Lush and ambitious, PALE MORNING LIGHT WITH VIOLET SWAN has a slow-burning opening, but persist: this novel about art and motherhood and facing one's secrets and one's death delivers rich, rich rewards. One of my favorite reads of the year--a haunting and captivating tale from a hugely talented author.

This book has wonderful characters and a very interesting and descriptive story. The set up is a little clumpy, but once you get the hang of where they are in time and how she’s telling her story, Violet doesn’t let you put the book down. The setting is simple but stunning and the history is rich with life lived. Not always easy, but lived.
I enjoy books that plop you down in the lives of the characters and I like historical fiction. This one is both. You’re learning Violet’s history and watching Frank, Penny, and Daniel get through life’s intricacies.

Very grateful to have read an advanced copy for my opinions.

Violet is 93 years old and is dying of lung cancer.
She is a well known famous abstract painter living with her married son Frank and his wife Penny. Violet’s husband Richard passed away suddenly years ago. Daniel , Frank’s and Penny’s son went away for college and never returned home. Now he let the family know he is coming back because he has something important to discuss. During Daniel’s visit, a lot of the family dynamics and secrets come to light. In between what happens currently, the reader learns about Violet’s troubled past. The flashbacks are partly Violet’s reminiscence, partly told to Daniel for a documentary he is doing on Violet’s life. Unfortunately, the demarcation between past and present is very fragmented, going back and forth that is confusing. Alternating chapters depict different family member’s point of view, but this is not noted in any way, such as chapter headings. In the final version of this book, it might be better to have chapter headings regarding time periods and point of view.
Overall three stars.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

This book begins so slowly as a 93 year old woman painter dying of lung cancer thinks about her life that there is a temptation to put it down. (Which I did a number of times.)How glad I am that I persisted. Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan was a moving gem of a book. Nearly every page brought a surprise, a mystery, and understanding of relationships, of motherhood, fatherhood, children's understanding of their parents and grandparents, what makes a up life.

How interesting is Violet's son, Frank, who becomes almost non-communicative because he's so upset about the world going to "you know what". His wife, Penny, is almost ready to leave him. The return of their son Daniel, a documentary producer, triggers a host of information, insight, growth.

Reed's familiarity with the art of Agnes Martin (whom I did not know of) and her descriptions of the artist Violet's need to paint was itself a work of art. This is a beautiful novel of life in a particularly beautiful part of the world (the Oregon coast) and how one person reached there to live a full and meaningful life. I will leave the story of Violet's life and that of her son, daughter in law, grandson and great-granddaughter for readers to discover for themselves. This lovely piece of writing is worth your time. It was a joy to read. Thanks for the chance to read this ARC from publisher Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

By far my favorite read of the year, so far, and likely to hold that place. One can’t help but be enveloped, embraced by the lush descriptions and artistic viewpoint offered, layered over a life of drama, and extreme challenges. Immersive; I wish I could find a way to write that word to give it the proper impact.

The author’s own acknowledgements summarize her life and process, but she also mentions that this book is about motherhood, as much as anything else. Though not a blatant “all about motherhood” book, this statement is the exact feeling I was given when reading. I woke early after starting to read this the night before, my first thoughts to my three adult children, and wondering how I could approach each day with being the best and truest version of myself, for them.

This is a longer and more emotional review than is normal for me. I want to write off some of my love for this book as being influenced by all that’s on my mind and heart right now, but I’m not going to diminish the story and writing that way. Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan is just that good.

Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan is an exquisitely written novel!
Deborah Reed is an accomplished writer; her lyrical writing evokes not only scenes, but characters, places, and time periods with an astonishingly incisive intensity. “The past had brushed so closely up against her.” “Recollections….driven underground, dormant as daffodils.” “Each second its own kingdom of time.”
I was also attracted to this book because of its subtitle: A Novel of a Life in Art,” since I love art and music. It begins slowly, painting soft domestic scenes of an old woman who is a famous painter, contemplating her life and impending mortality. As a reader, I felt enticed in gently to the thoughts and recollections of Violet. She is drawn as a character of quiet strength with undercurrents of strong emotion. Other characters, including her husband Richard, son Francisco, his wife Penny and their son Daniel are also fleshed out nicely as the author devotes chapters to their thoughts and reasons for their actions. We see how their lives and intentions intersect and collide with Violet’s life.
This story covers 93 years, as Violet grows up and migrates from Georgia across the US to Oregon. Some chapters are difficult to read, as this young girl from age 7 endures a tragic home event, is taken advantage of by unscrupulous adults and endures traumas as a single woman in America of the 1930s and 1940s. However, she is not powerless and learns her strength as she matures, marries and establishes a home and career in art. As she pondered, “sorrow had sometimes followed her around like a tired child…Asking to be lifted into her arms.”
I liked the way the author guides the reader through Violet’s journey, through Violet’s own recollections as well as her narration of her life story to her grandson Daniel. At the end of it all, I think this book is about family, weak and strong; about women and their inner fortitude; and about motherhood, and all that encompasses.
I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to purchasing a printed copy when it is published so I can reread some of the wonderful passages over and over.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just okay to me. It took me awhile to get it read, just because it wasn't that interesting to me. I thought it would be but it just didn't do anything for me. I kept finding other things to do than read this book. The characters were developed and grew, but I wasn't invested in them. This is just my opinion and others loved the book. You may be enjoy it, but I can't recommend it as a must read. It comes out June 16, 2020.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Kindle version.

