Book Review: The Talented Miss Farwell

THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL | Emily Gray Tedrowe
09.29.2020 | Custom House
Rating: 4/5 stars

Becky Farwell grew up in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, where she worked hard from an early age to help keep her family afloat. Over the years she has maintained her father’s business, while holding down a government job. To most in the community they see her as a loyal resident working hard for those in her town. What they don’t know is her true passion in life has nothing to do with Pierson. Becky loves art. Art isn’t cheap, yet somehow Becky has been growing an impressive collection over the years that no one even knew existed. How can she afford this secret lifestyle on a government salary in small-town America? What about all of the mysterious trips she seems to take? Is Becky living a double life?

I love a good story about a conwoman and THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL delivered just that! Our story starts with Becky still in high school and searching for a way to save her father’s business. It’s a situation no teenager ever believes they’ll find themselves in, but Becky is whip smart at math and has no problem balancing business and school. As her life progresses, Becky finds herself searching for that thing that makes her tick, that thing that brings her joy. She finds it one day in a painting and from there Becky’s life is never the same. 

Our main character, Becky, is easy to love from the start of this story. As her life progressed I found myself shaking my head over a large number of the decisions she was making. My concerns went beyond thinking her decisions were foolish and extended to genuinely caring about what could happen to Becky. She lives an intricate and magical life that is a tense experience to watch unfold. 

THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL is a slower paced story, but one that is done in a methodical storytelling manner. You could feel every detail placed in the story with purpose. I loved that as we progressed in Becky’s life the tension got higher and higher. The stakes were bigger and danger was ever present. This book was a pleasant surprise and a fun read!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you William Morrow and Custom House for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.