I loved The Talented Miss Farwell as a portrait of what drives a person to do "bad things" (here, it's embezzling in order to buy and sell art as that is Miss Farwell's (aka Becky and "Reba" in the art world) passion. She's moved by art but more than that, she's relentless in her pursuit of buying and then selling it, and ends up embezzling millions from Pierson, the small Midwestern town she lives in and where she's the beloved chief financial manager.

While The Talented Miss Farwell is good with its astute portrayal of Becky as a ruthless person who is almost as enamored of her position in Pierson, of being someone who loves and helps the town, even as she is driving it into bankruptcy all in the name of buying and selling all the art (and expensive art, and lifestyle outside of Pierson that comes with it) it is outstanding in its portrayal of small town bureaucracy from the late 80s to the big economic crash of 2008.

I know, how can bureaucracy be interesting?! But it is in The Talented Miss Farwell, and it's what made me love this novel so much. Emily Gray Tedrowe absolutely floored me with her very accurate (and surprisingly witty) account of how small towns can operate on outdated means, be reluctant to change (Becky's early panic at the introduction of the internet and especially email, is both awesome and very funny), and be ripe for the plucking, should someone dig into the labyrinth of accounts created and later abandoned but never closed, leaving space for someone, say a very numbers oriented (and very obsessed with owning art) person, to take those accounts and start moving money in and out of them for decades. (Yes, decades!)

I also really liked how Becky was, in her own way, like viewing a great work of art--you get a sense of who she is based on how you interpret what you see (or in this case, read)--and so every reader will come away with their own interpretation. Some people will think Becky is weird, some awful, some fascinating, etc. I *loved* that! Like art, everyone sees Becky in their own way.

So, come for the portrait of a woman who reflects what you bring to the novel and stay for the outstanding portrayal of life in a small town and how one woman "loved" it into decay.

I’m way behind on my review for this book, but I felt like I needed some time to gather my thoughts. The Talented Miss Farwell seemed...boring? Miss Rebecca Farwell works in her small hometown as the town’s treasurer and controller. She seems to be a trustworthy and knowledgeable government employee. But in reality, she is siphoning funds from the town’s accounts to support her addiction to collecting [expensive] pieces of art. I work in local government personally, and I found this book to be extremely far fetched. It seemed unlikely that one person could essentially steal extreme amounts of money without anyone noticing. However, the book takes places in the 80s and 90s, so maybe stealing money was easier back then?? This book is long, repetitive, and predictable. I don’t recommend it.

This was a slow moving character study about what a person will do when they become obsessed. It has an audience of readers.

Beginning with her time helping her father with his business to becoming the Comptroller of Pierson, we follow Becky as she begins her double life as small town town official to art world sweetheart. Becky "borrows" funds from the town so that her alterego Reba can travel the world acquiring artwork. I spent most of the book wondering why no one was looking further into the town's lack of funds or catching up to her. Should we be sympathetic to her in the end, I wasn't.

Miss Farwell was indeed talented! Becky displayed intelligence, perseverance, and interest in her two chosen areas: math and art. At first, this reader felt sympathy for her because she lived in an impoverished, fractured family. Becky did show spunk in helping her father and acquiring a good job at Town Hall. This feeling changed when she began her con job of “cooking the books” for a lengthy period of time. When was she going to be caught was the ever-present question.
When Becky became her Reba persona, her lifestyle took on a complete turnaround. It was interesting how she could keep up appearances with another societal level and how she self-taught herself about the world of art.
The Talented Miss Farwell is a great read. It is well worth reading!

A woman living 2 very DIFFERENT lives! I was totally hooked by the idea of this book, but the actual story was much slower than I anticipated. I was really looking for a fast-paced, exciting story, but I felt that this one dragged quite a bit. I really enjoyed the book Catch Me if You Can, and I was expecting something a bit more paced like that. So, while this book uses that one to hook readers, I don't think it's a very fair comparison.

Overall though, this was an okay story, and will resonate with some readers. I liked the insight into the world of art, and I thought that there were some really interesting details about it. I would definitely read another book by Tedrowe, and I look forward to seeing what she puts out next!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

When you see someone caught after spending years living a lie - hiding a second family or perpetrating major financial fraud - do you ever wonder how it all started? I'm always intrigued by stories that show this path - how someone makes what starts as one small bad decision. Perhaps followed by one small lie to keep that bad decision hidden. And over time, it snowballs and gets bigger and bigger and bigger.

The Talented Miss Farwell was an example of this - as we saw Becky growing up in Illinois and quickly using her intellect to save the family business. And then the moment of her first poor decision.

While I found the concept interesting - parts of this story were really slow for me. I'm not sure if it was my mood as I read but I almost stopped at a few different points. I'm glad I finished but don't think this is one that will stick with me.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for the free review copy.

The Talented Miss Farwell is obsessed by, well, obsession and it is easy to get drawn right in. I'd have preferred a half dozen fewer chapters near the end of the book, but otherwise, an excellent debut.

