The House Girl

by Tara Conklin

A New York Times Bestseller A Barnes & Noble Bestseller A #1 Indie Next Pick The House Girl, the historical fiction debut by Tara Conklin, is an unforgettable story of love, history, and a search for justice, set in modern-day New York and 1852 Virginia. Weaving together the story of an escaped slave in the pre–Civil War South and a determined junior lawyer, The House Girl follows Lina Sparrow as she looks for an appropriate lead plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking compensation for families of slaves. In her research, she learns about Lu Anne Bell, a renowned prewar artist whose famous works might have actually been painted by her slave, Josephine.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Audiobook, Adult, Adult Fiction

621 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2013

About the author

Tara Conklin was born on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands and raised in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Yale University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and New York University School of Law. A joint US-UK citizen, Tara now lives in Seattle. Her first novel, The House Girl, was a NYTimes bestseller, #1 IndieNext pick and Target book club pick. Her second, The Last Romantics, was an instant NYTimes bestseller and chosen by Jenna Bush Hager as the inaugural read for The Today Show Book Club. Her new novel, COMMUNITY BOARD, is out March 28, 2023. Visit her at www.taraconklin.com

Reviews

[Diane Yannick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of this book and thought it had a lot of promise. I liked the way the two stories were set during slavery and the present. I often like dual narration and get absorbed by two different viewpoints. I like the topic of slave reparations, wondering at the outset how we could ever be so arrogant as to think we could repair our actions in any meaningful way. I expected the author to give me some food for thought.

Instead it just progressively annoyed me until I had to force myself to finish it. This book was totally overwritten. The author tried too darn hard to make this book weighty with truths. She refused to edit herself and pare away the redundancies. She beat us over the head in sentences like: "Truth was multilayered, shifting; it was different for everyone, each personal history carved unique from the same weighty block of time and flesh." Plus this book could probably win a prize for the most commas ever used by an American writer.

Now on to the plotting. Yuck. This book runs rampant with incredible coincidences. Just in the nick of time, all the plot pieces come together. Lina, the high powered lawyer, is an utterly unlikeable character who feels like a caricature. Josephine, although easy to like, gets lost in the horrendous subplots.

I did not care about any of the many subplots. Letters were used repeatedly to advance the plot. They were detailed and tiring. This topic deserves a better book.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Feeling a little guilty by not explaining my 1 star rating, so here is my review that I submitted to Amazon:

Outstanding ratings, historical fiction, captivating subject; on all counts I should have loved this book. Unfortunately, the writer's narrative descriptions were unbearable. She describes everything in laborious detail, even the most inane subjects and banal situations. Don't get me wrong, I love descriptive writing, but this was complete overkill. Here is an excerpt from Conklin's description of Lina's law office:

"Lina exited the elevator and walked the east corridor toward her office. To her left, the secretaries buzzed and clacked and sipped. The secretaries were an exotic, unfathomable breed, prone to wearing elasticized waistbands and acrylic fingernails that clattered in a high pitched musical way across a keyboard. The secretaries never asked questions. They deciphered the lawyers' scrawl as best they could, settled into their ergonomically correct workstations, suspended all independent thought, all personal conviction, and typed.
To Lina's right, half open office doors allowed her glimpses of heads bowed over papers or fixed tightly to the glow of a computer screen or cradling a gray telephone headset between...," on and on it goes.

I closed the book at page 55. Maybe I didn't give it a fair shake, but if something moves me to the point that I want to chuck the book through my plate glass window, then I should on all counts, stop the madness.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't often review a book but I have to say something about this one. I just have to wonder about all the 4-star and 5-star ratings here. This book is readable, certainly, but not at all the page-turner I expected from hearing others idolize it. The present-day character, Lina, is a lawyer in a high-powered NY firm looking for a plaintiff to represent a class-action lawsuit on behalf of slaves brought to the United States who were, obviously, never compensated for their work. The book moves between Lina and Josephine, a "house girl" slave in the 1800s working for a Mr. and Missus (sic) Bell. Mr. Bell is not having good luck with his crops and feeling soured, treats Josephine cruelly while Missus Bell more or less seems to take a maternal interest in her. At any rate, the characters of the past seem far better developed than Lina, her bosses and co-workers, her father, and the artsy crowd around them.

That's okay though -- and forgivable. It's the absolutely ridiculous thread that runs throughout where Lina feels she is not being told the truth about her mother's death -- in a car accident, when Lina was a small child -- and when she can't seem to get a straight answer from her father, she just accepts it. She is an attorney, for pete's sake, and is doing realms of research on this case. If you want to know how someone died, take a taxi to City Hall and ask for the Department of Vital Statistics!!! As my relatives in Scotland used to say, they'll always tell you who's been "hatched, matched and dispatched!!"

