Someone Always Nearby

I read this for a library book club.

The amount of research that Albert put into this book is certainly exhaustive. In many ways, it read more like a nonfiction biography than a novel, which is likely why the author begins with an explanatory forward. I, however, found the book frustrating. There is no plot, and the subject, Georgia O'Keeffe, is incredibly temperamental and unlikeable. I was quickly tired of her antics; I don't know how anyone tolerated her in real life, especially Maria Chabot, who largely tells the tale. Often, the book feels like a list of chores that Maria completes on the estates that she manages.

I have visited New Mexico several times in my life, and Albert certainly did a wonderful job of describing the unique show more setting with all the senses. show less

In a look behind the myth of artist Georgia O'Keeffe, SOMEONE ALWAYS NEARBY is based on research into a massive collection of over 700 letters, documents, media reports, and historical accounts. Circa 1940 the art-world icon bought a rundown house in the New Mexico desert, planning to live there for six months every year. To manage her remote household, O'Keeffe invited Maria Chabot, a naïve, but already published writer, to join her. Their uneven relationship endured throughout the war. During this time Maria designed and built a remarkable adobe house, studio and garden for the artist in the native village of Abiquiu. The story explores the dimensions and abuse of friendship.
Narrator Maria McCann enhanced the book with her show more pronunciation of native words. show less

I would give it one star to be honest. Not being a huge Georgia O'Keefe fan, it was not of interest to me. I really could not care less about her sexual or bisexual life. I found this to be tough reading.

Susan, you have written so much better than this...