Painting the Light: A Novel

Painting the Light is a historical novel by the author of Monticello and The Widows War, set on Martha's Vineyard in 1898. Ida Russell, a painter, is now Ida Pease, wife of Ezra, who has become an unreliable husband. When Ezra and Mose sink in a storm, Ida must settle his estate, learning to separate truth from lies and what matters from what doesn't. The novel is written in rich, painterly prose and is a portrait of a woman and a meditation on grief, persistence, and reinvention.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 21 July 2022
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

From the acclaimed author of "Monticello" and "The Widows War" comes a captivating historical novel set on the picturesque Martha's Vineyard in the late 19th century.

Martha's Vineyard, 1898. In her previous life, Ida Russell was a talented painter. Five years ago, she confidently walked the halls of Boston's renowned Museum School, enrolling in art courses that were once considered "unthinkable" for women to take, showcasing a budding talent for watercolors. However, that chapter of her life has come to an end. Ida Russell has transformed into Ida Pease, residing on a seaside farm in Vineyard Haven and married to Ezra, a once charming man who has transformed into an inattentive and unreliable husband. Ezra runs a salvage company in town with his business partner, Mose Barstow, but he much prefers their nightly card games at the local pub to his work in their Boston office, not to mention filling haystacks and tending sheep on the farm at home—duties that have fallen to Ida and their part-time farmhand, Lem. Ida, meanwhile, has abandoned her love for painting.

It's not surprising when Ezra arrives hours late for a Thanksgiving dinner, only to leave abruptly for another supposedly urgent business trip to Boston. But then, something truly unexpected occurs: a storm strikes, and the ship carrying Ezra and Mose sinks.

In the aftermath of this tragic event, Ida finds herself tasked with settling Ezra's estate, a responsibility that brings her face-to-face with a familiar face from her past—Henry Barstow, Moses's brother and executor. As Ida joins Henry in sifting through the remnants of her husband's life and work, she must learn to distinguish between truth and lies, and what truly matters from what is insignificant.

"Painting the Light" is a mesmerizing portrayal of a woman's journey of self-discovery and reinvention, set against the backdrop of a picturesque coastal community. The novel is written in rich, painterly prose, reminiscent of a coastal gale and shimmering like sunlight on the waves. It is a captivating tale that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next chapter in Ida's journey.

Weight: 272g
Dimension: 203 x 135 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780062916259