Anyway, I couldn't let that little detail slip by. That being said? The idea that Josephine was the real artist behind the priceless pictures painted and drawn by Missus Bell is an interesting one, and the historical settings and information are interesting as well. But the book is way too long and I find that I don't really care very much about Lina. Or her disappeared mother. Too much going on. I confess: I skimmed at times. I did make it through to the end.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

What interested me into this story was the timeline in 19th century Virginia before the Civil War.

I understand that the present day story has a connection to Josephine in the past timeline, but I don’t care about glass globe with flakes being shaken or a cursor and a computer or preparation for a law case and its proceedings. It’s simply not interesting. It’s so modern. You absolutely do not have to use any imagination for those descriptions.

The past story is interesting and written with beautiful prose, but the pace is slow.

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel . Tara Conklin has beautifully written an emotional story of a young woman slave in Virginia in 1852 and skillfully connects that story to a young woman , an attorney living in present day New York City . She brings history to life with Josephine's story and we see the cruelties of slavery , the desire for freedom, and the courageous fight for it . I love the alternating narratives of Josephine and Lina and how Lina's story helps unfold the story of Josephine the artist . The writing is so good that you can almost see the paintings as they are described and almost feel what the characters feel.

I have read a number of books recently which use the mechanism of alternating narratives of past and present and I really like it when the stories truly connect in an important way . The author has done just that . I was so taken with Josephine and I found Lina's story captivating as well. Josephine's story will break your heart but what Lina does to insure that Josephine's story is told is ultimately uplifting .

[kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader's copy of this book and I am fairly certain that no one will ever let me win a giveaway again after this review.

This book is very very bad.

In a book about slavery and reparations, I do not think it would be out of line to expand descriptions of key characters beyond "dark" and "pale". One main character has dark eyes and black hair; her mom has dark hair and pale skin and dark/green eyes; her dad has dark frazzled hair and blue eyes; someone has dark eyebrows, death is "darkness", and so on for the entire book.

From a single page, we read these three descriptions:
"Within the blue a woman's body seemed to float, small, dark-haired, featureless, drowning."
"...the woman still unmistakably Grace: her long dark hair parted on the left, her lips full and swollen as though bitten."
"The painted eyes loomed large, dark as Lina's own."

If the "dark" descriptions do not drive you to madness, the commas and random listing of adjectives will. ("The slave's eyes of shifting color, a shadow of blue here, green there, hazel and brown and gray, the colors fractured together and split.")

I cannot even begin to review the plot. Instead, I just want to say that the idea of a novel about reparations and slavery is really intriguing; I hope someone with skill or a strong editor has a go at it.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started out pretty good but the main character in the present, Lina Sparrow, just seemed to get stupider and stupider as the story progressed. Has she never heard of Ancestry.com? Also, that missive from Caleb Harper that explained just about EVERYTHING about Josephine and her baby was just too convenient. And the story line about her mother was completely ridiculous and unbelievable. Again, if she was curious about her mother's "death" and was too spineless to force the question with her father, all she had to do was look for the death certificate. Certainly an attorney could manage that simple task. If her mother had actually died in a car crash, she certainly could have found an archived newspaper article about it. Not finding evidence of her mom's death would have been a red flag. Sorry, Lina, you are just too dumb to be an attorney or even an average citizen of the 21st century. Read this book only if you like really stupid characters.

[Jamissmile · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt annoyed by this book. The law suite was impossible and ridiculous. It was like the author started the first half of the book thinking it was a great idea and then through her own research realized it was never going to pan out. Instead of re-writing the whole story she simply used one of her characters to explain why the law suit wasn't going to work and from that point on in the book the author had to change her perspective and create a new reason for the modern day side of the story to be relevant.

The side of the book that featured the Plantation Slave girl was interesting but extremely repetitive. The author forced us to re-read the slave girl's life story over and over again each time adding a tiny bit of something new.

I felt like the author started writing the first chapter and never stopped, she'd keep going until she hit a snag and instead of going back to change the book she just stopped that theme and continued on with a different a different one.

This book was compared to "The Help" and was suppose to be on of the To Read books of the year. I'd have to disagree with both statements.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tonight. Now.

It did not shake her, what Nathan had said. Freedom was a curious thing. Were the chickens free, running their fool heads off in the yard? The horse, that still must fit the bit between its teeth? Was Missus free? But what else to dream for? There was no dream of Josephine’s that did not contain a place where she might sit and look upon a field or a bird in flight or a person and ponder the lines of that thing, to capture them in pencil or charcoal or ink or pigment. Just to sit for a moment, herself, no one claiming her time or her thoughts or the product of her mind and hands. What other word to call that if not freedom? Not a one is free, Nathan had said, but Josephine did not believe that could be true.

As I finally got around to reading this fabulous book I couldn't believe that it had been sitting around for years (years!) unread on my Kindle. I wonder how many other treasures are hanging out on my bookshelves -- real and virtual.

