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BLOOD WATER PAINT

Joy McCullough

Her mother died when she was twelve, and suddenly Artemisia Gentileschi had a stark choice: a life as a nun in a convent or a life grinding pigment for her father's paint. She chose paint. By the time she was seventeen, Artemisia did more than grind pigment. She was one of Rome's most talented painters, even if no one knew her name.
But Rome in 1610 was a city where men took what they wanted from women, and in the aftermath of rape Artemisia faced another terrible choice: a life of silence or a life of truth, no matter the cost. He will not consume my every thought. I am a painter. I will paint. Joy McCullough's bold debut novel-in-verse is a portrait of an artist as a young woman, filled with the soaring highs of creative inspiration and the devastating setbacks of a system built to break her. McCullough weaves Artemisia's heartbreaking story with the story of ancient heroines, Susanna and Judith, who become not only the subjects of two of Artemisia's most famous paintings but sources of strength as she battles to paint a woman's timeless truth in the face of unspeakable and all-too-familiar violence. I will show you what a woman can do. Joy McCullough is an author and playwright from Seattle, Washington.
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Published 2018-03-01 by Dutton Children's Books

Comments

Luminous.

Although Artemisia lived centuries ago, her story will resonate with modern feminists. Read more...

McCullough's debut novel is one of a kind. ... [A] truly inspiring and impactful story.

Filled with hope and an important message that women's voices cannot be silenced.

A hypnotic and captivating subversion of the traditionally male-dominated narratives of art and European history. Joy McCullough's spare, evocative verse paints a gutting portrait of women learning how to operate in a world of men while coming into their own strength, pride, and power. Tragically relevant and unflinchingly feminist, BLOOD WATER PAINT is the kind of book all historical fiction should aspire to be.

A haunting, stirring depiction of an unforgettable woman, Artemisia's story will resonate deeply with readers today and beyond. Read more...

Blood Water Paint is a deftly layered portrait, at once intimate and universal.

This intensely passionate and powerful exploration of women's lives, stories, truths, and power is a masterpiece.

... an incandescent retelling both timeless and, alas, all too timely. Read more...

Haunting ... teems with raw emotion, and McCullough deftly captures the experience of learning to behave in a male-driven society and then breaking outside of it.

A thrilling portrait of a woman of character who refused to be dismissed; this belongs on every YA shelf. Read more...

Joy McCullough's BLOOD WATER PAINT has been named one of five finalists for the William C. Morris Debut Award from the American Library Association!

For lovers of writers like Laurie Halse Anderson and An Na, Blood Water Paint is feminist historical fiction written in verse, giving readers a glimpse into the teen's most intimate thoughts while highlighting a centuries-old, yet startlingly familiar time and place where men took what they wanted from women with practically no consequences.

..exquisite debut...Her story and the stunning verse in which it is told will resonate just as strongly with readers today. A captivating and impressive book about a timeless heroine. Read more...

BLOOD WATER PAINT is a remarkable work of art. In verse that's both lyrical and brutal, Joy McCullough unburies and illuminates a story of bravery, feminism, and the enduring human spirit flourishing in a dusty studio in Rome more than four centuries ago. Both a grave reminder of how little has changed and a hopeful testament to how much more we might achieve, McCullough's debut is a must read.

BLOOD WATER PAINT has been on many Best of 2018 lists, including: Booklist Editors' Choice Book Page Best of 2018 Boston Globe's Best Children's Books Bustle's 25 Best Young Adult Books of 2018 Chicago Public Library's Best Teen Fiction Globe and Mail (UK)'s Favourite Books School Library Journal's Best of 2018 School Library Journal's Top 10 Audiobooks Shelf Awareness' Best Children's & Teen Books of the Year

When I finished this novel, I knew I would be haunted and empowered by Artemisia Gentileschi's story for the rest of my life.

BLOOD WATER PAINT has made the longlist for the National Book Award!

The Flying Starts print issue is available now and you can read the full article online. Read more...

BLOOD WATER PAINT by Joy McCullough (Dutton Books for Young Readers) has received a YALSA Nonfiction Honor for an exemplary work published by a first-time author writing for teens to celebrate impressive new voices in young adult literature.