This will not be my full review and I will update once I have finished the book. I set this book aside for now because it was just moving too slowly to hold my attention. It spent so much time in the beginning with background information before the story really progressed. I also don't care for Becky/Reba's character and find her somewhat annoying, which makes it hard to continue with the story. I'm a little over halfway through the book and will likely finish on audio because I've heard the audio is very good. I will update my review with final thoughts upon finishing. Thank you!

Becky Farwell is a whiz at math. Because of this skill, she is able to save her father’s business for a bit. However, due to their financial problems, Becky isn’t able to go to college. Instead, she takes a course in accounting and begins working for the town. She quickly moved up the ranks, but not before noticing some errors in the books.
Meanwhile, Becky is bitten by the art bug. She gets a crash course in how to buy and sell art from a man she meets during a failed attempt to purchase a painting.
Driven by her obsession with art, Becky starts skimming money from the town, promising to return it when she can sell her art at a profit.
Becky also enters into a friendship with a high school classmate, Ingrid, because of Ingrid incredible kindness to Becky.
I felt this book was a bit dry, never quite hitting its mark. It talked a lot about art, but I never felt invested in it. I did want Becky to succeed, if only to help out the town.
Thanks to The Book Club Girls, Harper Collins and Net Galley for the ARC.

#TheTalentedMissFarwell #EmilyGrayTedrowe
#NetGalley #HarperCollins #TheBookClubGirls

Becky Farwell is an intelligent teenager who figures out a way to help her father's failing business. She gets a job with the city of Pierson in accounting. She discovers some 'lost' funds in an account that hasn't been used in a long time. She has discovered she has a passion for art and decides to use the lost funds to start buying art. She always plans to repay the funds and along the way she does pay some of the funds back but she takes way more than she pays back. Unfortunately, the entire book spans over twenty years of her abusing her position. It just seems to be too repetitive.

Initially, I found the book to be engaging and the struggles of this far well were interesting. Her efforts to retaine the family business and later support her ailing father made for a good initial hook. She happens upon a painting in the area university’s art building which ignites a passion for the arts and collecting that becomes an addiction. The description of the art and feelings evoked are beautiful. What a great premise!

Miss Farewell becomes an obsessive, narcissistic, embezzler who steals funds from the city coffers to fund her addiction to art at the expense of everyone in her small town of 10,000 people. The main character becomes unlikable with a me first, me only, attitude. The lengthy, name-dropping lists of artists became tedious and the storyline lagged. The lack of sub-plots and any intriguing supporting characters left me struggling to continue reading.

Overall, Miss Farwell and her compulsion to put her wants ahead of the needs of everyone else became too reminiscent of the times in which we are living.

3 weak stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Rebecca (Becky) Farwell grew up in Pierson, Illinois. Unable to attend college because of family responsibilities, she begins working at city hall. Since she always had a knack for numbers, she receives several promotions, until she finally becomes the city comptroller. She is the only one who understands the town’s finances and she always seems to find that bit of money that a project requires. What people don’t understand is that there are two sides to Miss Farwell. She is also an art lover who leads a double life, collecting art from a variety of galleries in Chicago and New York City by using money she has “borrowed” from Pierson accounts. As her collection grows, Miss Farwell’s deals become more elaborate and more expensive, while her debt to her hometown becomes more massive and out of control.

The Talented Miss Farwell is a story of obsession, greed, and selfishness. Repeatedly, Becky tells herself that she’s going to stop skimming funds from the town’s accounts. Repeatedly she admits to herself that what she’s doing is wrong. But, still she continues to take the money, while watching the town struggle to meet even its most basic needs. There were very few characters in this book that I found appealing and many that I just simply disliked and pitied. The only person who was a sympathetic character is Becky’s best friend, Ingrid, who amazingly enough, remains her friend throughout the story.

The Talented Miss Farwell left a bad taste in my mouth and I would give it 2.5 stars. But, I will reluctantly bump it up to 3 stars simply because the writing itself is very good and the plot is well-drawn. Miss Tedrowe is a talented writer. I’m just not a fan of her latest book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Addictive read with an addicted main character. Becky gives up the chance to use her mathematical skills and brains to escape her economically challenged hometown. Instead she devotes herself to saving the family business and supporting her Dad as he grows older and more feeble. Her one outlet is her growing and increasingly all-consuming interest in art.....starting at a garage sale and catapulting her into the heady and crazy, over-the-top champagne and couture art collecting lifestyle of Chicago and then New York. Though manipulative, schemy, cheaty and grifty.......Becky remains a compelling anti-heroine. Against my better judgement, I found myself rooting for her (often reluctantly), until the last page.

Oh this book! Pulled at my heart strings while also almost on the edge of my seat to know what would happen next. This was written so well, especially The description of the places Becky/Reba travels to, the character development and descriptions. I highly recommend this one to everyone, especially those looking for a good one to mix into a stack of thrillers.

