Read a lyrical historical novel about a young painter

Blood Water Paint — Joy McCullough

I’m back from a short time off and ready to talk books! This week I also recommended some beachy murder mysteries at Crooked Reads!

Content warning: Today’s newsletter discusses sexual assault and rape. Please take caution reading if needed.

What to Read This Week

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

What It’s About

I’m about to get even nerdier than I already am on a daily basis: my favorite subjects and classes I took in college were art history. I loved learning about the combination of style, architecture, history, and inspiration. My professor was super passionate and excited about the topic, which made me excited to learn about it.

What I really loved on top of that was the intersection of feminism and art history. Which brings us to our book, Blood Water Paint. Artemisia Gentileschi was a real Italian painter, most famous for her portrayals of the female figure and the fact that she was rising to prominence and producing professional work at the age of fifteen. She was also the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence, Italy.

But many do not remember her for her incredible art or strides in equality—they remember her participation in the trial to convict Agostino Tassi of raping her when she was a very young woman. The gruesome crime was detailed in public court for months, and it became a spectacle for others’ entertainment.

Blood Water Paint is a (somewhat historical fact, somewhat fictional) retelling of Artemisia’s life, depicting her as a young assistant to her father before she began painting on her own. The character experiences her newfound desire to create, and meets someone who she thinks is a confidante and a friend, who ultimately rapes her, pushing her into a new life she wanted nothing to do with—a life of everyone, including her father and complete strangers, speculating about her virginity and, in turn, her worth in society.

Why You Should Read It

This book was written in 2018 and takes place in the 1600s, and even then, it’s about something that, sadly, has not gone away, or changed really much at all over the years: women who come forward about being sexually assaulted are thrust into public scrutiny, whether they want to be or not. And still, people don’t believe them.

This novel is also written in verse, which makes it pretty approachable, especially if you’re intimidated by the art history and early 1600s time period. It’s easy to read while also being incredibly difficult to swallow. And don’t just take my word for it. You can see just how many awards this book has won and been nominated for.

Next Up

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I just finished Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore over the weekend (author of Oona Out of Order, which I loved), and it was incredible. It’s the story of a famous magician who vanishes mid-act, leaving her sister behind to pick up the pieces. I switched between print and audio, and if you’re a fan of full cast audiobooks, this will be one to keep an eye on. It comes out July 5, but you can preorder it now!

Summer reading: Elizabeth at What to Read If is hosting her annual Summer Reading Bingo Challenge! Head over there if you’re missing your BookIt! days. (No? Just me?)

I also have some exciting giveaways coming up this summer, so make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an issue!

More Books

Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations: 

• Read an adrenaline-fueled futuristic adventure novel

• Read about a woman who lives in total darkness

• Read a small-town murder mystery set in an ice-cream shop

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