Will I love The Secret Life of Sunflowers?

This is historical fiction, my favorite genre, and it's about Johanna Van Gogh, Vincent Van Gogh's sister-in-law. Van Gogh is one of my favorite painters. Johanna talks about Van Gogh's paintings and about the artist. She marries Theo, Vincent's brother.

Part of the story is dark because Vincent suffered mental health disorders. This story gave me good insights into Vincent's and Theo's personalities.

While the story focuses on Johanna, Theo, and Vincent, there is another story in the book. It's about a fictional character named Emsley Wilson. She lives in the present day and finds Johanna's diary. Emsley… show more.

I loved meeting Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law. What a gutsy, courageous woman. I loved her courage in the face of adversity. A widow with a baby in early 1800s France, she inherited van Gogh’s paintings, which were worthless at the time. But through perseverance, she “introduced” him to the world. And yet she was a person in her own right—with her own struggles and dreams.

I loved her compassion toward her brother-in-law. The settings are realistic and the characterizations are great. Another good example of historical fiction.