Thank you to the Book Club Girls, Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion. Congratulations to Emily Gray Tedrowe on a fabulous book!

I saw an author interview about this book and was really intruiged. I grew up outside Chicago, and love art and mystery, so I was really drawn to the book. I love that it is loosely based on reality. What I didn’t like was Becky Farwell. I found her to be really an unlikeable character, which is likely intentional but hard for me to relate to. Amazing that she was able to embezzle so much money over such a long period of time.

I enjoyed this book. The writing style kept me engaged. Becky/Reba Farwell draws one to like the lifestyle that one cannot have and make concessions one should not make, but for only a little while. You began rooting for Reba when you know that is wrong and yet it seems somewhat right. This book was truly an enjoyable read. I would recommend. Thank you Net Galley for the read!

Becky Farwell is only a teenager when she finds her calling in life. It was as a high schooler in Pierson, Illinois, living with her father and watching as his business is slowly slipping away that Becky decided to take a stand. She takes over the books herself and encourages him to let go of his showroom and sell his tractors and farm equipment out of their barn, the one in the backyard. The money he saves on rent and the professional accountant makes the difference, and the business is saved.

Around this same time, Becky finds a painting that catches her eye. She buys it, hangs it in her bedroom, and lets herself be completely captured by it. And just like that, she is hooked.

Becky is smart. Her math teacher wants to help her find a good math school, get a scholarship, encourage her in the direction of a solid, happy future. But Becky knows that she can’t leave her dad. It’s because of her that his business isn’t failing, and if she were to leave, it would all fall apart again. Instead, after graduation, Becky gets a job as an accounting clerk at City Hall, and continues to live at home and help her dad with his business nights and weekends.

It turns out that she has a real head for numbers and rises quickly at work. Meanwhile, in her spare time, she is devouring art magazines and researching galleries, trying to find a way into the art world, making plans, dreaming and scheming. And she finally does. After a disastrous showing at an art expo in Chicago, Becky found herself nursing too many drinks in a nearby bar. That is where Mac found her, decided to call her Reba, and from there takes her under his wing.

Under Mac’s tutelage, “Reba” learns how to talk to gallery owners, what to wear, where to live, and how to be a part of the art scene. She can’t move away from Pierson—that’s her life. But maybe she deserves a second life, one that Pierson doesn’t need to know about. One with art auctions and deals, designer clothes, and a condo in Chicago. This lifestyle isn’t cheap, but if she repays the town when she can, no one besides her will know if Becky borrows a little money here and there.

The one thing that Mac doesn’t need to teach her is taste. Her eye for art is first rate, and she learns quickly how to maneuver through the art world. As Becky’s reputation grows, as her collection grows, as her debt grows, the struggle to keep up with her two separate lives becomes more and more difficult. How long will she be able to pull it off? Just how brilliant is Becky Farwell from Pierson, Illinois?

The Talented Miss Farwell is a powerful tale of a woman destined for greatness but stuck in a small town. The choices she makes, the sacrifices she opts for, the way she behaves in her relationships are a fascinating character study. Watching Becky go through the years of her life, the cycles of the art economy, the decades of a small town kept me reading these chapters with intensity and fascination. Author Emily Gray Tedrowe brings Becky and Pierson to life through each page, detailing the art of living as well as the crime of stealing.

I was so excited to read The Talented Miss Farwell, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. When Becky’s story started in the claustrophobic small town, I wasn’t sure I wanted to take the ride. But I stuck with it, and the more Becky blossomed, the more I became enraptured with her story. This book may start a little slow, but then you’re in and you are not going anywhere until you get to the very end. This is a lovely page-turner of a novel, and I think any crime reader will love it along with me.

Egalleys for The Talented Miss Farwell were provided by HarperCollins Publishers (Custom House) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I was able to read this #arc via #netgalley. Thank you for the early access!
I wanted to like this book, but it was hard because I never really felt like I knew Becky/Reba. I wanted to understand her or have her to come an epiphany about why she looked to art and a life of cons to make her happy. To be honest, it was such a well done portrayal of a person’s life without having access to understanding all their real thoughts and decisions- I actually persuaded myself that she was a real person and this was a real story. It’s a worthy read, and interesting to read about the inner workings of the art world. But overall, I was left wanting more!
If you saw Bad Education on HBO, and found the greedy acts of the people at central office interesting then you might like this book. Much like the movie, you don’t get as much of an insight as to why- but still an interesting read.

I was looking forward to reading The Talented Miss Farwell. Becky did not have an easy life growing up in Pierson, Illinois. She lost her mother at an early age and her father’s business was floundering. She is gifted in math and delays college to help her father as the business goes down hill and he becomes housebound due to illness.

I love stories about characters overcome difficult obstacles to lead a life of purpose. This did not happen in Becky/Reba’s story. While I started this story having a lot of sympathy for her, it felt harder and harder to do as the story continued. I am not sure what the redeeming qualities are after reading this story. My thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.