The book's plot involves two story lines (What my GR friend Cathrine cleverly calls a "two-fer") -- the historical tale of slave and house girl, Josephine Bell; and the modern day story of young lawyer Lina Sparrow whose work on a new case leads her to research the life of Josephine Bell. The two stories are evenly written, which is a testament to the talent of the author (some books with historical/modern splits can end up with one story being significantly better than the other).

I particularly enjoyed the the author's treatment of the historical aspect of the novel. Much time is spent with Josephine's thoughts (rather than just relying on dialogue). These were beautiful passages that conveyed her humanity and the universality of a desire for freedom.

In addition to the "two-fer" readers also get to enjoy a variety of styles in this book. Not only is the story told in prose, but the plot is also revealed via letters, and art critiques -- so readers get to enjoy all sorts in genres in one package!

4 solid stars.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Disclosure: I went to high school with Tara but haven't seen her since we graduated.

It was an odd experience to read a book by someone with whom I was a teenager. I spent the first few pages being overly judgmental about grammar and comma placement (Sorry, Tara!). But within about five or six pages it stopped being about High-School-Friend-now-Author Tara and all about the characters and the story.

This first novel tells the powerful and compelling story of Josephine, a slave in Virginia in the mid-nineteenth century, and Lina, a young lawyer for a prestigious New York law firm in the present. Lina's firm has just taken on a case that will deal with slavery reparations, and Lina is searching for a descendent of slaves to act as the plaintiff.

This will make an excellent book club pick or vacation read. Although the themes leave you with plenty to discuss, ponder, and contemplate, the story moves quickly and powerfully to its conclusion, essentially making it a fast read that will stick with you long after you finish it.

[Hyacinth]

Received as a giveaway on goodreads.com first reads. Thank you for choosing me and I look forward to reading it. I loved this book but would've liked to at least hear a little about what happened with Lina and her mom. The book had me engaged from the beginning. There were a few twists and turns that were unexpected and a couple of characters that I would have like to see further developed but I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the clever linkage of two stories across time, but I wasn’t overwhelmed on their emotional engagement and the scope of overall themes. Lina is a NYC young lawyer (like the author) who gets tasked with finding a profile case for a class action lawsuit against the government and companies that benefited from slavery. Through her art world connections she comes across the case of a house slave, Josephine, who may have been the creative force behind the wonderful and pricey paintings by the wife of an aristocratic plantation owner in Virginia in the 1850s. We alternate the narration with that of Josephine.

The method of slipping between time periods has a fascinating time-machine like effect of making events in the past have impact in the present. However, the process tends to undermine investment of the reader in Josephine’s life in the past. Lina has to travel to Virginia to try to map out the story of the impact of slavery on Josephine’s life and the discovery of possible descendants they can use as a representative for the lawsuit. That Lina’s work might have the result for Josephine’s artistic contributions to be recognized was not much of a fulfilling angle for me.

As for elucidating the lives of those who lived in slavery, I respect the continuing effort of writers to take up that task. In this case, Conklin shows restraint on covering the extreme horrors of slavery by focusing on a teenaged house slave. We get the illusion of blacks treated superficially as an integral member of the plantation owner’s household, but still subjected to inhumane treatment in the ways that really matter (such as rape in the middle of the night). It was also worthwhile for me to experience more variations on the motivations and methods of whites and free blacks responsible for the Underground Railroad system to aid escape of slaves to the North.

Recent reads that delve into the lives of slaves which I would recommend over this one include:
The Good Lord Bird--James McBride
Song Yet Sung--James McBride
Sweetsmoke--David Fuller
A Mercy--Toni Morrison
Island Beneath the Sea--Isabel Allende
The Known World--Edward Jones

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed The House Girl. Tara Conklin has previously published short fiction but this is her first novel.

I think Conklin is a great story teller and did a good job of fully utilizing her background in both history and law to really draw me into the book. The book is categorized as historical fiction and it also has a legal slant. It is the story of two young women, who share many similarities and grew up 150 years apart. Josephine was born in Virginia in about 1835, born a black slave who worked “inside” her Mistress’s home – hence the title “The House Girl.” Lina is the other young women in the story – living in New York City at a much later time in herstory, a recent graduate and first year law employee at one of the more prestigious law firms in New York City.

The story is about both of their lives – two strong women with special talents and good intellects, both growing up without mothers from a very young age. They lived very different lives at very different times – one of privilege, one of servitude, one when slavery was legal, one when it was no longer openly legal. And yet, both women shared very important characteristics - big dreams and fierce determination.

The House Girl is categorized as historical fiction and you will definitely gain a better understanding of the norm of cruelty, injustices, class structure and inequalities during this period of history. For this alone, the book is worth reading. However, there is also much mystery and suspense in the story, along with romance, psychology and philosophy. The book provides a lot of information on slavery and the Underground Railroad System in particularl, which began in the Southern U.S. states and continued north to the Northern U.S. States and Canada. Conklin definitely piqued my interest in learning more, particularly since several exits to the freedom trail that the slaves risked their lives for are so close to where I live. There is also a parallel story about the dog eat dog; climb to the top, the client is right – no matter the ethics of an elite global law firm and in the end “what is really important in life” and “what is it all about.” Depending on the person and the situation freedom has many different permutations – all equally important to specific individuals.

