Travel back into the early days of Australia. This time-slip novel covers the lives of one family's experiences of living in Australia over several decades. The plot does slip back and forth between their present (1913) and their past. Usually I did not have a hard time following what the chapters were following.

One of the central themes in this book is a mystery. The title gives a bit of a clue. There were quite a few details that seemed random but were connected in the end. I cannot expand much further on this topic because I would definitely mention a fact that would spoil the plot. By the end, I had figured out quite a bit. But I definitely had no idea how the story was going to come together when I was in the middle of the book.

The characters were strong. The plot was intriguing. I have not read a book set in early Australia before, so I do think that the setting was also unique.

Art does play a part in the story. But this is not about famous artists or paintings. The featured artist is fictional.

One important detail to note: Thomas Nelson has been known for publishing Christian fiction, but I think that has changed a bit over the last several years. This book is clean overall. But there were a few minor swear words that may surprise a few people who were not expecting any language from this publisher.

Also the spiritual elements were a bit confusing. This book is not exactly religious in nature, and the few scenes that discussed God almost implied that He should not be a factor in life and that there were many acceptable spiritual roads. This could bother a few traditional Thomas Nelson readers. While this "diversion" was not completely a deal breaker for me, I think I was disappointed. The uncertainty of beliefs about God did not fit in with the strength of the characters that was portrayed most of the time.

Overall I did enjoy this book. I would probably be willing to read more by this author, but it would depend on the setting and plot. My final rating of this one is 4.3.

The cover is gorgeous. Unfortunately, that’s where it ended for me. I just did not like the writing at all.

I'd never read a book by Tea Cooper, but the Australian setting captured my interest. I wanted something unique I hadn't read about before. This was it. There was nonstop suspense and mystery that kept me guessing and trying to figure out who the girl in the painting was. There's completely unexpected deaths that caught me off guard, orphans, kidnapping, racial tensions between the Chinese, Irish, and other immigrants in Australia. I don't know a ton about Australian history, so this was a wonderful change. This may have been my favorite book I've read this month. Highly recommend. It's solid, fast paced, and I read it in a couple days.

A young prodigy in need of family.

A painting that shatters a woman’s peace.

And a decades-old mystery demanding to be solved.

Australia, 1906

Orphan Jane Piper is nine years old when philanthropist siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her schooling. The Quinn’s are no strangers to hardship. Having arrived in Australia as penniless immigrants, they now care for others as lost as they once were.
Despite Jane’s mysterious past, her remarkable aptitude for mathematics takes her far over the next seven years, and her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael flourishes as she plays an increasingly prominent part in their business.
But when Elizabeth reacts in terror to an exhibition at the local gallery, Jane realizes no one knows Elizabeth after all—not even Elizabeth herself. As the past and present converge and Elizabeth’s grasp on reality loosens, Jane sets out to unravel her story before it is too late.

This is a wonderful story that the reader will be unable to put down. The writing is wonderful and a bit humorous at times. This book is well worth the read.

Who are we, really? Are we who we think we are, or are we the person we were born to be? It’s an age-old question about nature vs. nurture, and it plays out in this timeslip story powered by the wing-flap of not the butterfly of chaos theory but rather by the wingbeats of a swarm of almost-forgotten doves.

And it’s the story of two lost girls who are found, in the end, one by the other. Or maybe three lost girls.

The story opens, rather than begins, in Australia in 1906, when math-whiz Jane Piper is rescued from the local orphanage by the equally gifted Elizabeth Quinn and her brother Michael. The Quinns have made a great success of their many businesses in Maitland, New South Wales. Australia has been very, very good to the Quinns, who have never forgotten their roots as desperate Irish immigrants in the 1860s. Jane is the latest in a very long line of young people that the Quinns have taken into their home and businesses from the orphanage.

But Jane’s mathematical talent makes her special. The Quinns, now well into middle age, have expanded their original business enterprises, stores and auction houses, into philanthropy on Elizabeth’s part and politics on Michael’s. Neither has ever married, and in Jane’s mathematical talents they see someone they can train to help them in their many endeavors.

And Jane is more than willing. She’s a math prodigy but not very cognizant of social cues. In today’s terms we’d probably say that she was somewhere on the part of the autism spectrum that includes Asperger’s. Her unofficial adoption into the Quinn’s household turns out to be a boon for not just Jane but also Michael and Elizabeth, as she becomes both their quasi-niece and a valued assistant to both of the Quinns.

It is in that capacity that Jane finds herself in the midst of the Quinns’ greatest secret, as the long-buried past interferes in the suddenly fraught present.

Escape Rating A-: I originally picked this up because I really enjoyed one of the author’s previous books, The Woman in the Green Dress, and was hoping for more of the same. Which I definitely got with The Girl in the Painting.

Both stories are set in Australia, and both feature dual timelines, the historical past and then the past of the main characters, and both are centered around old and nearly-forgotten mysteries, although the stories don’t relate to each other. So if you like the sound of The Girl in the Painting, you’ll love The Woman in the Green Dress and very much vice-versa.

At the top I said this was a story about nature vs. nurture, and that turns out to be what lies at the heart of the mystery as well. A mystery that neither the readers nor the characters are aware of as the story begins.

When we first peer into Michael and Elizabeth Quinn’s past, we see the brother and sister on the gangplank at Liverpool, waiting to board a ship for Australia to reconnect with their parents. It’s only as the story continues that we discover that what we assumed about that initial scene, and what Elizabeth remembers of it – after all, she was only 4 years old at the time – are not quite what actually happened.

It’s a secret that Michael has been keeping from his sister for 50 years at this point, and it’s highly likely he intended to go right on keeping it. At least until Elizabeth has a “turn” or a psychological break, or a breakthrough of suppressed memory, at an art exhibit, and all of his secrets start to unravel.

And even though I guessed what one of those secrets was fairly early on, the story, both in their past and in their present, it still made for a compelling read. Just because I’d managed to fill in one corner of the jigsaw did not mean I had much of an inkling about the rest of the puzzle. Pulling the remaining pieces out of their box and figuring out how they fit – or perhaps didn’t fit – was part of what made this story so compelling for me as a reader.

In order to reconcile the past with the present, it’s up to Jane Piper, now a full-fledged partner in the business, to poke and prod her way into those mysteries that refuse to lie dormant in the past. Not because Jane is any kind of detective, but because she loves the Quinns, is grateful to them, and simply can’t resist her own compulsion to resolve the unresolved, as that’s part of her mathematical gift and her social awkwardness. She has to know, and she can’t rest until she does.

While I found Jane herself to be a bit of an unresolved character, more of a vehicle for the story to be told than an integral part of it, the story of Michael and Elizabeth Quinn’s rise from hardworking poverty to wealth and influence was fascinating in its portrayal of two people who lived a lie that was also the utter and absolute truth.

As much as I enjoyed the Quinns’ story, I have to say that I’m finding this author’s portrayal of Australian history wrapped in fiction to be lovely and absorbing and I’m looking forward to her next book (it looks like it will be The Cartographer’s Secret) whenever it appears.

I received this historical fiction novel as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This novel had suspense and complexity and explored the enduring power of family. I enjoyed this book.

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper is a prime example of why I enjoy historical fiction. It is a dual tineline, which is so fantastically written. I am always impressed by dual timelines that come together so well.

This is a mystery. The author expertly weaves together two timelines that are about 50 years apart. It is so compelling, with twists and turns. I was constantly trying to guess what was going on, but wasn’t able to figure it out until I was given the answer.

I liked the characters. They were realistic and well written. I enjoyed the dash of romance as well.

I loved this book and highly recommend it!

*I received a free copy of this book from Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours to review honestly on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

3.5 Stars
This had so much going on. I learned of historical happenings and also how times were in the past. This takes you on a huge journey and has a deep mystery ready to be solved.

A historical mystery of dual time line. Yes, I'm hooked from page one! I haven't read many books that are set in Australia but the more I read of this title by Ms Cooper I am hooked. So many strong female characters both benevolent and some questionable ( nuns I'm looking at you here...ahem) I particularly enjoy this time frame the novel was set in as well. Early 1900's or late 1800's is always of particular interest to me since technology wasn't as prevalent and the focus is more about the moral character of the different cast of characters. I was immersed in this novel from the start!

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

r/suggestmeabook: I want to follow two generations of orphans through their struggles, particularly two numerate women.

From a Liverpool workhouse to an Australian orphanage, and from a gold rush town to a solid municipality, this tale of three orphans brings in trauma, history, mystery, and social commentary, all within gripping and fast-moving prose. Tea Cooper’s writing illuminates and penetrates, and the plot is well-conceived.

The three orphans are a brother and sister, Michael and Elizabeth Quinn (originally Ó Coinn), and a girl they foster, Jane Piper. Their stories are told in tandem, beginning in 1906 with nine-year-old Jane at the Maitland orphanage, whose life is covered for around a decade. The second thread covers the 1860s to 1870s, with the Quinn’s emigration from England through their life in frontier Bathurst and then to sedate Maitland.

