The Muse

This is a really refreshing novel... it has a 'clean' writing and the development of the story has a great timing.
It has a combination of secrets, a little bit of romance, political issues and the search for the meaning of life.
The whole story is based on a painting. The life of the one who painted, the inspiration for that painting, what happened with the painting and why does that person has it...
I didn't gave it the 5 stars because I did got some issues with one character and the time the story is developed.
Odelle Bastien is a Caribbean immigrant living in London who whats to become a writer. She is mostly the main character. She gets a job opportunity in Skelton Institute of Art after living in England for nearly 5 years. From what I understand she is a well educated woman, a higher education... I wish I could know more about Black Women History to know if that was even posible in the age of 1960? Were there Black Women allow to go to University by that time? According to her story her father died fighting in WWII, Were Black Men allow to be in the military by 1945? For me that seems so far fetched, maybe I am just ignorant. I really don't understand why the author opt to put Odelle as a Black Woman, why did she felt the need to put race or color in that character? After analyzing it the only explanation I could form was to create a link of equality between Odelle and Marjorie Quick, but I am still not completely convinced. There is a little spark on Odelle's life on how she deals with racism but is almost invisible, almost pointless to put it on the story.
There is a chapter were Odelle and her best friend Cynthia had a conversation, the only one actually. Cynth is also a Black Woman. The conversation made me mad, they talked to each other like they were a pair of ignorants:
" 'Ah sorry Cynth' I said 'So sorry. Ah was dovish, Ah was mess up-'
'Hey Delly' she said. 'Ah marry and lef' you. Ah sorry too.. Ah miss you real bad, girl' "

The other problem that I had was that the story felt more modern for the time that it was meant to happen. This I cannot give an extended detail because it is just a felling.

But again I think this is a great story. Really recommended...