OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Portrait" by Christina Gordan.]

"Marriage is forever; even after divorce. Or so it seems for both Sarah, a young widow, and Richard, an ambitious artist, who, each in their own very different ways, remain unduly influenced by their previous marriages. For Richard it’s all about nostalgia; for Sarah it’s all about fear.

Portrait tells the story of Sarah becoming Richard’s muse, and the complexities their very different lives play upon the outcome of the resulting painting and its late entry—despite the unknown face of its subject—in the Archibald Prize.

What results is a brilliant, literary drama centred around a young mother, a dark past, a terrible moment and a prestigious art prize."

I am genuinely sorry I cannot give this story more than 4 out of 4 stars. It is a gripping, crude, incredibly real story. The way it is written makes you part of the characters. I felt happiness when they were happy, scared when they were scared; I even panicked and felt danger as if I was the person experiencing it.

Not a single part of the story was expected. I thought at first it would involve some kind of love story between the two main characters, but it is much more than a romance. It deals with a side of marriage, divorce, love and commitment many would prefer left untouched, or at the very least, not discussed in depth.

Sarah is the single mother of Ben, his 8-year-old son. She works at a pool company, and struggles in a workspace (and society) that judges harshly any non-traditional mother-father arrangement. New management is trying to coax her into quitting her job, and she is trying to keep her cool, for her son's sake.

Richard is a recently divorced man, that came to Perth, Australia from Melbourne for his sister's engagement party. He meets Sarah by coincidence, and is fascinated by her hair and beauty, so he decides to ask her to sit for a portrait. She agrees, and he develops an amazing piece of art that is entered for the prestigious Archibald Prize.

Despite his best intentions, family members make Sarah's life a living hell, in more ways than one. Finally, even her and Ben's safety is put at risk when personal details are leaked to the media. Sarah is enveloped by her fear of the past when it comes back to her life with an incredibly forceful push.

I won't discuss any more details of the story-line for fear of revealing too much, but I STRONGLY recommend everyone reads this. Being a mother myself, and having experienced only a fraction of her fear (though in a different manner) it touched me on a personal level and made the novel seem as if I was Sarah. It has various themes, but the main ones seem to be (forgive me if I don't put them all):

+ Marriage
+ Divorce
+ Fear
+ Abuse/Bullying/Harassment
+ Commitment
+ Prejudice

Even though I give this story 4 out of 4 stars, I do have to admit there were some grammatical errors. At first, they were a bit distracting, but once the climactic events started to unfold, it did not matter. I suggest a small revision for them, and it would be flawless.

I am looking forward for more writing from Christina Gordan.

***
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Thank you Misaela for a great review. Your thoughts on this book makes me want to read it. Nothing is better than feeling the intended emotions, with the reader feeling that they are a part of the story. The topics aren't my usual, but I like to step out of the box now and then.
Your review was well-written and informative. Thanks!

This topic was not my usual reading genre either, but I think that made me enjoy it more.
I'm glad the review was informative to you.

Great review that really piqued my interest in reading this book. Thanks for sharing!