There’s not a lot of discussion of the traumas of their disrupted families, but it’s evident in the way the characters act. Michael and Elizabeth are deliberate in their patronage of the orphanage and of individual orphans, which I read as a tacit understanding of the difficulties those young people would face. Watching the mentoring is more effective than a discussion of it.

Cooper also shows the early maturity of these kids, having the responsibility for their own survival thrust upon them early in life. It’s alway surprising to me to remember that kids in other times and/or other places have had to take on so much more than the ones in my life (or that I was).

Be prepared, though, if you’re sensitive: there are some fairly detailed depictions of PTSD as well. I’m not a mental health professional, but they match up to the things I’ve had psychiatrists describe (and articles out there on it). Although no one was calling it that back then, there had to be some recognition of the symptoms.

Issues of class, social norms, bigotry, and sexism are all raised by the plot and characters. In particular, both Elizabeth and Jane are numerate and trusted with accounting, which they both recognize is unusual for their sex, and Michael’s attitudes toward their abilities is contrasted by other characters, again, illuminating by example rather than discourse. Overall, the various social issues are handled sensitively.

I loved all three of these characters. Watching all of them grow and handle the challenges of their sundry lives was a pleasure. I wondered if Cooper was trying to portray Jane as neurodiverse, possibly on the spectrum, but in the historical context, no one would have termed it that way, and I’d be interested to hear if people from that community read her that way.

The minor characters were also well done—the endlessly catty fellow orphan, the town gossip, the villain…well, he was a little mustache-twirly, but I enjoyed it. The backdrop of Australian history is nicely integrated as well. Despite the fact that Thomas Nelson is publishing this novel, there’s no overt Christianity aside from the cultural Catholicism of the Irish-born Quinns.

Tea Cooper gives a masterclass in The Girl in the Painting about how to “show rather than tell” works, and it will definitely be a book I’ll be recommending and re-reading for a long time.

(The post will be published on 3/16)

Thomas Nelson has released another of Australian author Tea Cooper’s historical novels, and I’m happy they’ve done so. The Girl in the Painting is the second book by her that I’ve read and I’m now a firm fan! It’s a split time novel, with Michael and Elizabeth’s story in the late 1800s in one track and Jane’s storyline in 1913 the focus of the second. Cooper has expertly crafted a story of many layers, with each layer peeled back until all is revealed at the end. (I guessed Michael’s secret only shortly before it was revealed in the narrative.) Woven into the narrative are a couple of historical events, including a piece of British history I didn’t know about, and looks at issues such as anti-Irish and anti-Chinese sentiment. (Apparently the Irish saw the Chinese as “different,” despite both cultures being victims of discrimination.) There’s also a strong take on how men treated women, whether it be as protectors to them or deciding that a woman was only as good as the property she brought into a marriage.

The Girl in the Painting kept me up long past my bedtime, because I had to know how it ended. As far as I’m concerned, it’s another five-star read by Tea Cooper (I gave the same to The Girl in the Green Dress.). Although I’ve now only read two books written by her, I’m now a firm fan of Cooper’s and I look forward to reading more by her. I’m delighted Thomas Nelson will be releasing Cooper’s books in the USA, and I’m excited to see the publisher will release another of her books later in the year.

Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, the opinions in this review are my own.

Tea Cooper continues to create amazing historical fiction stories that are impossible to put down! This one is told through a dual timeline, providing a view of the 1860s as well as the early 1900s.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It is filled with strong female characters, which I love! They will inspire you! It's also set in Australia, and Cooper's writing transports the reader there! It’s a lovely journey through so many different parts of the country. It’s amazing!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The mystery in the story was very intriguing. I loved the different POVs and timelines that twist and weave their way together to finally give the reader the full picture of what happened. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and I highly recommend it!

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

Once again Cooper doesn’t disappoint. The action moves to Maitland at the time of the Australian Gold Rush. This tale reaches between its English roots and Australian outcomes.
A brother and sister are left in England as their parents journey to New South Wales to make a new start. Finally they are called to join them. Michael Quinn and his sister Lizzie are very young when their journey begins in 1862.
However our Australian leg of the saga begins in Maitland in 1906 when Michael takes under his wing a young mathematical savant, Jane Piper.
As we move from past to present throughout the story the history of the Ó’Cuinn (now Quinn) family becomes a riveting read.
A visit to a gallery where a painting by an English female artist effects Lizzie to the extent that she seems to have a fit whenever she sees paintings by this woman, where “in every picture was the wistful young girl in the pale dress.”
A mystery is slowly and surely unlocked and in true Cooper fashion a fascinating story is revealed.
Riveting!

A Thomas Nelson ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This book kept me reading to the last page, but it definitely wasn't right for me. I found the ending was way too tied up for me. Lovers of historical mysteries will adore this.

