A fabulous book with VERY STRONG female characters. Johanna Bonger is wooed by Theo Van Gogh and eventually marries him. Theo is the younger brother of Vincent Van Gogh and idolizes his older brother. After the deaths of the Van Gogh brothers, Johanna dedicates herself to making Vincent's paintings known and appreciated by others. Because... when Vincent died, no one thought his paintings were worth the canvas they were painted on!!! We know how that changed and primarily because of the persist...

Told through a dual timeline, *The Sunflower Sister* follows Emsley Wilson in the present day and Johanna van Gogh-Bonger in the late nineteenth century. Emsley Wilson is grieving the loss of her famous painter grandmother, Violet Velar, while also facing a critical juncture in her own life. Will Emsley uncover answers as she sorts through her beloved grandmother’s belongings?In the nineteenth-century timeline, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger is a widow striving to honor her late husband while trying to...

Marta Molnar's *The Sunflower Sister* employs a dual timeline. One thread delves into Vincent Van Gogh's life in the 1800s, while the other is set in the present day. To me, they almost felt like completely separate narratives. When Emsley's grandmother, Violet, passes away, Emsley inherits her estate and a diary. I found myself more easily drawn into Van Gogh's story, at least until his death. I just didn’t feel particularly invested in Emsley's story. That being said, I did learn a great deal ...

The Sunflower Sister by Marta Molnar is a captivating work of historical fiction, telling the stories of two strong and determined women. The novel uses a dual timeline, with chapters alternating between these two women who lived almost a century apart. Marta Molnar clearly did her research, focusing on the life of Johanna Bonger, Vincent Van Gogh’s sister-in-law. Johanna married Vincent Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, and her story unfolds in a small Dutch village in the late 1800s, and later in Pari...

The author's note reveals that historical fiction isn't exactly Marta Molnar's strong suit. "I don't write stories based on true events," she admits. "I write genre fiction: fantasy, romance, suspense." And honestly, Molnar should probably stick with "genre fiction." I was pretty disappointed in *The Sunflower Sister*, which is loosely based on the true story of Johanna Bonger, Van Gogh's sister-in-law. Bonger was a champion not only for her brother-in-law, Vincent, but also for her husband, The...

Possibly the worst book I've had the displeasure of reading. Calling it nonfiction is a flat-out lie, and the writing is just… unreadable. I only suffered through it because it was chosen for my book club. What's even more suspicious is that all the reviews online, especially on Amazon, are carbon copies of each other, word for word. Makes you wonder what shady business is going on behind the scenes with Marta Molnar's "The Sunflower Sister."

Seriously overhyped. These are just ordinary, not particularly interesting stories. I honestly don't get how Marta Molnar's *The Sunflower Sister* managed to garner so much praise. Looking for a great book review? Keep searching, this one isn't it.

As an artist, I was really eager to dive into this book. I genuinely enjoyed the sections focusing on Johanna Bonger, wife of Van Gogh’s brother, Theo. She was an incredible woman, way ahead of her time. Educated, multilingual, and absolutely relentless in protecting and promoting Vincent's work. The book did a solid job telling Johanna’s story within a historical fiction framework. But then there was the other half of Marta Molnar's *The Sunflower Sister*, with a totally made-up, modern-day ma...

I have to admit, "The Sunflower Sister" is a bit outside my usual reading preferences, and honestly, I'm not even sure what genre to call it. It's a blend of history, historical fiction, a touch of contemporary romance, and even a hint of historical romance. But all these elements combine to create a truly captivating story of love, tragedy, and unwavering devotion, punctuated by moments of perfectly timed comedy. Marta Molnar's weaving together of Johanna Bonger's real-life story with the conte...

I devoured *The Sunflower Sister* in one sitting, and I literally said, "THAT WAS FANTASTIC" when I reached the end. What a captivating story, weaving together the lives of two women separated by a century! The book seamlessly alternates between Johanna, living in Holland in the late 1800s, and Emsley, struggling to launch her new business in present-day L.A. As someone who usually reads a different genre, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was emotionally invested in both of their lives almost...