This was a fascinating, fact/fictional story of the life and times of Vincent Van Gogh.and his family. The fact that he never sold a single painting before his death but garnered world rekonwn due to the efforts of his sister in law after his death. The brothers were both very troubled characters and their earlier, reckless life style lead to their early deaths. Vincent Van Goghs' paintings eventually sold for millions of pounds each. Remarkable story.

An interesting and informative book, I knew nothing about Mrs Van Gogh before picking up the book, after finishing I was left both entertained and informed. Although I found the book a little slow in parts, it was very well written and an interesting read. Will definitely be recommending.

After my visit to Amsterdam this past summer I’ve been in love with Van Gogh. He lead such a sad life and this book (of fiction) definitely delves into some of those sad parts. I had the chance to see his art come alive on a wall of a 400 church (De Noorderkerm) along with works of Rembrandt and it was amazing! If (when) I ever make it back there I want to spend all day in the museums viewing the art! I’d hate to image a world with Vincent’s art, thanks to Jo.. we don’t have to! This book has me looking up piece of art, sculptures and other artist I knew little about.

Mrs. Van Gogh reimagines the life of Johanna Gezina Bonger, a woman, who cared about Vincent van Gogh’s talent and did everything possible that his work wouldn’t be forgotten.

1888. When Jo, as she is known, visits her brother in Paris for the summer, she experiences something new. Her brother is part of the Parisian artistic circle, and introduces Jo to Van Gogh brothers. Theo is a successful art dealer, where on the other hand, Vincent is a penniless artist.

When, she herself, tries her artistic abilities, she starts discovering about herself. Who she is and who she could possibly become. Only to find out that she is being pushed into marriage by her mother. She likes the idea of what Montmartre artistic area offers – to be bohemian and flamboyant, without any rush to marry. Jo doesn’t want an ordinary life, but she is not in a position to make a choice. She needs to make the most of what life offers her.

Later, she inherits all of Vincent’s paintings and letters. As a lover of art, she gets the drive to bring Vincent’s art to the world. And for the world to understand him better through his paintings – his hard work and his sorrows, not his madness.

The story is written thoughtfully. We get to know Jo well through her aspirations, thoughts, and feelings. She is a caring and likeable person. Her story begins with her ambitions, which quickly are put aside, then the story progresses with her marriage and friendship with Vincent. At the end, she emerges as a strong woman with her own voice, who leads the way with her ambitious project. It is a story of a remarkable woman, who, for most part, was unknown to the world until now.

Johanna Bonger becomes Mrs. Theo Van Gogh sister in law to Vincent Van Gogh.
What a powerful, at times, traumatic story about the lives of Vincent, his brother Theo and the woman that becomes Mrs Van Gogh.
I read this book in a weekend as I could not put it down.
I walked the streets of Paris and shared the torment and beauty of the artist that was Vincent Van Gogh.
A superbly written story that will stay with me for a long time.

A very creative premise and based on a story I knew very little about. Quite depressing at times, but overall hopeful. I do think perhaps the pacing might have been off. I wanted to know more about Johanna after Theo' because as a reader, I was invested in the character of Johanna, and felt the pace of the ending was so quick with time jumps that I felt that there was so little resolution for Johanna's character arc and that just left me feeling blah.. But overall, I did really enjoy this story! 3.5 stars
Thanks to #NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I don't know much about Van Gogh so I thought this could be an interesting and/or educational read. I did learn that Van Gogh was a pretty tortured soul. I know this is a fictionalized account, but I assume it is based on a large amount of research. Some of the scenes are disturbing, but it shows what STDs can do to the mind.

The story of Vincent Van Gogh's descent into madness is well known. This story explains the reason for this and shows the effect it had on his family, from the point of view of his sister-in-law, Jo, Vincent's brother was his agent, trying to promote his brother's work to a world that wasn't yet ready for such innovative art. Only after the deaths of both brothers, from the same sad cause, did Jo take charge of publicising Vincent's work. Good to read the story from a woman's point of view.

This is a fictionalised account based on detailed research of how Vincent Van Gogh’s sister-in-law came to know the Van Gogh brothers and how her life and character where changed by them. I knew nothing about either Johanna or her husband Theo and it was fascinating for me to learn more about this relationship and how it lead to the discovery of the world of the art of Vincent Van Gogh. As a novel it reads very well and there are some lovely phrases in there that will stay with me for being particularly poetic, such as the description of Johana’s new born baby as being ‘a bundle of possibility’. I did find it dragged a bit in the early stages but improved as the book went on.The novel vividly recreated the world of artistic Paris at the time and convincingly portrayed the determination (and the reasons for it) of Vincent’s sister-in-law to make critics appreciate the genius of the artist. The relationship between the two Van Gogh brothers was also very revealing and put the artist’s work in context of both his mental decline and the influence of familial issues on his masterpieces. All in all this was a fascinating novel about the motivation behind the revelation of Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork to the world and the possible true story of the man himself.