The House Girl was a page turner that was touching and had a soul. Tara Conklin is a great story teller and The House Girl is well worth reading.

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Confusing and poorly done...
So Josephine is a slave girl who is taking care of her mistress who is an aspiring artist. Lina is a high-power attorney in New York City who is discovering secrets about her family's past. These two stories are tied together by a very thin thread.
I don't really care for Lina's story. It is boring and not really that believable. She's a high-power attorney and leaves the mystery of her mother's death to her father who is not speaking about it at all instead of finding the truth out for herself... I mean, come on! I do like Josephine's story, however I think perhaps this should be two separate books as this one turns out to be too long and drawn-out a little over halfway through.
This book is completely overwritten and way too oversaturated with inconsequential details. Then again there's not enough detail where it counts. There is almost no mention of actual skin color in a book about reparations and slavery. It's almost like the author is purposefully skating around the descriptions of people.
There is a definite sign that this book was not edited or not edited properly as there is a complete and total over use of commas everywhere throughout the book. Like, we may, want to give, the author, an award, for this, it is, so bad! 😂
I think the books premise is a great idea but in reality it was executed very poorly. I have to admit I didn't really enjoy this book and I ended up skimming less than halfway through it and almost didn't make it to the end. But if I didn't make it to the end then I certainly wouldn't get the incredible coincidences that happen by pure chance 🙄 Again, not very realistic at all.
Can't say I will be recommending this book.

[Melissa Crytzer Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book! Set simultaneously in 1850s Virginia and New York City (2004) and telling the stories of slave-girl Josephine and lawyer Lina, this may be the best dual-period book I’ve ever read. Debut author Tara Conklin weaves two separate stories together like a beautiful tapestry, the past and the present blended artfully and skillfully.

This is a story about art, and the power of brushstrokes to heal broken hearts from different worlds, different time periods. It’s a story about interpretation of facts, of feelings, of the heart. A story about truth. About lies. About freedom. About hopes and dreams and wishes and failings and triumphs and heartbreak. About justice. About evil.

I can’t say enough about this debut novel that had me flipping pages at a frantic pace. Conklin created a rollercoaster of emotional tension revealing, chapter-by-chapter, the threads gently connecting one story to the other, the parallels often uncanny and enthralling. And the characters, as they sometimes made bad or dangerous decisions, had me biting at my nails.

Part epistolary, part historical and part contemporary, this story of a young ambitious lawyer who finds herself assigned to a groundbreaking reparations case for descendants of American slaves takes on personal meaning she never could have expected. In many ways, this story felt like a Russian nesting doll in its complexity: stories within stories within stories, all compelling and revealing.

And, perhaps one of my favorite things about this literary gem: it offers a sensory feast. The passages are lyrical, beautiful, and often evoke frightening, palpable images, transporting the reader to antebellum Virginia and bustling Manhattan. Just a few examples of the sights, sounds, and imagery you might expect that pull you right into the narrative, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the characters:

“The air hung heavy over the road and the dry, yellowed grass began to shimmer as it did in the hottest part of the day, the sun casting it to buckle and bend. Josephine’s heart knocked hard against her chest and she felt a snaking poison in her blood that worked with the heat upon her muscles and her mind like a drug of dismay.”

Or … “He grinned at her, his mouth a graveyard of dark space and gray stone.” – this haunting description of a young slave boy affixed to a yoke in a field.

Somehow – and I’m not sure how she did it – Conklin pieces together an intricate puzzle of the past and present and doesn’t, for a moment, decrease the tension of the beautiful narrative. Highly recommend.

[Tara Conklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tara Conklin’s wise, stirring and assured debut tells the story of two extraordinary women, living a century apart, but joined by their ferocity of spirit. From page one, I fell under the spell of THE HOUSE GIRL’s sensuous prose and was frantically turning pages until its thrilling conclusion.” - Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette

“THE HOUSE GIRL is an enthralling story of identity and social justice told through the eyes of two indomitable women, one a slave and the other a modern-day attorney, determined to define themselves on their own terms.” - Hillary Jordan, Author of Mudbound and When She Woke

“There’s so much to admire in THE HOUSE GIRL – two richly imagined heroines, two fully realized worlds, a deeply satisfying plot – but what made me stand up and cheer was the moral complexity of these characters and the situations they face. I’m grateful for this transporting novel.” - Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy

“THE HOUSE GIRL is a heartbreaking, heartwarming novel, ambitious, beautifully told, and elegantly crafted. Tara Conklin negotiates great vast swaths of time and tribulation, character and place, with grace, insight, and, simply, love.” - Laurie Frankel, Author of Goodbye for Now and The Atlas of Love

