The Golden Tulip

I loved it, I'm a big fan of this author anyways to be honest and as usual the up and downs of this novel had me not wanting to put it down. I can't wait to read another novel by Rosalind.

I read novels at night, some nights I read for 10 minutes, other nights maybe a half hour. With this book I was reading for an hour or more because I couldn't put it down. I loved the book and it certainly kept me interested. I will be buying more books by Rosalind Laker.

Set in late 17th Century Amsterdam, this is a novel about a family of artists headed by their loving but self-centered father, Hendrick Visser, whose selfish decisions end up having serious consequences for his daughters. Visser can't seem to stop drinking and gambling and is constantly leaving his wife, servants, and daughters to side step the creditors pounding the doors. Francesca shows promise as an artist and is all set to begin an apprenticeship under Johannes Vermeer because his style of using "layers of light" is similar to her own. She is bound and determined that nothing, not even a budding romance with a tulip grower named Pieter, deter her from her goal of becoming a great master. Alleta, is a beautiful carefree girl with a gorgeous head of hair. One fateful day after a day playing at her friends house she makes a decision that ends up scarring her emotionally and she turns inwards, covers her hair, and becomes hardened to the world. She too is determined to have an apprenticeship and since her father can't afford to send her too, she goes behind his back and sells inferior work to the middle class without her fathers permission in order to gain the money needed. This leads to an estrangement between the two and Aletta sets out on her own eventually securing work as housekeeper for Constantijn, a bitter young man who lost his legs in a horrible accident. Although, Francesca is touted as the main character, the story of Aletta and Constantijn was, to me, the most touching and beautiful. Sybila is the youngest and is thus spoiled rotten. An outrageous flirt, whose sole goal in life is to marry a rich man. Eventually, she gets what she wants but soon learns that all that glitters is not gold and that true love comes in unexpected places. Ludolf Van Deventer is a secretive man with an unknown background. He falls in love with Francesca's image in one of her fathers painting and will stop at nothing to possess her. He quickly learns of her father's weaknesses and easily exploits them to his advantage eventually bringing the future and happiness of both Francesca and her father under his thumb. Rosalind Laker does a wonderful job of weaving the lives of these character together into a beautiful exciting story. The plot unfolds beautifully but slowly allowing the reader to really become invested in each character. The last 50 pages will have you on the end of your seat!! The title is a bit deceiving as the novel is really more about art than tulips. The reason, however, for the title becomes clear near the end of the novel. While the Visser family is a product of Laker's imagination, she gives lush vivid descriptions of real life master's paintings and Rembrandt even has a small part in the story. Being unfamiliar with art in general, I had to look up the paintings described and found that her depictions were spot on. I was particularly taken with Jan Vermeer's use of light. I had forgotten so much from my one requi

The Golden Tulip, one of Laker's best reads of mine to date. This was in a class of good literature. A novel which defies you to put it down as each page brings you more in tune with each character. For any Laker fan, it is a must read! You will not be disappointed!

The Golden Tulip is set in 17th Century Amsterdam and deals with artists guilds. The heroine, Francesca Visser, is a talented and inspired young artist who finds her life turned upside down when her mother dies. When Francesca's father loses a small fortune gambling, he affiances her to a ruthless and diabolical merchant, Ludolf van Deventer. First, though, she is allowed to complete an apprenticeship with the Delft painter Vermeer, where she perfects her skills and meets famous Flemish artists. Along the way, she meets her true love, Pieter van Doorne, a tulip-grower. Together, Pieter and Francesca find a way to defeat the evil van Deventer. The story also features Francesca's two sisters, Aletta and Sybylla, who have their own adventures and love affairs. The Golden Tulip is a superbly written novel from an extremely gifted story-teller. The story offers history, romance, and a solid plot. It is also emotionally sweeping - drifting between red-hot passion, touching devotion, dark hostility and obsession. The black under-currents, accurate historical details, and sizzling romance in this novel help it to fall into several different categories: thriller, historical, romance.

I have loved reading historical romance novels since I was a teenager and have labored to write my own passionate tales for the last several years. My first novel, Willing Captive, was published in November 2000, after years of blood, sweat and tears. Though I am proud of it, I can only pray to aspire to Ms. Laker's superb ability and craftsmanship. She is a gifted story-teller, weaving together history, romance, and solid plots. The Golden Tulip is my second favorite Laker novel (To Dance With Kings is my first). This novel is emotionally sweeping - drifting between red-hot passion, touching devotion, dark hostility and obsession. It is genius! You will love Ms. Laker's unqiue style (creating heroines that are independent and strong but also flawed and very believable.)