Sent from my iPad

I like historical fiction and was looking forward to reading about someone I didn’t know anything about, despite that this is fictional based on some facts, it was insightful and gave an interesting account of the woman behind the Van Gogh brothers. Definitely a five star read for sure.

Mrs Van Gough

I loved this book! I didn’t know a lot about Vincent Van Gough, other than of his paintings Sunflower and Starry Nights. I went to a Van Gough exhibit several years ago and was mesmerized by Starry Nights. Then, in 2021, I attended Beyond Van Gough - the Immersive Experience. I was overwhelmed by the breadth and scope of the paintings and wanted to know more about Van Gough and so went back to this exhibit before it left. The exhibit was a “360° video, light and music experience and a one of a kind virtual reality experience which complements the immersive experience” I read about Vincent’s relationship with his brother Theo but I don’t remember reading anything about Johanna Bonger - Jo.

I was thrilled when I received an invitation from the publisher to read Mrs. Van Gough. Once I started the book, I found it difficult to put it down. It is a bit slow in the beginning but once Jo arrives in Paris and meets the Van Gough brothers, the story takes off. The writing gets even better after Theo dies and Jo embarks on her life-long commitment of fulfilling Theo’s plan to make Vincent Van Gough’s art known and cherished throughout the world.

Caroline Cauchi’s sensitive, excellent writing brought me into the story. Even though I realize that authors “create” the conversations that take place centuries and decades ago, at times I felt I was eavesdropping on Jo’s conversations with Theo or Vincent. That’s how real they seemed to me. I loved reading the letters that Jo wrote to both brothers and the letters they sent in return. The letters between the two brothers tell the stories of their lives, fears, and commitment to each other better than any story can do.

Other interesting people are woven into this novel. For example, I had never heard of sculptor Camille Claudel, the assistant and paramour to Auguste Rodin. Her story is heartbreaking, as are the stories of other artists trying to make ends meet in the late 1800’s. .Other characters, such as Sara, are not “real people” but represent a tone of the times.

Jo and Camille reminded me of so many women I’ve read about in historical fiction. All were independent thinking, bright, strong women whom society relegated to second-class citizen status. Jo’s thoughts echoed what so many women experienced then and continue to face today.

She wrote, “ And now I'm wide awake and I'm thinking about how ugly and difficult are so often used together when talking about women. A difficult woman is one with opinions. She follows a path that men tread with ease. If women accept their positions and fate, then they can be beautiful; if they've a voice or desires, they're ugly. It's engrained - I'm guilty of using those words too.

“How am I only now realizing that women are controlled by a fear of being branded with either of these words? To be marked ugly' or difficult' brings judgement, discomfit, rejection too - and so what do we do? We women step in accordance with male expectations and demands. But why is 'ugly' seen as bad? Why is being difficult considered wicked? Are those words not merely concepts that are entirely indefinable? Perceptions even. Still those words are used as weapons”.

"Power, power, power”.

“Imagine if all of us womenfolk joined together and demanded that our roles in their success be acknowledged and heard”!

Johanna Bonger was a remarkable woman whose contribution to the art world and society at large is remembered and valued in Mrs Van Gough.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for an advanced copy of Mrs. Van Gough.

This was fascinating!

Very well written and I hadn't heard of this woman before but what a story she tells! I realise some of this is ficiton but even if 3 per cent is true, or inspired by true facts, its pretty amazing

Recommended

This was an amazing book! To give you some insight into where my opinion comes from, you need to know that I’m a Van Gogh fan, I'm not an artist. I’ve read countless historical fiction novels about him, been to the Hermitage to see his paintings, to Arles to have coffee in Cafe Van Gogh, see more paintings and visit the hospital he was taken to after he cut off a piece of his ear, to Montmartre to see where he and his brother, Theo, lived and been twice to view a 'Dutch masters' visiting collection in Vancouver, all in an effort to appreciate his art. It always amazes me that such brilliance and talent were only discovered after his death.

When Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890, he was almost penniless and had only sold one painting.

So, why then is he now among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art?

It’s all to do with a woman and a dream.

Johanna, Vincent Van Gogh’s sister-in-law, wrote in her sketchbook just days after arriving in Paris, that she’d “hate to reach the end of her life and to never have achieved something that was great or even remarkable!” After reading this book, I think you’ll agree with me: she became one of the greatest art dealers to have lived. She single-handedly sold 195 of his paintings and 55 drawings, including his Sunflowers, to London’s National Gallery in 1924. Eleven years later, his work was being exhibited around the world and his reputation as a great artist was established.

This book is a creative account of the remarkable woman who became the guardian of Vincent’s legacy.