“Tara Conklin’s powerful debut novel is a literary page-turner filled with history, lost love, and buried family secrets. Conklin masterfully interweaves the stories of two women across time, a runaway slave in 1852 Virginia and a young lawyer in present-day New York, all while asking us to contemplate the nature of truth and justice in America.” Amy Greene, Author of Bloodroot

“THE HOUSE GIRL stands as both a literary memorial to the hundreds of thousands of slaves once exploited in the American South and a mellifluous meditation on the mysterious bonds of family, the hopes and sorrows of human existence, and the timeless quest for freedom.” Corban Addison, Author of A Walk Across the Sun

“THE HOUSE GIRL is a rarity, a novel that succeeds in fulfilling the highest of aspirations. The juxtaposed stories of a slave girl in 1852 and a lawyer in 2004 combine to create a beautiful examination of freedom, identity, family, desire and obligation. This work is absorbing, enthralling, stimulating and provocative and almost guaranteed to be read in one sitting.” - Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books,
Ann Arbor, Mi.

“Art connects people to truth hidden by time in this powerfully woven story… Told in both the 1800s and present day, this story is a literary exploration of truth and reminds us that it is what we choose to do in any given situation that makes us who we are.” - Kimberly Daniels, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, North Carolina

[Doreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alternating chapters tell the stories of two women. In 1853, Josephine Bell, a seventeen-year-old slave on a Virginian tobacco plantation, plans her escape to freedom. In New York in 2004, Lina Sparrow, a young attorney, is looking for a good lead plaintiff for a class action suit seeking reparation for the descendants of American slaves. The two stories intersect when Lina hears about a folk artist whose paintings are thought to actually be the work of her house girl Josephine. Lina sets out to do genealogical research to determine if Josephine had any descendants.

Josephine’s story - her life and her fierce determination to escape from servitude as a house slave – is compelling. The reader cannot but feel sympathy for her circumstances. Unfortunately, the author’s decision to tell the last part of Josephine’s story using a witness’s letter distances the reader from her and lessens the emotional impact of the narrative.

Lina’s story is much less interesting. The reparation case is really far-fetched, and her research is advanced by a series of coincidences that stretch credibility. Just as she seems to reach a dead end, a document lands in her lap which gives clues that have eluded numerous scholars. In the end a letter written by a peripheral character conveniently explains everything. Of course, this crucial document reaches her only at the last minute when an archivist has a change of heart.

Lina is not a believable character. She is able to change the minds of the archivist and her candidate for lead plaintiff yet she is totally passive at work and lets her boss walk all over her? She works hard at searching for evidence of Josephine’s descendants, yet she knows virtually nothing about the death of her mother 20 years earlier. Never did she actually conduct a search into her mother though she was an aspiring artist who had received some publicity? The reader is expected to see parallels between Josephine and Lina’s determination, but Lina just comes across as flat next to the house girl. Lina is a naïve, sheltered and unfocused young woman, and her story is bland.

The novel would work well as historical fiction if the focus had remained solely on Josephine and her story had been told directly without the inclusion of long missives from witnesses. Removing the Lina narrative would have eliminated most of the many coincidences and a weak character who does not inspire any emotional connection. The adding of the romance element in Lina’s chapters only added to the impression that the author was trying to write a commercial blockbuster which seems to necessitate such an element.

This book has strengths but considerable weaknesses. It should have been subjected to considerable revision.

Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed House Girl by Tara Conklin. The subject matter (reparation for blacks/African Americans) is one that I've always been interested in...but this is the first time, I'm aware, that it's ever been taken on in a novel. Conklin wrote parrallel stories, one that transported us back to the 1800 when slavery was still alive and well, the other during modern day. The transitions were seamless and it was easy to flashback or move forward without getting lose. I must admit I'm generally pissed and upset when I read about slavery, especially the horrors of it all as far as my ancestors were concerned. And Conklin didn't disappoint...I felt a range of emotions (actually rage) as I read the stories of Josephine, Lewis, Boo, Lula and all the others who came before them or experienced the same cruelty. I'm not sure I know of any other group of people who were tramautized and treated as poorly as black folks in America...who have NOT been paid reparations. To which I say, why not and for how long do we have to wait? Actually, why do black folks always have to wait! Thankfully, I'm not waiting as I don't believe, at least during my lifetime, that the US will ever make good on this matter. House Girl was engaging, informative and enlightening. I listened to the audiobook(which was 14 hours long) and finished it in two days because it was such a compelling read. I highly recommend House Girl to those who enjoy historical fiction and books about strong women of color as well as book clubs as this is a book that will make for a great discussion and one that you will probably think about long after you've read. My only disappointment was the ending...I felt like the author punked out...since it was fictional I believe a more unpredictable ending could have been written...in this case it would have been okay to take creative license to explore and travel a different road.

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

On an antebellum Virginia tobacco farm, house slave Josephine took care of her sickly mistress Lu Anne Bell. Lu Anne enjoyed painting and often gave Josephine access to her painting supplies. In 2004 a New York gallery is showing the paintings of Lu Anne Bell. Famous art historians are saying that the artworks were painted by two different people, and are attributing the better paintings to Josephine.

