“No social being is less protected than the young Parisian girl—by laws, regulations, and social customs.”
A review of The Painted Girls, by Cathy Marie Buchanan
This is one of those stand alone novels that you look at, probably in an airport, and question whether or not it will keep you entertained. Let me answer that for you, IT WILL. The Painted Girls tells the story of true sisterly love and how even when tested the only people you can really fall back on are your family members. I love the way that Antionette and Marie share a complete understanding with one another and the way that they are able to pull together in the worst of times to care for/protect their younger sister, Charlotte. Cathy Buchanan is able to so accurately portray how blind we all are when it comes to abusive relationships and the damage they do, not only to the person directly involved but to everyone they surround themselves with. I also appreciate the way that Buchanan portrays the life of the young, impressionable, and – as shown – vulnerable ballet girls during the 1800s. The way these young women were taken advantage of is unbelievable and is even mirrored in the way young women in aspiring careers today are still taken advantage of. Even in Buchanan’s image of Degas is intelligently imagined. She paints [pun intended] him as a man with reasonable means and skill but still as a social outcast painting other outcasts. In even the worst of times for the van Gothem sisters, Degas remains unattached; a spectator in the lives of others, a true painter.
This book is everything a stand alone novel should be, hopeful, strong, and heartening.
Spun by,
Clotho
The Fates Review 