Saving Vincent by Joan Fernandez

Saving Vincent is a beautifully touching and very empowering story about Jo van Gogh who was married to Vincent van Gogh’s brother Theo and how she worked tirelessly after her husband’s death to try and break into the male dominated art world to get her brother-in-law’s name and artwork out not only in his Dutch country but also into Paris and the world. The story shows her courageousness and fight as she battles these men who felt she had nothing to contribute because she was a woman. At the time, in the 1890’s there was no such word as feminism., but that too was about to change.

When Jo’s husband Theo dies suddenly leaving her with an infant son and barely any money to survive, she decides rather than go home to her parents she would start a boarding house to make some money. She also chooses to try and figure out how to sell the Van Gogh artwork she has in order to protect her son’s inheritance. The more she learns about Van Gogh through his letters, the more she begins to admire and appreciate his life prior to his death.

The story paints the men who worked in the art industry at the time as stubborn, petty, greedy and certainly not acceptable to women with ideas. It took years for Jo with an incredible amount of determination and failures before she was able to open the door for woman to become welcomed into this world.

The story also gives a glimpse into the emerging feminism as well as the barriers which women faced back then and how they were looked upon by men. But the heart of the story is the love Jo had for her son, late husband and especially for Van Gogh to make sure he is never forgotten in the world of art. The story also delves into her fear that mental illness perhaps ran in the van Gogh family and her anxiety over her son’s health.

Saving Vincent, with its stunning cover is an uplifting wonderful read which will have you clamor to an Art Museum to view some of these now famous masterpieces which are talked about in this wonderful heart-felt love story.

Thank you #SheWritesPress #JackieKarneth #JoanFernandez for the advanced copy.