Of Flowers and Shadows [Hardcover]

Anna Kirwan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Portraits (Book 2)

Like the captivating bestseller, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, this exciting new series explores the stories behind the girls featured in some of the world's most dazzling paintings.

The year is 1879. Beautiful and headstrong orphan Aurelia Sandborn has no family to call her own. Fleeing from her sinister guardian, Aurelia finds herself in a Massachusetts village, where the townsfolk seem all too curious about her mysterious background. When Aurelia meets a charming boy named Wayland, she would like nto open her heart to him, but feels she cannot. Surprisingly she finds herself confiding the artist Winslow Homer, who is painting her portrait. And Homer himself may hold the key to the very truth about Aurelia's past...and future.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–These series titles create backstories for the young women who posed for great artists. Past immediately draws readers into Aurelia's story. Shipwrecked and orphaned at the age of five, she was raised in Boston by an increasingly senile woman and her predatory nephew. Fleeing to Townsend, MA, she finds work with a kind family. Her mysterious past continues to haunt her, though she quickly becomes involved in the community. When Winslow Homer arrives to visit his family, Aurelia's tangled past becomes unraveled. Keeping the many characters straight may be confusing for some readers, but the scenes of Aurelia posing for the artist are beautifully integrated with the plot. The portrayal of town life is deep, compelling, and gently humorous. Fire introduces the model for Degas's L'Etoile. Sylvie, a young student at the Paris Opera Ballet School, grows up amid the uncertainty of the Franco-Prussian War. When bloody battles rage throughout the city, she is drawn into the real world for the first time in her life. After witnessing the horror, she must decide if she can ever return to the magic of the stage. This typical ballet story becomes an exciting coming-of-age tale. Fans of dance will be engrossed, while others may have difficulty getting past the jargon to find the fine work within.–Christina Stenson-Carey, Albany Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. This new entry in the Portraits series creates a fictionalized story surrounding the young girl who posed for Winslow Homer's Girl and Laurel in 1879. Aurelia is a shipwrecked orphan and servant girl for a family who lives across the street from the Homers of Townsend, Massachusetts. She catches the eye of painter Winslow Homer and agrees to pose for a portrait. Kirwan's strength lies in her attention to setting and historic details, and she paints a fascinating picture of late-nineteenth-century New England preoccupations including romantic poetry, seances, patriotic holidays, and parlor games. Homer is portrayed as taciturn but gentlemanly and an enigma. Although the happily-ever-after ending (in which, among other things, Aurelia is reunited with a wealthy and loving family) feels a bit contrived, this is an appealing story that evokes a sense of the painting. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439710103
• ISBN-13: 978-0439710107
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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