Lina Sparrow is an attorney at a prestigious New York law firm, working long hours and hoping to make partner someday. She's assigned to a new case involving reparations for the descendants of slaves. She's looking for a story and a plaintiff that will catch the attention of the public. Lina travels to Virginia to research Josephine's story. It gives her a sense of satisfaction that has been missing in most of her work at the high pressure law firm. But she doesn't seem to give much thought about who an ideal plaintiff should be.

The book alternates between Josephine's story and Lina's life, and I found the historical 1852 story the more interesting. Some of the research is told in the form of letters and journals. I wondered if someone involved in the secret Underground Railroad would really be writing so many details (like escaped slaves' names) in a letter to her sister. Josephine and Lina were both strong women making tough choices. Of course, escaping from slavery takes courage into a totally different sphere. 3.5 stars

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The House Girl is a novel in the historical fiction genre that follows the formula of a present day story alternating chapters with a historical back story. It's not a bad book, it's just not breaking any new ground. The back story is pretty basic, with a young house slave named Josephine who dreams of running away to freedom. It's fine, it's readable, it's heartfelt. The present day story centers on a young lawyer who is given the opportunity to work on a potentially enormous and explosive class action lawsuit against the government and private corporations seeking reparations for slavery. She must find a lead plaintiff on who's behalf to bring the lawsuit. She begins to search for the descendants of the Josephine.

The problem with The House Girl is that the present day story is ridiculous. Bringing a lawsuit seeking reparations? Not a bad idea - the premise is really interesting and opens the doors to a lot of ways to legitimately research the history and discover the back story. But in this case, the execution of the plot just had me rolling my eyes at all of the contrivances and coincidences. I think it could have been a really good book in the hands of a better author.

[Virginia Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is based on the soft back edition of this book which I received free from the publisher as an “Advance Readers Edition” in exchange for the promise that I would write a review.

Unlike many books where it takes several chapters before you are drawn into the story, I was immediately captivated by this book. The primary message in the book for me was the comparison between the hopes and dreams of two girls. One was a modern day smart young white female lawyer raised by a single father who thought she knew who she was and what she wanted but found that true satisfaction laid elsewhere. The other girl was a young gifted black girl raised as a “thing” on a Virginia plantation who had never been beyond the gates of the Virginia plantation but had an inner desire to be “free” even while having no concept of what being free would actually consist of. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, these two women had much in common.

There were a multitude of the examples of how horribly the slaves were treated during those days – I thank God that this era of slavery is behind us. There were also hints at the various ways people of today are actually enslaved by controlling things and people. In addition, the novel explored the pros and cons of the question of whether we Americans in 2012 still owe the black people “back pay” for the contributions made by their forefathers in building this great country we all live in.

The two primary characters were very well developed and I could relate to both of them. Unfortunately, I never was able to dive into the mind of some members of the supporting cast. For instance, it would have been interesting to know what really drove the plantation owner. I concluded that a series of failures had made him a bitter and brutal person and I think his reactions were sadly true to life when our dreams fall apart, but I wished I had been able to explore some of his mental processes.

The book was an easy read with a somewhat simple plot but hidden within the tapestry of the plot are several diverse threads that provide insights into the different ways that we humans are wired by God to live and think.

I think it would be a great book discussion group pick - there are many ares fertile for discussion.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been interested in this book because the cover art is so beautiful, so when I saw it in the library & it was a selection for one of my bookclubs, I quickly picked it up. It is a story that initially has two main characters - Josephine, who is a house girl in the 1800's in Virginia and Lina, who is a modern day young attorney. It takes some time for the storylines to intersect. I was more interested in the Josephine storyline - maybe because I like historical fiction more than contemporary. I did not know that the book also revolves around art and artists. (I was an Art Education major in college.) So, this was an interesting aspect for me as well. But, without giving away any spoilers, the portion of the book that I enjoyed most was the letter writing between Dot and Kate. That is where the story really took off for me...interesting, heartbreaking and some unexpected outcomes. I am always moved by the underground railroad stories. There are those moments in history that are so inspiring, like those who hid/assisted Jewish families during WWII despite the danger or peril to themselves and their own families. I hope I would have the presence of mind and courage to do the same in their situation. What makes this book special is that the characters are flawed, but still inspirational. It makes them more human and we can identify with them easier.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Loved Josephine's part of the story, 1852 on a failing tobacco farm in Virgina, but Lina's in the present day, I did not find as enticing. The author did a very credible job in seamlessly weaving the past with the present, but the present day story was a bit of a cliche for me. Young lawyer, taking a case on reparations,ar times I felt a bit minupulated and preached to about this case, and the fact that the main litigant was of course an extremely good looking male. Josephine, who wanted to run away, despite knowing other slaves who had their ankles cut for attempting the same thing, was a very likable character. Lina, and her constant ruminating on billable hours, I think was meant as a reflection that she was a slave to her law firm, and only as valuable to them as the money she coud bill. Good first novel, brought up many interesting aspects of slavery and what our responsiblilty is to a past that we were not part of, will be good for discussion groups.

