The Painter's Daughter

The Painter’s Daughter by Julie Klassen is set in England in 1815. Sophie Dupont is the daughter of painter, Claude Dupont. Sophie works in her father’s shop, assists him with his paintings, and looks after cottages that they rent out. They have been renting a cottage to Wesley Overtree, an artist. Wesley is also the oldest son and heir to his father’s estate. However, Wesley is more concerned with Wesley and his art. Captain Stephen Overtree was sent to get his brother and send him home. He arrives to find that Wesley has left for Italy. This leaves Sophie quite in a pickle. Sophie believed (as many girls do) that Wesley loves her and would marry her. Now, Sophie is pregnant and alone. Stephen offers to marry her to provide for her and the child. Stephen is different from his brother (not easy going). Sophie knows she has no alternative and agrees to marry Stephen. Wesley regrets leaving Sophie the way he did and writes her a letter at their first stop. He asks her to wait for him. Unfortunately, the letter does not reach her for quite some time. Sophie and Stephen elope (with a chaperone) to the Island of Guernsey. They then head towards Stephen’s home at Overtree Hall to get Sophie settled before Stephen has to return to his regiment. Sophie has averted scandal, but her troubles are just beginning. What happens when Wesley unexpectedly returns to home and finds Sophie wed to his brother? Can Sophie and Steven make their marriage work? You will need to read The Painter’s Daughter to find out. The Painter’s Daughter is a Christian novel. It has just the right tone (not too much). I found the novel to be just a little bit long and there are some slow areas (especially about battles). I liked Julie Klassen’s writing which makes for a pleasant story. I did want to wring Sophie’s neck sometimes. Stephen promises to not sleep with her but she continues to cower every time he comes near her (but then wonders why he does not sleep with her or kiss her). There is also the miscommunication issue. If people would just talk or ask questions, so many misunderstandings could be avoided. I know it is just a book, but miscommunication seems to be so prevalent in books lately. I give The Painter’s Daughter 4 out of 5 stars. I will look forward to reading more books by Julie Klassen in the future. I received a complimentary copy of The Painter’s Daughter from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.