This was a well written book and I was definitely curious just based on the synopsis alone. That said, I didn't connect that much to the characters, even though they are well developed. Still, an eloquent and interesting story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Books for giving me an opportunity to read and review this masterpiece.

Historical fiction books by this publisher always manages to delight me, and Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan by Deborah Reed is no exception. The book is intricately detailed, and the reader is introduced to the lives of all the characters in the book through an alternating third person narrative.

The main character of this book is Violet Swan, a nonagenarian lady with a masterstroke in her fingers. She is secretive and reclusive, traits you may expect to see in an artist of her stature. But you wouldn't expect that secrecy to extend to her son, Frank and daughter-in-law, Penny who live downstairs, would you?

The Pandora's box of her past is cracked open with the occurrence of an earthquake in the suburban area they live in. A grand-son rushes in all the way from Los Angeles with a seemingly extraneous concern for his father who has hurt himself on the head due to the earthquake. Meanwhile the couple had, just moments before the earthquake, decided to drift away from each other and the relationship. Violet is still reeling from the loss of her husband, Richard, as she paints her canvases and deals with the news of her terminal illness.

The author takes the journey through the lives of these characters at a slow pace, moving gracefully from present day narrative to the stories of Violet's past. Many new characters enter the stage at their destined time, with stories that branch out into smaller subplots.

The author has done a brilliant job painting a picturesque story for the reader. However, at times, the book seemed a little too detailed, and I ended up skimming through some of the excessive descriptions.

All in all, I'd give this book a 3.5 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a slow, idyllic yet expansive read.

I requested to read and review this book from publishing company Mariner Books. This is the first book I have read by author Deborah Reed. This book was well thought-out and written. The story does go back and forth from past to present. So you do need to pay attention so you don't get lost. You can't help but admire one of the main characters Violet Swan for her strength and to move forward no matter what happened to her in life. And you will get a better idea of what her family is like and how they function. If you are an art or history lover this is a great book for you. But this book can be for any type of mature readers.

I had not expectations going into this book. I liked the synopsis and was willing to give it a go. It was an intriguing book and I enjoyed it! Probably 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

Violet Swan in 93 years old. Besides her famous artwork and the emotions tucked in the paintings, no one in her life truly knows her. As she is coming to the end of her life, memories start popping back and she is given the opportunity to share her struggles and allow her fans and loved ones to finally understand who she is. There is a lot of heartache in this book! The life Violet lived was hard and there were not many breaks. But ultimately she lived the best she knew how and her posterity is blessed for what she became. I enjoyed the look at the world through her artistic eyes. It was very poetic at times. I feel as though I wanted even more about Violet, I was so engrossed in her life.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for ARC for my honest opinion.

A perfect novel in every way. Honest, compelling, brutal, gentle. Deborah Reed told this story with a light, but deft hand and I was able to see and to feel so much. It was, for me, an uplifting story of hope and strength and ready to read more about the artist the book was loosely based on, Agnes Miller.

The first thing I noticed about this novel was the very rich, yet subtle, color in the language used. It was as though the author was telling her story of this [fictional] abstract artist by letting the reader see life through her eyes. The story began with our protagonist trekking west from Georgia, living for a while, in Texas and New Mexico and then onto Los Angeles and up the coast to her final home in coastal Oregon. This was a 4 year long journey so there was ample opportunity for musing about the various landscapes.

The story, itself, was not straight forward, again giving more experience of an abstract “landscape” to the plotting.

For the average reader (me) it was difficult to follow along and/or keep the story straight in my own mind. But then, I’m more of a fan of Impressionistic art than abstract. There were too many “fore-shadowings,” if you will, which never went anywhere.

This would be an excellent novel to be studied in a creative writing class – not for the storyline, but for the relationship between the artwork in the book and the artful use of language in the text.

I’m most appreciative of this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A famous abstract painter recalls the life-altering events of her life while simultaneously releasing long-held family secrets.

Ninety-three year old famous artist Violet Swan is nearing the end of her life. With limited time left though fiercely private, she makes the fateful decision to allow her grandson Daniel, a filmmaker, to make a documentary about her life.

The story unfolds through flashbacks interspersed with the present day. Violet’s relationships come full circle as secrets are revealed that seemed to have shaped the characters’ lives to a significant degree. Violet herself has a reckoning regarding decisions she has made that had they been different might have yielded a very different life.

Using Violet’s art and the scenery of the Pacific Northwest as a backdrop, this book is a long reflection on taking stock of one’s own life and the ultimate direction it has taken. It speaks to generations past, present, future by way of the threads that bind us together.

