Book Review of Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

 

1.     Bibliography

McCullough, J. 2018. Blood water paint. Dutton Books. ISBN: 9780735232112

2.     Plot Summary

Our story starts in 1610 with a girl named Artemisia who has lost her mother and now only has her father, Orazio.  Artemisia loves to paint and when she does it isn’t her name on the bottom of the canvas, it is her father’s.  Even though in this time and age, women don’t have any power over the word of men, Artemisia is determined to find her voice.  Her father gets her a tutor to help her with her paintings even though he will claim them as his own, she does learn a lot from Tino her new teacher.  When Tino starts to show affection for Artemisia she thinks she found someone who truly cares for her but is terribly mistaken when he only wants to use her to help himself.  When Tino takes advantage of Artemisia she realizes that no one can help her but herself and intends to find her voice. 

3.     Critical Analysis

In this versus style book we follow Artemisia who struggles with the power of men over women.  In the early 1600’s women were made to be almost servants to men, wash the dishes, make the dinner, help with chores, etc.  Women weren’t allowed to speak up against another man and even if they did, they probably would be considered a liar.  We have different perspectives of women in those times and how they dealt with finding their voice and not letting men tell them what to do.  When you are challenged with your words over your life and chose to make sure your words are heard even in the face of death you know you hold the power.  Artemisia shows the struggle of pain and loss and will show students that even though you have experienced tragedy something good can also come from it and you are stronger than you think.  There are parts of the book that are told as a story and these stories give Artemisia strength and guidance as she overcomes obstacles in her life.  You can get the feel of the conversations taking place in the story by how the text is written.  When Artemisia is thinking in her head, taking advice from her imaginary heroes, or talking with Tino, you usually see the text written in italics and bolded.   This book will give girls the strength to stand up for themselves and show how strong they can be.

4.     Review Excerpts

"McCullough has managed to vividly capture a singularly brave, resilient feminist who became an icon during a time when women had almost no agency. Her story and the stunning verse through which it is told will resonate just as strongly with readers today. A captivating and impressive debut about a timeless heroine." —Booklist, starred review
A William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist
2018 National Book Award Longlist

5.     Connections

*I would challenge the students to write a letter to a friend who was struggling and offer some guidance or words of wisdom to help them through.

*Other historical fiction books to compare:

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak