when she was a child and her father who himself is an artist and who has never spoken of her mother with Lina. At least not until now. It is a story of the impact of this on Lina and her journey of self-discovery.
Josephine's story is the story of the life of a slave on a plantation in Virginia in 1852. It is the story of the horrors and losses that life entailed. It is the story of a quest for freedom, and all those who either helped or hindered that quest.
A number of convenient - some may say too convenient - coincidences draw the two stories together. However, that did not hinder my enjoyment of the book. The stories are beautifully told, and I found myself feeling for both Lina and Josephine and drawn into both their lives.
A beautiful debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Tara Conklin.
Excellent book, I loved it. It did drag a little, but it was a wonderful story and had an amazing and fulfilling ending.
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Two parallel stories run through this book and are interconnected in many ways, some obvious and some a little more symbolic - Josephine Bell is a slave living in the home on Bell Creek Farm while Lina Sparrow is living in her childhood home with her artist father and working her way up the ladder as a corporate lawyer. Lina's firm has taken on a case that could set precedent if given a landmark decision to acknowledge the value slaves added to corporations and to compensate them for their lack of income while enslaved to the ancestors of these corporate moguls. Josephine Bell and her possible heirs could be Lina's ticket for winning this controversial case, if she can find all the details of the past.
Two parallel stories run through this book and are interconnected in many ways, some obvious and some a little more symbolic - Josephine Bell is a slave living in the home on Bell Creek Farm while Lina Sparrow is living in her childhood home with her artist father and working her way up the ladder as a corporate lawyer. Lina's firm has taken on a case that could set precedent if given a landmark decision to acknowledge the value slaves added to corporations and to compensate them for their lack of income while enslaved to the ancestors of these corporate moguls. Josephine Bell and her possible heirs could be Lina's ticket for winning this controversial case, if she can find all the details of the past.
Beautifully written novel: it draws you in slowly but surely, and holds you through the end. It's hard to believe it's a debut novel. The character of Josephine, the young slave, will stay with you for a long time.
