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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Vincent Van Gogh is somewhat of a legend, and not just in the art world. His “Starry Night” (1889) and other classic paintings are used in many forms and enjoyed for many reasons. His mystique makes him a popular character to study and use as a key figure in stories, from the mystery behind his cut-off ear to his unexplained seizures and the time he spent in the insane asylum. But what happened in those last two months of his life in 1890 after he left the asylum? Did he kill himself, or was his plight the result of a love triangle gone adrift? Diane Byington’s novel Louise and Vincent takes a unique approach, making these final two months of the iconic painter’s life into a love story. Louise Ravoux, an innkeeper in Auvers-sur-Oise just north of Paris, was suffering at the hands of an abusive husband while struggling to keep their inn financially solvent and raising her two daughters. In walked Vincent and the attraction was instantaneous. But the art that bound them did more than pull them together, despite an angry husband. The deadly result changed Louise’s life forever and there was a secret she would carry with her for the rest of her life.
Diane Byington’s novel Louise and Vincent is a historical work in the class of contemporary classics like Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Lady and the Unicorn, and Susan Vreeland’s Luncheon of the Boating Party and Forest Lover. The plot begins with the main character Louise as an old lady living in New Orleans. She shares her story with an art historian, Dr. Danielle Dupree, who, Louise discovers, is the granddaughter of an old friend. Danielle has stories to share, too, and a treasure her grandmother saved for Louise which will confirm her story. The beginning and end of the novel are set in the present day and are narrated in the first person, but the story as it began in Auvers-sur-Oise is written in the third person. The reader will be captivated from the very beginning as the romance develops and Louise finds new meaning and a life far from her abusive husband. It is a life full of love and art, but also full of sorrow and loss. An enchanting read.
