I Am Rembrandt's Daughter, 1667
By: Lynn Cullen
Overview
Her mother has died of the Plague and her brother has gone off because he is newly married. Cornelia is left alone with no friends, other than her cat, trying to take care of her maddening father. She soon meets Carel a shipping magnate's son who is moved by art and excites Cornelia. There is also Neel her father's last pupil, who bewilders and inspires Cornelia. So who will she choose? The artsy foreigner? Or the serious familiar?
I Am Rembrandt's Daughter
Book cover.
Rembrandt
Self Portrait
Hendrickje Stoffels
Cornelia's Mother.
Reviews
"Beautifully written and emotional."
---Ionia Martin
"Paints perfect scenes of 17th century Amsterdam for readers to imagine"
---Teen Reads
"A refreshingly original story that melds historical fiction with a coming-of age narrative, Cullen's novel is a treat for readers."
---Barnes and Noble
Rembrandt's Paintings
The Windmill
Nocturnal landscape with the Holy Family
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee
Lynn Cullen
- Lives in Atlanta, Georgia
- Author of numerous award-winning books for children
- "I am Rembrandt's Daughter" was Barnes and Nobel 2007 "Discover Great New Writers" selection
- Also wrote "MRS.POE", "The Creation of Eve", and many other books.
Important Quotes
- "Hello, Cornelia." --- This quote is important because it is the first time we are introduced to the serious Neel that studied under Rembrandt. He is also the person that Cornelia ends up with.
- "I cannot be a part of their world of ships d power and selfishness. I do not want to be." --- Cornelia realizes that the life she would have with Carel is not a life that she would be proud living. She wants to be honest and true; she does not want to sell people into slavery to make a buck.
- "I am learning." --- I feel like this is a very important quote from the book because it shows that even though the book has ended, her journey has not. She is still learning from her mistakes in the past.
Main Conflict
The main conflict in "I am Rembrandt's Daughter" is whether Cornelia is going to go and live her life with Carel and his family selling slaves.She does not want to live a life where she takes others from their families and separates them so that they can unwillingly work for people that do not treat them right. She chooses not to go with them and live her life with her father and the man she loves, even if she does not know it at the time.
Details
- Her brother falls ill
- He father is kinda loopy
- She sneaks out to meet a boy her father told her not to see
- Her cat's name is Tijger
- She is motherless
- She mends her broken relationship with her father
- She falls in love
Historical
- Rembrandt is a real artist from the late 1600 to the early 1700s
- Slave trade was very common back then
- Most of the main people talked about her real people.(Cornelia, Titus, Rembrandt)
Review
This book was amazing. The imagery made me feel like I was right there with Cornelia and the fact the she was so young made it even better. The story line was on point and Lynn Cullen did an amazing job incorporating real historical events that took place. I feel like everyone that loves a good love story mixed with historical references should read this book. It was awesome!! I give it 5/5 stars.