SISTERLY DEVOTION
The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes (£20, HB, Orion)
It’s 1759 and the painter Thomas Gainsborough lives in Suffolk with his wife and daughters, Peggy and Molly. Best of friends, the sisters do everything together and Peggy keeps a close eye on Molly, who tends to suffer from mental confusion. But a move to Bath makes the secret harder to conceal. It’s an illuminating read and an important look at views on mental health in the 18th century.
UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP
Frank & Red by Matt Coyne (£18.99, HB, Headline)
Meet Frank, a reclusive widower whose gruff manner endears him to no one – except Red, the six-year-old boy who
