The Secret Life Of Sunflowers: A gripping, inspiring novel based on the true story of Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law (Light & Life Series)

When Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson finds her famous grandmother's diary while cleaning out her New York brownstone, the pages are full of surprises. The first surprise is, the diary isn't her grandmother's. It belongs to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law.

Johanna inherited Vincent van Gogh's paintings. They were all she had, and they weren't worth anything. She was a 28 year old widow with a baby in the 1800s, without any means of supporting herself, living in Paris where she barely spoke the language. Yet she managed to introduce Vincent's legacy to the world.

The inspiration couldn't come at a better time for Emsley. With her business failing, an unexpected love turning up in her life, and family secrets unraveling, can she find answers in the past?

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Published Jul 14, 2022

404 pages

Average rating: 7.04

377 RATINGS

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GymnasticsFan

Feb 19, 2024

8/10 stars

Whether you love historical fiction, impressionist painters, strong women, or a combination, this book is for you. Loved it.

Salem rainbow

Oct 11, 2023

7/10 stars

Interesting premise, but I think it could have been written better. I wouldn’t call it gripping.

minnie052457

Jun 24, 2023

5/10 stars

Started off well, but it got kind of boring about half way through. I liked the character Jo a lot, but not so much Emsley. Basically, I thought there wasn't much subtlety there. When the characters were sad, they were WAY over the top crying. Just too much.

VeraF

May 10, 2023

3/10 stars

“Emsley” portions read like a teen romance novel. Historical content was interesting but a bit schmaltzy and incomplete. I learned more on Google. And why does the author use so many pseudonyms?

Karen Jarrett

May 14, 2025

8/10 stars

I loved learning about Vincent Van Gogh. I would have preferred not having the fictional character storyline intertwined with the true story.