Saving Vincent: A Novel of Jo Van Gogh by Joan Fernandez

Saving Vincent: A Novel of Jo Van Gogh by Joan Fernandez introduces us to the sister-in-law of Vincent Van Gogh, Johanna. She was the wife of Theo Van Gogh. All I knew of the great artist was the rather simplistic story that he was never appreciated in his lifetime. And that his brother was an art dealer who tried, without much success, to sell his paintings. Vincent’s talent was only recognized posthumously. 

But how? There is a leap to be made from Vincent Van Gogh’s death to his later fame. The fact that he reached the heights he did is even more remarkable given that Theo died very shortly after Vincent. The credit belongs to Johanna Van Gogh, without whom his work very likely would have been lost.

In this detailed and imaginative biographical novel, Jo receives the recognition she deserves. Defying convention, the young widow does not return to her father’s house to be taken care of. Instead, she moves to Bussum, a small town in the Netherlands, and runs a boardinghouse. And raises her infant son. All the while, she fights to bring Vincent Van Gogh’s work to the eyes of the art world, selling his paintings, arranging exhibits, and writing opinion pieces. The fight is real, as she is opposed by men who repeatedly tell her women do not belong in their sphere. And she is particularly opposed by a prominent Parisian dealer, Georges Raulf, who is obsessed with cleansing the art world by destroying anything modernist, most particularly the work of Van Gogh.

It’s a hard road for Jo, but readers will rejoice alongside the heroine as her striving is ultimately rewarded.