Blood Water Paint

Starred review from April 16, 2018
McCullough's debut, told primarily in verse, introduces 17-year-old Artemisia Gentileschi, who was in real life a talented young painter during the Italian Baroque period. Grudgingly trained by her father and forced to sign his name to her clearly superior work, Artemisia chafes against the confines of being a woman in a male-dominated world. When an established artist takes an interest in her, Artemisia reaches for the opportunity to improve her craft, but she soon learns that his interest is less than noble and her protestations are no protection. Interspersed throughout Artemisia's story are those of ancient heroines Susanna and Judith, two women who stand against men who covet their bodies and seek to destroy. As Artemisia tries to tell the truths of these women on canvas ("I know/ what it is to be watched,/ to be leered at what it is to be a thing"), she grows into her own power and finds the strength to stand against her own rapist. A haunting, stirring depiction of an unforgettable woman, Artemisia's story will resonate deeply with readers today and beyond. Ages 14âup. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

Based on a true story and read by skilled narrator Xe Sands, this coming-of-age novel commemorates Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Early on, Sands entwines notes of patience and wistfulness into Artemisia's voice as the girl spends her days studying her father's trade and reminiscing about her mother's empowering bedtime tales. Listeners will quickly be swept away by the steady rhythm of Sands's words as she reveals Artemisia's life through captivating free verse. After Artemisia is raped by her tutor, Sands's tone shifts from an innocent teen's to a desperate woman's, one who is seeking to remedy her brokenness and is determined to not be silenced by shame or society's view of her. Sands's extraordinary performance throughout this painful yet victorious story is not to be missed. V.C. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine