From School Library Journal
Gr 6–10—Victoria's super strict mother won't loosen her parental reins. The teen constantly feels like she is in an argument that she cannot win, when all she really wants is a little freedom and understanding. When her mother drags her to an art museum, and she sees a painting that is absorbing and mysterious, the unbelievable happens. Victoria is transported from the 1960s to Paris in 1882, when the painting was being created. It is here she is introduced to John Singer Sargent, the artist behind the masterpiece that captivated her, and the Boit sisters, the subjects of the absorbing work of art. Victoria begins to discover a darkness that presides over the Boit family as she befriends the two youngest sisters, Mary Louis and Julia. It is up to her to discover answers and hopefully stop an evil from happening as she moves between her own time and theirs. The plot and dialogue feel a bit rushed at times, but the historical accuracy from many of the characters would prove to be a great discussion starter for an English, art, or history classroom. Additional research, based on characters being introduced by this novel, would aid in educating students about the art and literary world of that time. VERDICT A good choice for collections where historical fiction is popular.—Elizabeth Ragain, Rogers Heritage H.S., Fayeteville, AR
Review
2022 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Finalist in Teen: Fiction (13-18 Years)
“A debut novel sees a teenage girl step inside a famous painting and confront the sexual predation that lies hidden beneath its composition. . . Victoria is both likable and believable as a teenager of the early ’60s. Hillary and the Boit girls are similarly convincing, while the author’s adult characters ground the portrayal with quiet realism. The story itself moves along at a good pace. Loyster treats a delicate subject with care and . . . allows neither fact nor fiction to dominate. Readers unfamiliar with Sargent’s painting will think the backdrop richly imaginative. . . . An absorbing, sensitive meld of fiction and history.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“. . . the characters would prove to be a great discussion starter for an English, art, or history classroom. . . . VERDICT: A good choice for collections where historical fiction is popular.”
—School Library Journal
“The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is a fascinating and magical work of art about a fascinating and magical work of art.”
—Annie Barrows, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and best-selling children’s author of the Ivy and Bean series
“Far from living in the past, John Singer Sargent’s compelling portrait of four sisters continues to spark the imagination, inspiring stories of past and present secrets, in Loyster’s inventive fiction. It isn't just art that can transcend time, but also acts of courage.”
—Dr. Erica E. Hirshler, author of Sargent’s Daughters: The Biography of a Painting and Croll Senior Curator of Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
“Well written and an absorbing blend of fantasy, art history and an exploration of the type of photographic pedophilia of which Lewis Carroll was suspect. I hope the book will include a copy of the Daughters painting. It is a fascinating mystery all by itself.”
—Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Newbery Award–winning author
“Literary and beautifully imagined, this book is a treasure for adults and young adults alike.“
—Charlie Price, Edgar Award–winning author
“In this novel of amazing breadth, the eternal magic of time travel catapults the reader inside one of the most famous portraits of all time. Sara Loyster skillfully weaves issues relevant to teens then and now into a story that both unburies ancient family secrets and solves the portrait’s many intriguing mysteries. The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit fairly bursts with originality and imagination.”
—Laurel Davis Huber, author of the award-winning novel The Velveteen Daughter
“Sara Loyster’s imaginative and beautifully rendered journey into the past shows readers the importance of being courageous for others in the face of danger.”
—S. Baer Lederman, author and editor
“Victoria initially surrenders to the invisible pull from John Singer Sargent’s famous painting of the Boit sisters out of curiosity. Traversing time from Boston, 1963, to Paris, 1882, through the portal of this grand and mysterious painting, she encounters a situation that sets off alarms in a twentieth-century girl’s head. Art, art history, and the milieu of these different time periods contribute complexity to the tale. Sara Loyster creates a vivid and admirable heroine, someone who acts swiftly and assuredly. It is a focused, fascinating reading experience.”
—David Howd, children’s librarian
“Teenage heroine Victoria walks into a painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1963... and finds herself in Paris in 1882! Author Sara Loyster uses magical realism to weave together themes of art, friendship, and suspense, as she transports us into the fascinating world of John Singer Sargent and the Boit sisters.”
—Armin Arethna, Children’s Librarian
“Part historical fiction, part time-travel fantasy, part psychological suspense story, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is a highly original coming-of-age novel whose themes include friendship, sexual identity, disability, and activism. This retro #MeToo novel—or rather #NotOnMyWatch novel—follows fifteen-year-old Victoria Hubbard as she straddles two eras, the fledgling civil rights movement of the early 1960s and the transition in the art world of the 1880s from representational painting to photographic portraiture.”
