The Girl Who Fled the Picture by Jane Anderson
A girl who won’t conform. A journey across 18thCentury Europe. A dangerous pursuit of forbidden love.
1742, Constantinople. Fifteen-year-old Isabella dons Turkish dress to pose for her portrait. The touch of the artist’s apprentice freeing her from corsets and draping her in sensuous silk unleashes a passion that changes her life forever.
Fleeing to Rome to avoid an arranged marriage, Isabella rebuilds her life creating beautiful silver jewellery but love for the apprentice takes her on another journey. She arrives in Scotland just in time for the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. In the midst of the dangerous intrigue of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s court, will the forbidden nature of her secret love see her lose everything?
About the author
Jane Anderson is an Edinburgh based writer of historical fiction. Born in Fife, Jane originally studied English Literature at Edinburgh University. She spent most of her working life living in countries as far-flung as Vietnam, Azerbaijan and most recently, Egypt. She has travelled extensively, including frequent visits from Cairo to both Istanbul and Rome, immersing herself in their ancient cultures and histories. Retelling history from the point of view of women is where the fun begins.
Review
‘The Girl Who Fled the Picture’ is an outstanding piece of historical fiction, packed full of adventure, forbidden love and female empowerment! This is Jane’s first novel and I truly would not of believed this as the writing, pace and narrative are brilliant! Plus, we have iconic characters to boot!
1742 Constantinople finds 15-year-old Isabella travelling across Europe with her Uncle Richard selling their jewellery, but they contain fake stones. Isabella ends up posing for a portrait and meets the artist’s apprentice and falls head over heels in love for him. Fleeing to Rome to escape an unwanted arranged marriage Isabella and her companion Mistress Noble realise they need to gain their financial independence. Having to return to Scotland to sort out her inheritance, the group lands just as the Jacobite Rebellion takes place.
This is a great piece of historical fiction! Packed full of authentic and rich details, you are instantly transported to Isabella’s world and the exotic locations. I am not really a romance girl (getting better I promise you!) but I loved the forbidden love story in this book! Isabella is a great character and I totally fell for her. The historical threads of the exile Prince Charlie and the return to Scotland was portrayed fantastically, it's clear that the author has done their research and applied it in the best way!
Let me know if you pick this one up!