Of Flowers and Shadows was a very quick read and yet a very enjoyable story. The book is a novel which takes Winslow Homer's painting of Girl and Laurel and gives subject matter and meaning for this piece of art. The author sets this story in Massachusetts where the actual modeling took place and in the time frame of the painting, the year of 1879. Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was an American artist that was mainly taught by his mother as he only took a few art classes. He first came into the public eye as a special war correspondent illustrator during the Civil War.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane was very interesting with a pace that kept you reading. Having read several novels depicting the Salem witch trials of 1692 from various angles, this one presented yet another possibility ... that witchcraft was real. Genealogical research has shown the author has family connections to two of the accused women: Elizabeth Howe, who was hanged and Elizabeth Proctor who survived the trials. I'm sure this was the reason she presents the novel in the manner she does .... moving between contemporary time and the historical time of the witch trials with both time periods taking place in Massachusetts. Caused me to reflect upon how the actual people experienced this event that is a part of the American history. I did decide that I would have preferred living the rest of my life as the accused instead of the accusers and hopefully I would have had the opportunity to move far away from it all. I am sure that there were several generations that needed healing.
Your reflections on the second book are great thoughts!
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