Book Log 2022 #17: Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Harriet Baxter, now an old woman living in London, is taking upon herself to chronicle the life of Ned Gillespie, an artist who she believes never gained the acclaim he deserved. She considers herself to be the best suited person for the job as she knew Gillespie quite well, having met him and his family by accident when she was visiting Glasgow for the 1888 International Exhibition.

That meeting involves Harriet saving the life of Gillespie's mother, and from that act she becomes quite close with the family, becoming a sort of surrogate member by helping with day to day tasks and patronizing their work as artists. It's clear that the family has its troubles, and when they eventually lead to tragedy and a criminal trial, Harriet winds up in the middle of things.

Where the book is told from Harriet's point of view and several decades removed from the events she's recalling, there is plenty of room to question the reliability of the narrator. It's also not clear what her motives are in telling the story - is she really trying to give Gillespie a boost in popularity, or is she trying to clear her own name?

I liked this book quite a bit, though in reading a couple of reviews Harris' previous book, The Observations, was noted as being along similar lines but better. I've not read it, but maybe it would make sense to read that one first.