The Painting

In The Painting, we get two points of view. First we meet Claire, a girl longing for her lost little sister, Annie. The second is from a girl named Annie who looks as Claire's sister might have if she'd lived longer. This second Annie is an only child. They meet because of a painting Annie found in her attic and put in her room -- a painting of the very lighthouse where Claire lives with her artist mother. Claire's little sister was a talented artist. This older Annie is, too. I was caught up in the web of family secrets and sorrows. So much suffering might have been avoided through honest communication. Both girls are very different from their mothers who love, but don't understand them. Claire can't wait to get away from her mother. Annie's mother is in a coma and Annie's desperate for her to awaken. We get revelations about the big secret tearing Claire and her mother apart throughout the book. The more Annie learns, the more it seems likely that helping Claire will help her own tragedy. Time seems to be running out though, and meeting Claire is getting harder. Is there anyone who can help them? I liked all of the characters and the plot. I would definitely recommend this book to children who enjoy fantasies -- and to adults who have the good sense to still enjoy children's literature.