Review of The Woman Who Heard Color by Kelly Jones

Continuing in my theme of the things that will inspire us to pick up particular books I present The Woman who Heard Color. I saw this particular book on my local library’s “New” shelf and was immediately intrigued by the title. I was a bit confused by the cover art thinking this would be a romance novel, which it is not. Once I read the back cover I was hooked. I love historical fiction. Especially if it is historical fiction that is well done. This is most definitely one of those books.

This is a beautiful novel about creativity, passion, and a woman who would do anything to prevent the destruction of art. Hanna Schmid flees the family farm in Bavaria for a more exciting life in Munich in 1900, working as a housekeeper for the Fleischmanns, who own an art gallery. Hanna admires the artwork constantly moving in and out of the Fleischmann home, and her love for the colorful is intensified by a neurological condition, synesthesia, that enables hear to actually hear color and see music (hence the title of the book). There are always artists coming and going at the Fleischmann house, and when serving dinner one evening, Hanna meets Wassily Kandinsky — a man who would one day become “her artist.”

Kelly Jones tells Hanna’s story over a period of decades, beginning with her bonding with Moses Fleischmann over art, their eventual marriage, and their success as art dealers, and following her through the world wars. Much of the book is set during the Nazi party’s rise to power, setting the stage for what would become World War II. Through Hanna’s eyes, we see Germany’s economy fall apart, how Hitler’s promises of prosperity garnered him support, and how swiftly Hanna’s life fell apart when the Jewish businesses were targeted.

But the focus of The Woman Who Heard Color is on the art. Jones moves the story back and forth from the past to the present, via conversations between Hanna’s 82 year old daughter and Lauren O’Farrell, an “art detective” who makes it her mission to retrieve invaluable works stolen by the Nazis and flashbacks to Hanna living her story.

My Review:

This was an enthralling read that captured my attention immediately. I loved learning more about the art of those years and was riveted by Hanna’s attempts to save what art she could from Hitler’s purge of the “modern” arts.

Jones does a great job enabling readers to feel the tension that built up in Germany prior to WWII, and showing the lasting effects on one family made it all the more heartbreaking. Though the impact of power on art and the passion for preserving creativity are at the forefront, The Woman Who Heard Color is also a story about relationships and how sometimes history conceals the truth. The Woman Who Heard Color is a must-read for fans of historical fiction set during WWII and for those who are as passionate about art as its main character.