Book Summary and Reviews of Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick

Book Summary

In July 1888, in a public garden in Arles, France, Vincent van Gogh meets a young woman who will change his life forever.

Paperback Original.

"I'd heard about him but had never seen him, the foreigner with the funny name who wandered the countryside painting pictures."

From a talented new author comes a poignant and haunting novel of creation and desire, passion and madness, art and love.

A young prostitute seeking temporary refuge from the brothel, Rachel awakens in a beautiful garden in Arles to discover she is being sketched by a red-haired man in a yellow straw hat. This is no ordinary artist but the eccentric painter Vincent van Gogh—and their meeting marks the beginning of a remarkable relationship. He arrives at their first assignation at No. 1, Rue du Bout d'Arles, with a bouquet of wildflowers and a request to paint her—and before long, a deep, intense attachment grows between Rachel and the gifted, tormented soul.

But the sanctuary Rachel seeks from her own troubled past cannot be found here, for demons war within Vincent's heart and mind. And one shocking act will expose the harsh, inescapable truth about the artist she has grown to love more than life.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Why do you think the author decided to have Vincent and Rachel meet in a garden? What significance does nature have in the story?
2. Perception versus reality is a theme of Sunflowers. What perceptions do strangers have about Vincent and Rachel? What perceptions do they have about each other when they first meet? How do their-and other people′s-perceptions change as the novel proceeds? Do you feel your perception of van Gogh and his work has changed as a result of reading the novel?
3. When Rachel goes to the Café de la Gare to watch Vincent paint, she expects to see a beautiful picture. Why is she disappointed? Why do you think the author chose to have the first painting Rachel sees be "sinister and brooding"?
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