HFVBT Review: A Light of Her Own by Carrie Callaghan

Title: A Light of Her Own
Author: Carrie Callaghan 
Format: ARC
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Publish Date: November 13, 2018
Source: HFVBT

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "In Holland 1633, a woman’s ambition has no place.

Judith is a painter, dodging the law and whispers of murder to become the first woman admitted to the prestigious Haarlem artist’s guild. Maria is a Catholic in a country where the faith is banned, hoping to absolve her sins by recovering a lost saint’s relic.

Both women’s destinies will be shaped by their ambitions, running counter to the city’s most powerful men, whose own plans spell disaster. A vivid portrait of a remarkable artist, A Light of Her Own is a richly-woven story of grit against the backdrop of Rembrandts and repressive religious rule."

My Two Cents:

In "A Light of Her Own," it's 1633 and Judith Leyster dreams of being admitted to the Haarlem artist's guild. Although this would be quite a feat for a woman, Judith isn't fazed. She is secure enough in her skill that she believes she is worthy of such an honor and will do what she must to realize this dream. Being able to get into the guild would have been an incredible boon for any artist, let alone a woman artist. I loved getting to know Judith on her journey through this book!

I have always liked Judith Leyster's self portrait, which hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Admittedly, the Dutch masters are not my favorite (I may struck with lightning with that disclosure, no?). So many of the portraits while realistic seem sort of dark and perhaps a bit drab to me. Leyster's self-portrait has a spark that makes the painting of her painting really interesting to me. She has a gleam in her eye and I thought that the author did a good job of capturing that light and that drive that shines through Leyster's paintings, particularly her self-portrait.

This book has so much going for it. You all know that I love historical fiction but I particularly love historical fiction when it includes art. I love the stories behind all of the paintings we know and love. I loved seeing Judith's story. She has to be very strategic throughout the book in order to follow her dreams in a time where women were supposed to be in the home. There is a great feminist theme present here, which is very much down my alley. I loved following her journey!

Another thing that I really liked in this book was the friendship between Judith and Maria. Both women are struggling with different problems but they are able to come together and support each other. This book had a very nice rumination on the importance of friendship. I thought the author did a good job of capturing the thoughts and feelings of both women.

Overall, this was a good book and a great debut! It will be such a treat for my fellow historical fiction lovers.