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

SOOOOO INCREDIBLY BORING!!!! There was no plot until the middle, if anyone even decides to wait that long. I LOVE historical fiction but this was a complete dud. I wanted Josephine's story to be full of drama and hoped her story would pick up but it didn't. Lina's story was worse. She seemed desperate for male attention and made every scene awkward. I only gave it two stars bc Conklin took time to write it. I skipped over whole long drawn out paragraphs and would take a look to see if I missed anything and I probably could've skipped over 2 pages and nothing would have happened to any of the characters. It lacked a good plot, the story line wasn't strong and the characters were just boring human beings... Just don't pick this up even if you see it for a $1...

[Ron Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tara Conklin’s first novel, “The House Girl,” arrives in the middle of Black History Month boasting all the qualities of a Very Earnest Bestseller. Like Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help,” which has sold millions of copies, “The House Girl” depicts privileged white women and oppressed black women in a familiar, unchallenging way that strokes our liberal sensibilities and lets us feel again the sweet pleasure of racial enlightenment.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but Conklin’s novel gives the impression that it has been genetically engineered for women’s book clubs. Miscarriages, missing children, alienated fathers, lost mothers, dating troubles, trying to have it all in a man’s world: The requisite issues snap into place with the kind of predictability that will make readers suspect they’re being manipulated. What’s particularly unfortunate is that there’s a fine story chopped up and sprinkled within the pages of this book.

With a nod to A.S. Byatt’s “Possession,” “The House Girl” comes to us in two alternating strands: a mystery in the past and a search for answers in the present.

Josephine is a restless young slave in 1852. The once-prosperous Virginia farm where she lives is failing under the mismanagement of a master who has neither the funds nor the skill to maintain the plantation. His wife, the dying mistress of Bell Creek, fancies herself a painter, but Josephine is the real artist of the affecting portraits that will someday be regarded as masterpieces of 19th-century American art.

In the novel’s alternating chapters, we follow the detective work of Lina Sparrow in 2004. A new associate with a prestigious New York law firm, she and another young lawyer are charged with preparing the largest legal case in the history of the world: a class-action lawsuit demanding $6.2 trillion from the U.S. government and 22 corporations on behalf of millions of descendants of African American slaves. Because “this is a biggie,” as her boss puts it, that relies on a “new legal theory,” Lina is given two weeks to prepare. Such are the demands on young lawyers hoping to make partner. Next month, she might sue the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.

The legal and moral arguments for paying reparations to the descendants of African American slaves would be a rich and fascinating subject, but the cringing absurdities of this plot multiply like a senior partner’s billable hours. It isn’t enough for Lina to sue the U.S. government for an amount equal to a sizable percentage of the GDP; she decides that she must first solve a 150-year-old mystery of art history involving Josephine’s paintings. And given the millions of aggrieved descendants of slaves who might make powerful lead plaintiffs in the reparations case, why not insist on recruiting only an extremely reluctant, mixed-race hunk who might or might not be related to Josephine?

These would seem to be formidable challenges for any new lawyer and amateur sleuth, but fortunately, every time Lina cracks open an old notebook, out falls some revelatory clue that has eluded generations of scholars.

Reparations for slavery may be a long shot, but Lina should have a strong case against any English teacher who still advises, “Write what you know.” Conklin actually worked as a lawyer at a New York law firm, and yet these familiar parts of her novel display the glib artificiality of someone who learned about office life by watching TV. This silly legal drama has been bred with an engrossing slave story in a tragic act of literary miscegenation. Far too many flags are raised to mark significant parallels between Josephine’s situation and Lina’s. A bolder editor would have sliced away these modern bits and published “The House Girl” as a good historical novel.

Every chapter about Josephine is infused with ominous atmosphere and evocative detail. As Bell Creek falls into ruin, Conklin explores the shifting responsibilities of slave and master, student and teacher, patient and nurse. While she never reaches the psychological depth of Toni Morrison or Edward P. Jones, she does convey the impossibly bizarre relationships that slavery created. Spared from the crushing labor of farm work, Josephine finds that she is “not of one world or the other, neither the house nor the fields.” She and her dying mistress care for each other within a system of institutionalized brutality that neither of them openly acknowledges.

If Josephine can’t enjoy actual freedom, she still manages to feel a kind of triumphant pity for this sickly white woman, lashed in matrimony to a genteel pedophile and rapist who enjoys all the unquestioned privileges of Southern culture: “It was Missus’ face, stricken even in sleep, sallow even by lamplight, the scabbed gash like a bristling insect on her cheek, that stopped Josephine. Her face no longer young or beautiful, her wasted face. And it seemed Josephine’s heart pulsed with the skittering movement of Missus’ eyes, that the two of them lay prostrate together before the same cruel God. The two of them not so different after all, Josephine realized. All this time, these long, hungry years, each of them alone beside the other.”