BRB Rating: Read It.

Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan is an exploration of Violet Swan, an artist, and her life spent working in art. We as the reader meet Violet for the first time at the end of her life, age 93, and progressively travel backward to learn more about her life story. Alternatively focusing on the past and the present, as well as alternating between Violet, her family, and other characters, this is an engaging and intimate portrayal of one person's time on earth. The characters felt like real people, and the plot felt interesting enough so that I wasn't bored without being so ludicrous that I couldn't buy the novel's central premise - that this is a book about a person's life. In the end, while I enjoyed reading this work, I can't say that I was particularly moved or intrigued to reread passages or chapters. Do I regret reading this? No. Would I read it again? Also, no.

Told from multiple points of view, Pale Morning Light With Violet Swan, tells the life story of an artist, now elderly and coming to the end of her life. It's a character driven family drama that works its' way through lifetimes of secrets and traumas, with the hope that in the end there's healing.

I found this book compelling. I enjoyed the style of the book, especially how the writer incorporated moments from the past into the present actions.
Violet, the main character is a painter who has lived an amazing life of ups and downs.
I loved how the book opened with an earthquake.
The ending definitely caused me to shed some tears but it was wonderful. I would recommend this book gladly.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for writing an impartial review. Scheduled publication - October 6, 2020.

The first thing I have to acknowledge is that I wanted to read this book because I recently began taking art lessons and thought a novel about an artist would coincide nicely with my budding interest. Unfortunately, despite this being a moderately short book (288 pages), it took me more than two weeks to finish it. That's because whenever I wanted to sit down and read, I just never felt like picking this one up. I simply didn't find the story very compelling.

At its center is Violet Swan -- a successful and still-working artist, an older widow, but in declining health. She lives on the West Coast near the ocean, on the second floor of a home with her 65 year old son, Frank, and daughter-in-law (Penny) below. Her closest relationship is with her grown grandson, Daniel, a filmmaker living in Los Angeles.

Theirs is a family full of tension. Frank and Penny's relationship is strained. Violet's relationship with Frank is awkward. The shadow of Violet's much-loved, late husband hangs over everyone. And Violet has her own troubled past that is only SLOWLY revealed as you progress through the book. There are various types of family dysfunction, some mental illness, and plenty of personal secrets long buried. What begins to bring all of them to light is Daniel's desire to make a documentary about his famous grandmother -- something Violet has, up until now, refused to do.

A lot of promise here, right? But for me, it never quite came together. Aside from assorted references to obscure names of colors, it really isn't very much about an artist's life. The main characters are distinct and fully drawn and do develop and grow as the family secrets are exposed. But I found I didn't really care much about any of them. So, I don't feel like I can strongly recommend this book, though if you look at other reviews, there are many others who enjoyed the book more than I did.

If she told her family the truth, death would get on everything.~from Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan by Deborah Reed

Secrets. Children who don't really know their parents. Parents who don't really know their children. Trauma, consciously forgotten or unspoken, eating their souls.

Ninety-one-year-old Violet Swan's secret was not just the cancer killing her; guilt had dogged her life since a girl. A fire had killed her beloved father and sister. Evil men took advantage of the unprotected child. She escaped, a teenage vagabond crossing the country to the West Coast, pursuing a fragile dream of finding her place in the world.

Violet became famous for her abstract paintings. She lived in her art studio tower, her loving husband Richard protecting her solitude and running her business.

Their son Frank (Francisco, named for Francisco Goya) grew up imprisoned in himself, his silence smothering his marriage, his dutiful wife growing increasingly resentful. Their son Daniel had loved his Grand, Violet, but also felt his father's distance and had stayed away from home for years, living in LA as a filmmaker.

An earthquake begins the story, a premonition of the changes that will shake their relationships nearly to the breaking point. Daniel returns home bearing a secret. Violet finally agrees to allow her grandson to make a film interview; she will spill her secrets at last.

Deborah Reed saturates Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan with visual details, seen through an artist's eye. Music and literature enrich Violet's life.

Violet's story is unravelled throughout the novel, lending an urgency to keep reading, like a mystery novel; we want to understand the intricacies of life experiences that have brought this family to crisis.

I will warn that Violet's life includes trigger events. Violet is a survivor, a resilient woman. She finds salvation in the beauty of this world and in her art that endeavors to capture it.

Frank is mired in anger, addicted to television news. "How on earth was a person supposed to live a normal life?" he wonders, in despair.

Into their lives comes a small child and she changes everything and everyone.

An ordinary happiness runs through me...This is everything beautiful, this is love. Are you listening? Do you hear?~from Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan by Deborah Reed

I was very taken by this novel that glows under Reed's capable hands and beautiful writing.

I was given access to a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

This novel is about an abstract artist and her life. Violet Swan the artist, narrates her life from the age of seven through to ninety three. It is a story of survival, determination, secrets and love. This is a multigenerational novel which takes place from the 20th century through today. The characters are well developed and believable. I had to remind myself that this was fiction.