Art aficionados, you need this book that highlights the woman who saved Van Gogh from obscurity.

I was generously gifted this copy by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The description of this book is misleading as the promotion of Vincent's work doesn't start until the last 20% of the book. Indeed, Johanna Bonger does not become Mrs van Gogh until well past the halfway point. It's not a bad novel but it did seem overlong and repetitive in the first half. A hundred pages trimmed from that section would have been a good idea. The last 40% was so much better and skipped along at a steady pace but it's a shame that more wasn't made of Johanna's life once she returned to Holland. Overall a 3.5 star read rounded up to a 4. With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the DRC of this book to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the invite to read this early eARC.

I am a fan of historical fiction and thought from the description of this book it may be something I’d enjoy, although it’s fair to say I don’t really know much about Vincent Van Gogh or his brother Theo.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gem of a read, and was captivated by the story the author told. I think she introduced the characters and set the scenes really well, and certainly grabbed my interest and attention right from the start. I felt her characters were portrayed so well they became so vividly alive and literally jumped out of the pages and I could imagine them in my mind when reading. The authors writing style was excellent, the story easy to follow and I thought the book flowed seamlessly. I loved the atmosphere the author created in the story and her descriptions of the Paris streets made me feel like I was right there following the characters around. Overall, this book was a pleasure to read and it really hit the mark for me. If you enjoy historical fiction, try this I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a disappointment for me. Based on the promotional description, I anticipated a story that focused on the efforts of this strong, courageous woman to promote the legacy of Vincent Van Gogh, her brother-in-law. Instead, this was a rather sordid tale of the tortured, chaotic mind and behavior of a creative genius and how he affected his family and community. The complexity of the familial relationships makes for high drama and the overall feeling tone is depressing. Additionally, the pacing is uneven. Well over half the book moves at a glacial pace and the last few chapters skip over the years that I was most interested in as promised in the book summary. I applaud the author’s intent to acknowledge Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger’s vision and tenacity in the face of the misogyny of the times, but she put too much emphasis on the (fictional?) struggles, while glossing over Johanna's success. I was grateful to finally put this one to rest.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

The last 40% was so good. And I wished there was more about Jo after Vincent and Theo died because that was very much rushed through and most of it skipped. Too much of the book was focused on before Theo and Jo married, in my opinion. I loved the letters between Jo and Vincent. I think in general the letters and journal we a great addition!

First book I have read by this author and not my usual genre. Late 19 century a teacher is dismissed from her teacher post after slurs to her reputation and faces her future in disgrace.. Her parents wishing to avoid a reputation suicide seek a hast marriage to a suitable candidate whilst her brother, loyal to his sibling , introduces her to the inspiring atmosphere of decadent Paris. Our protagonist then embarks on a period of self discovery, exploring her potential talents, possible love matches, the unfairness of a masochistic society and gradual awareness of her sexuality and independent spirit. Into this mix she finds herself the love interest of Theo Van Gogh and obsession of Vincent his artistic brother. What follows is one families tragedy of unrecognised talent, obsession, madness, and death in a society rigidly following adherence to the mores of the era and society. Characterisation of protagonists is outlined with emphasis to detail and accuracy : Paris and Parisians going about their struggles and daily lives described in poetic and artistic colours and language. Obvious lengthy research into all aspects of the Van Gogh history shines through this absorbing story aided and abetted by a sensitive license to a backstory of love, loss, and for that family, a tragic delayed recognition of artistic greatness . A result only achieved by the indomitable actions of Vincent Van Gogh’s sister in law, the heroine of this story. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Johanna Van Gogh-Bonged, Vincent’s sister-in-law, is the keeper of his collection and is relatively unknown in history, even after Vincent’s death. I found the storyline and concept fascinating, but the book moved a little slow at times in the first half, but then picked up almost too much in the second half.

I was excited to get this book, Jo Bonger is such a fascinating person, and I was looking forward to how her story would be told. However, there was a lot in this story that gave me pause, and this feeling of confusion and unease was not made any better after reading the author's note. This book follows Jo's life, starting with her trip to Paris where she first meets Theo and Vincent, through to the end of her life. The majority of the book is about this first 2 or 3 years of her knowing the Van Gogh brothers, which makes for a pretty slow story, until about halfway through when the author begins speed running through, what I would argue, is some of the most fascinating parts of Bonger's life. There's a lot of focus on the will they won't they between Jo and Theo, as well as relationship struggles with Vincent, much of which i'm not entirely sure are accurate and I felt the focus on it was too strong when there was plenty of other material (the author admits that some of these years were not well documented) that could've been used instead. I did not come away from this book with a good feeling, or like I learned something, instead I felt like this book was more fiction than fact, and while I understand that historical fiction is not 100% fact, there should be a basis on the truth that I felt was missing here at times.