That lush, gothic tone simmers throughout these 1852 chapters, enriched periodically by letters from two white people who tried to help Josephine. It’s a dramatic montage of narrative and personal testimonies that depicts the grotesque routines of the slave trade, the deadly risks of the Underground Railroad and the impossible choices that slaves and abolitionists faced.

If only Josephine’s stirring tale had been emancipated from the story of her modern-day defender, “The House Girl” might have run free.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two women in the book, Josephine a negro slave and Lina, a New York lawyer present day are the heroines in this story during the 1800's in Virginia.

As a young girl Josephine was brought into the home by her owner's the Bells. Lu Ann Bell taught her to read and take care of the house. Lu Ann was an artist and taught Josephine art. Josephine took up drawing and painting. Her subjects were those around her and what she saw on a daily basis.

When she finally made her escape to Philadelphia, she had to leave her four year old son behind.
She died in Philadelphia a sad and untimely death.

Lina Sparrow, was working on a case that would reimburse black people that were related to Josephine for her art work.

Lina met Jasper Battle at an art show and mentioned her interest in art and the paintings of Josephine. Jasper had some of her paintings in his parents home. He said they had been in the family for a long time.

Lina traveled to Virginia to the Bell center to get more proof of who the paintings belonged to.

A meeting was set up with the law partners, herself and Jasper Battle. Lina had all the proof she needed.

When the lawyers saw Jasper Battle, they said "He is not Black enough". Right then and there the case was dropped.

Lina calmly said to her boss "I quit"and left the law practice.

A captivating story.

[The Book Posh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is amazing. I need not say more.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook #179

This is the same narrator as The Hate You Give, so the voices are throwing me.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

From 1852 to 2004....from one artist to another....from a farm in Virginia to the hustle and bustle of New York City.

THE HOUSE GIRL flawlessly switches between these two time periods telling of the life of Josephine, a slave girl, Lina, a New York City attorney, and Lina's father, Oscar, an artist. The book leads you through the life of Josephine as she struggles with her decision to "run, it leads you through the life of Lina who is researching families who may benefit from wrong doing during the period of slavery in the United States, and it leads you through the life of Oscar trying to make amends through his artwork.

The most significant question, though, along with finding descendants is that of who really did create the paintings found in Lu Anne Bell's home? Was it really Lu Anne or was it Josephine? Corresponding with this painting mystery and the mystery of Josephine's descendants is that of Lina's mother...what really did happen to her when Lina was only four?

You will get caught up in both stories because of the great detail Ms. Conklin uses and because of the research. I love "digging" for historical information. As you switch between the two stories, you will ask yourself to choose which life you were more interested in....Lina's or Josephine's....it may be difficult to choose since both were appealing and drew you in, but for me Josephine's story wins hands down for interest.

It took a few chapters, but you will become so involved, it becomes difficult to stop reading....you want to know what will become of the characters and the answer to the mysteries.

Each character comes alive with the vivid detail Ms. Conklin uses, and she puts their feelings out in the open...you can feel the tension, the pain, the frustration, the longing, and the fleeting happiness they experience. I really enjoyed this book because of the history and the research and of course the detailed descriptions of the characters.

The historical aspect and the fact-finding kept me up late. It is very interesting how the farm's kitchen records, crop records, and births and deaths of every person including the slaves was kept. I thoroughly enjoy these types of findings. I also wonder how these records were not destroyed and who would have thought to preserve them. Such foresight....something to be grateful for.

Don't miss this book especially if you are a historical fiction buff. This book pulls you in and will cause you to pause and reflect on the human race and have you wondering about the reasons why we do what we do, have you wondering what the reasons are that lead us to make the choices we make, and have you wondering about the reason we turned out to be the person we are. 5/5

This book was given to me without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'd think that with all the historical stories out there about the evils of slavery, about slaves trying to be free, of the plight of the early African Americans, you'd think you'd read it all by now. What could one more author add to it?


A lot.

This one touched me in a way that many others haven't. Looking back now that I've turned the last page, I am trying to pinpoint what it exactly what it was that really hit me hard, and I'm not sure. Josephine...has lived a live of heartache. She's an item, slapped when the "master" feels like slapping her, used sexually on another's whim, not given a choice or say in anything. The one joy in her life, art, is even stolen from her by her "mistress" who despite her claims to be sorry, stands there and takes credit for the paintings and drawings done by her slave, Josephine. And this continues long after her death.

The story doesn't reveal a whole lot about her, really, even though we follow her at times. Some of Josephine's tale is told by others, people who didn't even know her, yet her story kept continuing in my mind long after I turned the Kindle off. I cried for her. I so badly wanted her to find joy, but the story ends realistically. It doesn't throw a tied up with a bow happy ending at us. It's life. Somehow the ending the author chose resonated with me even more.

Full review on Book Babe:
http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...