Saving Vincent, A Novel of Jo van Gogh received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Joan Fernandez.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Saving Vincent, A Novel of Jo van Gogh is publishing on April 15, 2025.
What’s the book’s first line?
Jimmying out the closest canvas, Jo van Gogh recognized one of the sunflower paintings.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
This is the unacknowledged true story of Jo van Gogh’s fervent quest to save Vincent’s art from obscurity. In the early twentieth century, as a timid widow—and sister-in-law of the famed painter—Jo van Gogh takes on the male-dominated art elite to prove that the hundreds of worthless paintings she inherited are world-class in order to ensure her young son will have an inheritance.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
In 2016, on a visit to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and after an emotional 2-hour tour of Vincent’s art, I was stunned to read a small notation that Jo van Gogh was the individual who not only rescued but tenaciously championed Vincent’s work for fifteen years until he was acknowledged as a genius.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Now more than ever it’s important to uncover the incredible historical stories of courageous acts in which real individuals advocated for change against the status quo and yet whose contributions have been unacknowledged. These true stories can uplift people, especially when the accounts celebrate individuals from the same groups threatened by marginalization today.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
A distinctive trait of Jo van Gogh was her resilience. As a woman of her time, she faced a number of setbacks; yet, expressed agency again and again to follow up on her intuitive marketing genius. This genius transformed a product worth nothing (Vincent’s works) into one worth millions upon millions today. By this measure, Jo is the greatest marketer of the century. As far as a real individual that reminds me of Jo— Lucille Ball., the comic sensation. She had an intuitive genius for comedy that was so different, so new, that her ideas were initially rejected by studio executives. Yet, in one syndicated season her show, “Lucy,” made her the female clown of the century. She gave style, authenticity and dimension to the staleness of sit-com.
When did you first decide to become an author?
The seed was planted ages ago in college as an English Major, but a life of work and family gradually buried the idea to write a book. At a moment when I least expected it, and at the peak of my corporate career, I recalled that long ago promise. This became an impetus to retire a few years later to become a full-time author.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
I published a short story in an anthology prior to this (and am submitting another to a second anthology). Honing a plot down to its essence as well as distilling a character into a crisp core description for short story really work my writing muscles and this helps my novel writing.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I begin every weekday at 7:00 am with a group of writers on Zoom. We call ourselves the Early Birds. This morning session kicks off a 6-to-8-hour day of writing, researching and marketing.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I love the broader theme behind Jo’s story to shatter the limits that stand in the way of each of us reaching our true potential. I’m motivated to spread this message.