Welcome to Litsy!

Lush historical fiction based on the complicated family saga of one of the first Impressionist painters, Camille Pissarro.

#WanderingJune One of my favorite Alice Hoffman novels is the story of Rachel Pissarro, mother to Camille Pissarro, a 19th century impressionist painter. Set on the island of St. Thomas we learn about Rachel‘s life as a refugee from Spain and the small Jewish community that formed on St.Thomas following the Inquisition. It‘s a captivating story of a #CaribbeanQueen and her future generations.

#readingwomenchallenge This was my book featuring a religion other than my own.

Absolutely beautiful writing, the kind of historical fiction I love—highlighting a mostly unknown woman from a well-known man‘s life. The author does such a good job at bringing Rachel (& Jestine) to life. Really liked the main setting of St. Thomas, don‘t think I‘ve read anything set there before. Wasn‘t as into in the chapters from Camille‘s POV, he just didn‘t draw me in. But overall this was brilliant & I def will read more of her work. 4/5 ⭐️

“I‘ll pretend to be who they want me to be.” He grinned then, and she saw his youth. “But it won‘t work. In the end I‘ll have to disappoint someone. Either them, or myself.”

But every night I thought about my other life, the one that had yet to begin.

I wondered if all creatures were drawn to what was dangerous or if we merely wanted light at any cost and were willing to burn for our desires.

I‘ve never read anything by Alice Hoffman, but this one sounded really intriguing to me, so I figured it was a good place to start! #nowreading

Spent a pleasant evening ruthlessly culling my Litsy TBR. I could go further but want to find out who has won Survivor.

This family story follows several generations and describes their history in the Virgin Islands. It is rich in character and picturesque. It is beautiful.

A 19th c saga based on real people: the Jewish family of painter Camille Pissarro, who lived on the Caribbean island of St Thomas. Pissarro‘s mother & her closest friend are the two central characters. I enjoyed this for the most part, even though it was a bit too romantic for my taste. Example: From the moment a young widow sees a newcomer, she knows she is experiencing love for the first time. (I call that lust.) Compelling, regardless.

Then I understood that when someone begins to tell you her story, you are entwined together. Perhaps even more so if the ending hasn‘t been divulged.

There is the outside of a story and the inside of a story. One is the fruit, and may be delicious, but the other is the seed.

You have a few hours left to grab this daily deal from Audible. I haven‘t read this one yet, but I‘m a big Alice Hoffman fan, so it‘s sure to be good!

They‘re also giving away a free copy of White Fang!

A rich and beautiful family saga that begins in the early 1800s on St Thomas. The story is told from several points of view, but mostly through the first-person narration of Rachel Pizzarro. Very little is known about her, but she is best known for being Camille Pissarro's mother. I loved the descriptions of St Thomas and Paris. The characters are so distinct and interesting. And of course the writing is amazing, because Alice Hoffman.

Evening reading with the elusive #Vladimir . Notice how thrilled he is to have his picture taken...#catsoflitsy

Time to start this for next week‘s historical fiction book discussion.

Working my way through this on Day 2 of vacation.

The left is what I read this weekend VS the right which is what I wanted to read 😔 I have just a couple more weeks left of this semester and I am going to make sure I do well in classes. I whisper to my ridiculous TBR pile at night soon, soon I can devote more time to you.

It's #Recommendsday! Fab book! Couldn't put it down. Started a little slow but quickly picked up. Love the artist aspect! Seeing the world through Pissarro's eyes was a treat. Set in the 1800s, mostly on the island of St Thomas, the rest in Paris. Alice Hoffman writes beautifully. If only she would write a whole book from an artist‘s point of view! Audiobook is excellent, narrators are tops. 4.5 stars! 👍🏻

Full review: https://bit.ly/1HnXq8Q

I just finished this incredible, haunting novel last night. the Marriage of Opposites is historical fiction that blends real characters — including artist Camille Pissarro — with the evocative settings of St. Thomas and Paris. Highly recommended!

#bookrec #hardcover #historicalfiction #coverart

I loved this book❤️

#ReadingResolutions #BeautifulWriting

TFW someone‘s watching you read...

#dogsandbooks #readinglife #readtheworld #sundayreads #pupper

Love more, not less

Snow day today! Spending the evening snuggled up with my book and enjoying the contrast of its warm St. Thomas setting.

#readinglife #currentread #booksandsnow #litfic

Grabbing a few minutes of reading at the gym before class begins.

