The House Girl
By Tara Conklin
- Release Date: 2013-02-12
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Description
“Assured and arresting...You cannot put it down.”” (Chicago Tribune)
The House Girl, the historical fiction debut by Tara Conklin, is an unforgettable story of love, history, and a search for justice, set in modern-day New York and 1852 Virginia.
Two remarkable women, separated by more than a century, whose lives unexpectedly intertwine . . .
2004: Lina Sparrow is an ambitious young lawyer working on a historic class-action lawsuit seeking reparations for the descendants of American slaves.
1852: Josephine is a seventeen-year-old house slave who tends to the mistress of a Virginia tobacco farm—an aspiring artist named Lu Anne Bell.
It is through her father, renowned artist Oscar Sparrow, that Lina discovers a controversy rocking the art world: art historians now suspect that the revered paintings of Lu Anne Bell, an antebellum artist known for her humanizing portraits of the slaves who worked her Virginia tobacco farm, were actually the work of her house slave, Josephine.
A descendant of Josephine's would be the perfect face for the lawsuit—if Lina can find one. But nothing is known about Josephine's fate following Lu Anne Bell's death in 1852. In piecing together Josephine's story, Lina embarks on a journey that will lead her to question her own life, including the full story of her mother's mysterious death twenty years before.
Alternating between antebellum Virginia and modern-day New York, this searing tale of art and history, love and secrets explores what it means to repair a wrong, and asks whether truth can be more important than justice. Featuring two remarkable, unforgettable heroines, Tara Conklin's The House Girl is riveting and powerful, literary fiction at its very best.
Reviews
The House Girl
2By DandowThe concept was good. Yet story held parts too unbelievable. Josephines dialogue to Mister and Misses did not correlate with the 1800’s. When I read Mister called for Josephine and she answered “Mister what do you want” I knew the writer could not have been a person of color. Talking to an elder in the South today like that would make cause for trouble. During slavery that would have been the end of this storySoooo good!
5By cj081117Sooooo good!The house girl
5By m. scheinerThis was a deeply insightful book on the brutality of Slavery. But it has its undercurrents that I found fascinating. The controversies of black and white , woman and man, and even the controversy of location. It kept me fully engaged from beginning to end.The House Girl
5By PlayapreeAt first I really didn’t want to read this book. How dare anyone other than a descendent from slavery write this story. But just as nearly all first impressions are I was wrong. I’ve most profoundly wrong. This book had me spellbound from the first pages. I guess I was disgusted at the thought that here is another Caucasian “cashing in” on African Americans as I remembered feeling about “The Help”. This book is a great treasure.The House Girl
5By Suecat102I loved this book. The back and forth from past to present held my interest and captured my imagination. Josephine and Carolina will stay in with me for a very long time. A must read, I couldn't put it down.The House Girl
5By The House GirlI thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was so well written. I became immersed in the times and places where the story was written about. I had a Nanny in my life that I truly loved and cared about, and she cared about each of us, in my family. I am always looking to understand her black life and her ability to tend to me and my white family. I know I loved her dearly, but I have often wondered, did she actually love us or simply serve us . . . . . . whatever it was, it was enough and I will be forever grateful for her and to her!!The House Girl
5By MrsSenorEllsworthWonderful story, well crafted writing--such a pleasure!The House Girl - merging of periods
5By CarolingaroundThe juxtaposition of modern day and mid-eighteen hundreds was effective. Though the circumstances Josephine faced were different from Lina's, the poignancy of each brought impact to the overall story. Loss of a mother, mystery in mode of loss, secrets and the challenge of being directly honest with those with whom we are the most close. Painful portrayal of the horrors of slavery mixed with the brutality of modern Corporate associate exploitation. Aside from that, it captured my attention and I sped through it with enjoyment.House Girl
5By pamersonSpellbindingThe house girl
4By ElliotPepperLoved this book. Couldn't put down. It is written in an interesting and unique way. The plot moves easily from character to character.
