The Painter's Daughters

December 4, 2023
Psychotherapist and sketch comedy writer Howes (The Ladies) portrays sisterhood, family secrets, and mental illness in her intricate and vibrant debut. The novel takes place in late-18th-century Ipswich, England, where as young girls, Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are given free rein by their emotionally absent painter father and corralled by their society-conscious mother. Molly’s bouts of sleepwalking, blackouts, and memory loss have been increasing in frequency, despite Peggy’s attempts to help her sister in an era when mental illness was viewed as witchcraft and loved ones were shipped to asylums. Terrified of separation, Peggy shoulders the burden of her sister’s episodes alone, a responsibility that becomes even heavier when the girls are 12 and 13 and the family moves to Bath, where they must make a good impression so their father can bring in customers for portraits. The novel is rife with secrets—including a past the sisters’ mother refuses to speak about, forbidden lovers, and the mysterious interwoven story of an innkeeper’s daughter and her abusive father—but the Gainsboroughs persevere through illness and betrayal. Though a rushed ending feels out of sync with the carefully laid details of the sisters’ lives, Howes excels in her depiction of truth and rumors. Readers will want to linger in this singular world. Agent: Andrianna Yeatts, CAA.

May 31, 2024

Gemma Lawrence and Louise Brealey narrate two intertwined stories in Howes's debut historical novel about the artist Thomas Gainsborough's daughters. Gainsborough's youngest daughter, Peggy, has always cared for her sister, Molly. As they grow older and are pushed by their mother to conform to the rules of polite society, however, Peggy finds it increasingly difficult to hide her sister's episodes of delusions. Peggy is torn between protecting her sister and finding her own independence. Interspersed throughout the sisters' story is that of another young woman, the daughter of a tavern owner, who must find her way in the world after becoming pregnant by an elite guest. Lawrence, who performs Peggy's first-person point of view, provides an expressive listening experience, capturing the faraway detached remembrances of times past, the anxiety over keeping Molly's mental illness a secret, and the excited energy of Peggy's teenage inner dialogue. Brealey tells Molly's story, written in the third person, often with the disengaged tone of a casual observer, yet still imbuing her performance with enough emotion to keep listeners interested. Capturing the myriad accents, she gives characters unique voices. VERDICT Devotees of fiction featuring historical figures will enjoy Lawrence and Brealey's performance of Howe's absorbing novel.--Amanda L. S. Murphy

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