#currentread #hardcover #botm

So, I made this for me 💍📖❤️

A fantastic meeting today of the #NYC #2030SomethingBookClub that @MrBook and I run! We had a rich, varied discussion on this excellent book (which some of us loved and some hated — always makes for an interesting discussion!)
And of course I had to have a tropical rum cocktail to go with the book. 🍹

"As I turned the pages, I felt as if there were bees on my fingertips, for I had never felt so alive as when reading."

- The Marriage of Opposites

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Absolutely loved it! I love multi-generational historical fiction, so this was right up my alley. It was such a fun surprise to find out that it also includes a focus on art, and art history. It had just the right amount of magic — as one of the review blurbs states, it has “Hoffman‘s signature blend of folklore, fairy dust, and romantic passion.”

Anyone else love Alice Hoffman? She can just perfectly wind everything together. And look and at that cover. I just had to put a stone with it. #oceanjasper

Nothing better than a Sunday morning of a long weekend!

Just started, and am loving it so far! It‘s rare that a non-thriller captures my attention so quickly. Excited to discuss at the #2030somethingbookclub!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Finished 11/13/2016 - We read this for book club a couple of years ago. I don‘t remember loving it but many of the ladies in my book club that love historical fiction loved it.

I really enjoyed the rich character development and appreciated the strong women characters. I liked the ideas and actions they put forth that went against their norms, but found that history repeated itself in a way that was frustrating and hypocritical.

@JillPill I don't know where to start! You have spoiled me and these all sound great! I can't wait to dive in. ❄️🎁❄️💜
Wow!
#secretsantagoespostal
#wintersolsticebookexchange

Day #24 of #NovemberbytheNumbers: the twenty-four books currently on my #BOTM shelf. Upright are the books I‘ve read, stacked are #TBR. Only missing A Gentleman in Moscow & Future Home of the Living God (#upnext & #currentlyreading respectively), which are on the side table in my reading nook. I just #bookrainbow-ed these yesterday & I love how it turned out. 📚🌈

#NovemberByTheNumbers I‘ve highlighted #15 books that were published in 2015 and I‘ve actually read all #15🌞My favorites were tagged book, A Little Life, Nightingale, Fishermen, Girl on the Train, and Seven Good Years🐠🕊🚂👰👬🇮🇱

This was my first audiobook borrowed from the Overdrive app. And my first audiobook ever. Worked out wonderfully on my 35-45 minute drive to work. Anyway, this was a great historical fiction story. Filled with loss and heartache and unfaithfulness but also filled with joy and wonder and love and enchantment. Loved the headstrong lead female characters like Rachel, Adele, and Rosalie. And the kind men Frederic and Henri. Not so much Camille...

“He brought home a feather,‘ my mother said contemptuously. ‘He would have done better with a woman.‘ ‘Well, she‘s a feather weighted down with money.”

Women of every faith have power; they just have to find it within themselves. -Adele

Hoffman is one of my absolute favourite authors. I love art history (being an art history major), and couple this with Hoffman's exquisite writing, I couldn't put the book down. I loved it! Her writing and descriptions are so beautiful. The way she described Pissarro's paintings gave them the respect they deserve. He was after all a founding father of Impressionism. I love the build of the story, pick it up, you won't be disappointed.

This was a good - although at times long-winded - historical fiction story about a woman named Rachel who grew up fighting against the rules of her strict Jewish community on St. Thomas and her life/family. Embarrassed to say I didn't realize she was based on a real person and that her son Camille was THE Camille Pissarro the painter until nearly the end of the book. A lovely story about home and growing up to understand your parents and history.

I love how these two sentences capture the passion and the wistfulness of Rachel Pomie's life In Hoffman's The Marriage of Opposites.

Nothing better than starting a new read on a sunny summer Friday! ☀️?

This will be my "takes place over 150 years ago" for the #litsyreadingchallenge

Set on St. Thomas in the 1800's, Rachel strains against the confines of her small Jewish community.

I really enjoy Alice Hoffman's writing and thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which is based on the life of Rachel Pizzarro, mother of impressionist painter Camille Pissarro.

Does anyone else wish there was a section for books you own but haven't read? It would make secret book exchanges so much easier and would prevent multiple copies of the same book being gifted. Books we want to read, books we own, and books we've read. I've suggested it, but I don't think @Litsy understood what I meant... That said, I ❤️ Litsy. Yesterday's book haul.

My first lunchtime book date in a long time (work has been crazy). Feels like such a treat! ❤️

#booklunch #bookdate 📚🍲🍽️

Loved it! Great piece of historical fiction. Really more about Camille Pissaro's mother than himself...but also about them both. They were far more alike than Different. The audiobook had rich narrator's but Hoffman's storytelling is haunting.

You couldn't see love, or touch it, or taste it, yet it could destroy you and leave you in the dark, chasing after your own destiny.