I’ll begin by saying this is definitely the kind of novel which takes its time in advancing the story, especially during the earlier chapters when we’re still getting acquainted with the setting and the characters… and rest assured, the author spared no expense in being as thorough as possible. There are those who only use a historical setting as a vague basis for their fictional endeavours, and then there are authors such as Tea Cooper who make it the centrepiece of their novel. Historical fiction novels come in plenty of varieties in regards to how they choose to balance between the two words defining the genre. Breathing in the Australian Life with The Girl in the Painting From the Australian gold fields and its inhospitable outback to the sophisticated modern architecture of Sydney, they get to see it all as they inch closer to the promise of peace and closure. In hopes of restoring Elizabeth’s good health, Jane sets out to unravel the mystery behind the whole occurrence, and in the process both women become entangled in a story spanning numerous continents and decades.

Since then, her grip on reality has started to loosen, and it becomes obvious something in her past has caught up to her, something even she was unaware of. However, nothing perfect lasts forever, and as they are attending an exhibition at the local museum in town, Elizabeth suffers a traumatic experience, reacting with sheer horror to a certain painting. They take it upon themselves to further her schooling, and over the years they grow closer as a true family, with Jane even playing an increasingly important role in the family business. One day, they decide to adopt the nine-year-old Jane Piper, an orphan with a muddled past but remarkable aptitudes for learning, and especially mathematics. They are no strangers to hardship, having arrived on the continent penniless back in their days, and now they look out for those less fortunate than themselves. We are introduced to Michael and Elizabeth Quinn, a couple who have managed to prosper in pretty much every way imaginable, except when it comes to children. The novel takes us to Australia at the turn of the 20th century, starting in 1906 to be more precise. In The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper, we are introduced to two women who embark on a faraway adventure in search of answers to a mystery from the deep past, brought to life again by an unexpected occurrence. The concept of a person’s past is an immensely fascinating and paradoxical phenomenon: on one hand, it technically doesn’t exist anymore, but on the other, I think we can all recall times when it reared its ugly head to our detriment years, if not decades later.

Tree Change by Tea Cooper