The Muse Review

This was a book that I was seeing carried at every bookstore I visited. It had a great eye-catching cover, with a statement saying it was from a "New York Times Bestselling Author." When I was at an amazing bookstore in St. Andrews with my parents, they offered to buy me two books and The Muse ended up being one of my selections.

Summary: It's 1967 and aspiring writer Odelle has received a great new job as a typist in a gallery. As a missing masterpiece is brought to the gallery and the mystery of the painting is being attempted to be solved, she becomes connected to her boss Marjorie Quick. The book transports back and forth between 1967 and 1936, where the answer to the mystery lies. In the 1936 storyline, Olive's family has come to Spain and there she meets Isaac Robles, an artist and revolutionary. Her family soon becomes tightly involved in the townspeople's conflicts.

I'll admit, that was a harder summary for me to write. It is a mystery as you're trying to figure out how the 1936 storyline evolves into the 1967 one. I thought it was a really well done book and was very intriguing.

I expected this book to be thick and hard to understand for some reason, but it turned out to be a much easier read than I'd thought. It's a simple story that's easy to dive into. I don't mean simple in a bad way here, I mean it as in the characters aren't too elaborate and difficult to relate to or understand. It's an easy read in that it's easy to get into.

I'd describe it as a calm book. A good read that's not bad, but also not amazing. I enjoyed at as an in between one. As I was studying for my exam I could use it to take a break and just read a chapter before getting back to work. As you get further into it, you're very intrigued by the happenings and how it all connects.

Odelle is originally from Trinidad and is living in London. Thus, while it was not a main focus there were some race issues encountered. I found it interesting as to how while it wasn't Odelle's main obstacle, it was something that was always there and would always be in the background. People would always look at her and her white boyfriend when they walked together. She would also probably face much more difficulties in becoming a successful writer. It was something that Lawrie, her white boyfriend, would never be able to understand.

In addition to race, the book also dealt with gender issues. I thought that part was done really well. In 1936, talented Olive at one point exclaims she doesn't want to be the one paving the way for other women and overcoming gender inequality. I thought it was a very humanizing and relatable characteristic of hers. It's hard to be the one fighting as all energy has to go into it. Often times we don't want to be the one putting in the work, we want it already paved for us. While it's not the greatest or most noble characteristic in Olive, it was human.

I would not describe this book as one I was unable to put down, but I did enjoy it. The ending was very satisfying and I liked all of the characters and the storyline. I would suggest this book for a good in-between read or if you want something a little slower.

Overall, a four out of five stars!