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper is an emotional novel that deals with the tough topics of enforced child migration, orphans, and kidnapping. Despite these issues the book has an air of redemptive power due to the philanthropy of Michael and Elizabeth Quinn. This brother sister duo use their wealth and benevolence to welcome a nine year old orphan, Jane Piper, into their home.

This story is told in multiple voices and time periods to provide the backstory of Jane, Michael, and Elizabeth. It spans the late 1800s to early 1900s and is centered in Australia. Australia is almost its own character as we traverse the goldfields, Maitland, and Sydney and the accompanying countryside. We learn that despite the seemingly perfect exterior of Michael, he is keeping a long held secret that can alter perceptions of those around him substantially.

This book has an assortment of excellent secondary characters who add to the storytelling. Witnessing the journey Elizabeth goes through was a beautiful and painful experience, but it was made better by her supportive ward Jane. While this book is not based on actual historical figures, multiple true historical events were included to add to the richness of the story telling by Cooper.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Thomas Nelson - Fiction in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

One reason I love Historical Fiction is because I love to learn about history in the voices of fictional charactrers from the past. This book is one of the most effective examples of this genre I've read in awhile!
Tea Cooper is a well recognized bestselling Australian author but isn't as well known in the United States. I believe this is about to change! Ms. Cooper brings a moving story of child migration in the 19th century in her book The Girl in the Painting. Children involved in forced migration from England to other countries had come from heartbreaking, desperate, and horrific situations. Many were forced into slavery due to having been housed in workhouses and orphanges due to extreme poverty. All were facing abondonment and a loss of anything familiar or an family they may have known. But sometimes these children and adults were able to overcome childhood traumas amd move forward in the new places they found themselves. Often it is the goodness of others that reach out that turns their lives around.
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Australia 1906. Jane Piper is one such child. She is only 9 years old when the brother and sister philanthropists Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her education. Jane has a mysterious past but has been found to be a prodigy in mathematics. under the Quinn's guidance she is able to flourish as she becomes more integral to their business. But when Elizabeth reacts with utter horror and is traumatized by an exhibition at a gallery. Elizabeth's torment causes her to begin to loose her grasp on reality, Jane is bound and determined to solve this mystery before Elizabeth is lost to them. The mystery spans two continents and decades and tells the compelling story of these two women who finally discover a place to call home.

This book was historical fiction set in Australia with a dual timeline: mid to late nineteenth century and early 20th century, mostly in Australia.

It was a good story and held my interest but not being familiar with Australian history I would probably not recommend to my book club here in the USA or purchase for my church library.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. 3-1/2 stars.

It was refreshing to read a historical fiction novel in a setting I know little about. The Girl in the Painting takes place (almost entirely) in Australia, providing me the opportunity to learn bits and pieces of it's history (and I actually ran a search on iced Vovos!). This is a dual time period novel revolving primarily around two women, both with missing fragments of their childhood. It also stresses the importance of family and loved ones.
My rating came down, however, for two main reasons. First, I found the first 70% of the novel to be very slow and struggled to maintain interest. The final 30% was quite well done and made up for some of that, but I do wish it amped up earlier. Secondly, upon reading the back cover, I anticipated a fair bit of mystery in this story. Unfortunately, that was lacking as well. Yes, there was the mystery of the past, but I found it rather predictable early on and left me feeling a little less invested in the story than I otherwise would have been. Historical fiction fans may find this book to be an enjoyable read, keeping mind this does not have a great deal of romance or faith (as some sources have suggested), but does have a small amount of mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book was freaking weird. And not in a good way. I had no idea what was going on half the time. It did start to make sense as the story went on, but I just didn’t care. I feel like it was written to purposely make you feel discombobulated, because one of the characters has a false identity and no memory of life before, and it was just executed poorly. Also, I have no idea who categorizes books on NetGalley, but this was NOT a romance! Historical fiction, yes. Mystery or thriller (not one of the attached classification)? Sure. But the romance is so minimal and the blurb so misleading that you can’t call this a romance.

Michael's parents fled Ireland to go to Australia to escape the famine and political upheaval. Michael & his sister were to stay with their aunt until he could earn the rest of the ticket money to follow. But his aunt died, Lizzie had to go to the workhouse for a while. Finally, they had tickets. After arriving, things were not as they expected.

Their parents had moved to the gold fields where their dad has established a successful freight business. The brother & sister became very successful and philanthropic, taking in several orphans to work for them. The story jumps back and forth from their early days to the early 1900s. Jane, one of the orphans, is a central character. It is story of familial love, & charity. It has some definite surprises.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I was allowed to read it on #NetGalley.