![]() ![]() When I picked up this book I approached it with a semi-open mind and quickly had my skepticism blown away. Conklin has created a story which is exciting, moving and cynically realistic. One of Josephine’s descendants would be the perfect face for Lina’s case, one who would truly demonstrate the loss resulting from the “unjust enrichment” of those who benefitted from slave labor. Lu Anne’s reputation as an artist has carried into current day, and is now associated with a renowned center for women and art. When she needs to find a lead plaintiff for a slavery reparations case, her search reconnects her to the art world. In the 1850’s Lu Anne Bell took credit for paintings created by her house slave Josephine. He didn’t find success until later in life, so rather than repeat his struggles, Lina chooses to go into corporate law. She lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her father. Lina Sparrow is the daughter of two artists. Though based entirely on created characters, Tara Conklin writes a story that could easily be taken as non-fiction. The House Girl is a story of deceptions and the people who benefit from them, the passionate seeking of justice until it’s no longer convenient, and deciding if a lie can be told so long it becomes the truth. Thank you to AB4T reviewer Carla Riemer for her in-depth look at Tara Conklin’s debut novel, The House Girl. Sometimes a book resonates so strongly with its reviewer that the 250-work limit placed on an official review is simply too constricting. ![]()
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