I Am Rembrandt's Daughter

by Lynn Cullen

Book Overview

With her mother dead of the plague, and her beloved brother newly married and moved away, Cornelia van Rijn finds herself without a friend or confidante--save her difficult father. Out of favor with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599900467
• ISBN13: 9781599900469
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Extremely Enjoyable

I Am Rembrandt's Daughter was a believable, unique story set in Holland in the 1600s. The main character, Cornelia, is an average girl whose story gave me a lot of insight into the time period. The book was very good simply because it kept me guessing as to what the ending would be like, and had an ending that wasn't too happy (like a fairy-tale) and left me satisfied. I highly recommmend it to historical fiction readers looking for a book that isn't dry.

wonderful biography

i really liked this book. i learned a lot of precious information about this artist's life and his paintings. and in a very pleasant manner, too. the writing was very good, it flowed easily. i also loved the tender romance story and the ending. really great book, espescially if you are interested in painting, like me.

I love this book! (spoliers!)

This book is about Rembrandt's daughter by his housemaid, Cornelia, who reminiscs on the old days when her mother was alive, and when she saw the "gold-moustache man" who was nice to her. When her half-brother marries his cousin and moves out, she is all alone except for her father and his assissant, Neel. She attempts to sell her father's work, and meets a boy named Carel in the process. Soon, they spend all their spare moments together, but when the plague comes about, he avoids her because he is scared of it. Cornelia find out that the "gold-moustache man" is really her father, and that Carel is her cousin. But when she is offered to live with him, she declines because she claims that even if she doesn't have the Rembrandt blood in her, she has the Rembrandt heart. At the end, she gets together with Neel. I really liked this book.

I Am Rembrandt's Daughter

Taking us back to the 1600's, this book does a great job letting us know what it was like to be just an average girl. The description of Cornelia's troubles and triumphs was just perfect, and best of all the story as a whole was believeable. While the ending may have been happy, I was beyond pleased that it wasn't the cliche, happy-go-lucky ending that I'd been expecting. This book kept me entertained and interested from the beginning, and I'd recommend it to fans of historical novels, because it does a great job of blending in facts with fiction.

Paints perfect scenes of 17th-century Amsterdam for readers to imagine

Soon-to-be 14-year-old Cornelia van Rijn is having a rough time. Her beloved mother died of the plague a few years ago, and one of the only other meager suppliers of smiles in her life --- her lighthearted brother --- announces that he's getting married. This will leave Cornelia home alone with her grumpy, demanding father. Some might find her lucky to have such a famous and talented parent, the artist Rembrandt, despite the fact that he never married her mom, which caused a bit of a shocking conflict in late-1600s Amsterdam. Cornelia, however, doesn't feel fortunate at all. Over the past few years, Rembrandt's paintings have lost their popularity; as he refuses to change his techniques, he has few buyers of his work. Rumors even float around that he is losing his sanity. Almost penniless and forced to move, only one of his students continues to study under him --- the serious and quiet Neel. Everyday he comes to learn from Rembrandt, and his small payment allows the family to scrape enough together to barely survive. But Cornelia thinks he's boring and tries to ignore him. With so few people to talk to, Cornelia finds herself very lonely. When she was younger, she looked forward to seeing the stranger with the golden mustache walk by their home. He had a pleasant smile, and they shared a special gesture to say hello. But he also has disappeared from her life. At least she still has her loyal cat to keep her company. Cornelia also regrets the huge distance Rembrandt has placed between them. She longs for the easy and close relationship he and her brother share. Rembrandt has often painted her brother, but not once has he painted her. She also finds herself yearning to pick up a brush and attempt painting herself, not just study his work over his shoulder. However, Rembrandt never once offers to teach her. She can never seem to find the courage to talk to him about these topics, so she suffers silently. Then Neel surprises her, suggesting and supporting her dream to paint. Maybe he isn't so boring and annoying as she once thought. To add to the misery, more and more cases of sickness are popping up around the city. Many fear that the horrid plague has returned. But then Cornelia finds a new source of smiles --- the handsome and rich Carel. She first notices him at her brother's wedding, and since then, he makes special efforts to come visit her. She lives for their strolls together along the canals, sharing thoughts on art and issues. Cornelia tries to ignore the nagging doubt in her gut when she finds out that Carel's family supplies ships to slave traders. His lack of concern for the slaves' welfare puts doubt in her mind and heart, yet she pushes it aside. Cornelia dreams that one day they might get married. But when her father discovers how serious she has become, he mysteriously forbids her to see him again, without any explanation as to why. Cornelia refuses to give up the one bright spot in her life and sneaks away to continue seeing C