—Kate Brubeck, writer and editor
“Like Victoria, the heroine of this graceful coming-of-age novel, I have always been drawn to John Singer Sargent’s famous portrait, but unlike her, I was never able to cross the mystical boundary into the world of the painting. Shy, sheltered, and encumbered by a back brace, Victoria’s life begins to change when she befriends the Boit sisters and attempts to save them from the predations of a dangerous man.”
—Mari Coates, award-winning author of The Pelton Papers
“Inventive, suspenseful and satisfying, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is a delightful read.”
—Lisa Braver Moss, award-winning author of Shrug Review
2022 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Finalist in Teen: Fiction (13-18 Years)
“A debut novel sees a teenage girl step inside a famous painting and confront the sexual predation that lies hidden beneath its composition. . . Victoria is both likable and believable as a teenager of the early ’60s. Hillary and the Boit girls are similarly convincing, while the author’s adult characters ground the portrayal with quiet realism. The story itself moves along at a good pace. Loyster treats a delicate subject with care and . . . allows neither fact nor fiction to dominate. Readers unfamiliar with Sargent’s painting will think the backdrop richly imaginative. . . . An absorbing, sensitive meld of fiction and history.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“. . . the characters would prove to be a great discussion starter for an English, art, or history classroom. . . . VERDICT: A good choice for collections where historical fiction is popular.”
—School Library Journal
“The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is a fascinating and magical work of art about a fascinating and magical work of art.”
—Annie Barrows, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and best-selling children’s author of the Ivy and Bean series
“Far from living in the past, John Singer Sargent’s compelling portrait of four sisters continues to spark the imagination, inspiring stories of past and present secrets, in Loyster’s inventive fiction. It isn't just art that can transcend time, but also acts of courage.”
—Dr. Erica E. Hirshler, author of Sargent’s Daughters: The Biography of a Painting and Croll Senior Curator of Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
“Well written and an absorbing blend of fantasy, art history and an exploration of the type of photographic pedophilia of which Lewis Carroll was suspect. I hope the book will include a copy of the Daughters painting. It is a fascinating mystery all by itself.”
—Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Newbery Award–winning author
“Literary and beautifully imagined, this book is a treasure for adults and young adults alike.“
—Charlie Price, Edgar Award–winning author
“In this novel of amazing breadth, the eternal magic of time travel catapults the reader inside one of the most famous portraits of all time. Sara Loyster skillfully weaves issues relevant to teens then and now into a story that both unburies ancient family secrets and solves the portrait’s many intriguing mysteries. The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit fairly bursts with originality and imagination.”
—Laurel Davis Huber, author of the award-winning novel The Velveteen Daughter
“Sara Loyster’s imaginative and beautifully rendered journey into the past shows readers the importance of being courageous for others in the face of danger.”
—S. Baer Lederman, author and editor
“Victoria initially surrenders to the invisible pull from John Singer Sargent’s famous painting of the Boit sisters out of curiosity. Traversing time from Boston, 1963, to Paris, 1882, through the portal of this grand and mysterious painting, she encounters a situation that sets off alarms in a twentieth-century girl’s head. Art, art history, and the milieu of these different time periods contribute complexity to the tale. Sara Loyster creates a vivid and admirable heroine, someone who acts swiftly and assuredly. It is a focused, fascinating reading experience.”
—David Howd, children’s librarian
“Teenage heroine Victoria walks into a painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1963... and finds herself in Paris in 1882! Author Sara Loyster uses magical realism to weave together themes of art, friendship, and suspense, as she transports us into the fascinating world of John Singer Sargent and the Boit sisters.”
—Armin Arethna, Children’s Librarian
“Part historical fiction, part time-travel fantasy, part psychological suspense story, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is a highly original coming-of-age novel whose themes include friendship, sexual identity, disability, and activism. This retro #MeToo novel—or rather #NotOnMyWatch novel—follows fifteen-year-old Victoria Hubbard as she straddles two eras, the fledgling civil rights movement of the early 1960s and the transition in the art world of the 1880s from representational painting to photographic portraiture.”
—Kate Brubeck, writer and editor
“Like Victoria, the heroine of this graceful coming-of-age novel, I have always been drawn to John Singer Sargent’s famous portrait, but unlike her, I was never able to cross the mystical boundary into the world of the painting. Shy, sheltered, and encumbered by a back brace, Victoria’s life begins to change when she befriends the Boit sisters and attempts to save them from the predations of a dangerous man.”
—Mari Coates, award-winning author of The Pelton Papers
“Inventive, suspenseful and satisfying, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is a delightful read.”
—Lisa Braver Moss, award-winning author of Shrug
About the Author
Sara Loyster is a writer and a librarian with forty years’ experience working in public libraries. She has a BA in English and creative writing from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and an MLS from UC Berkeley. This is her debut novel. She and her musician husband split their time between Point Reyes Station and Berkeley, CA.
