SFF

Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind

by Anne Charnock
47North: Amazon. Dec. 2015. 268p. ISBN 9781503950436. pap. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9781503954205. SF
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In 22nd-century London, art historian Toniah gets a job at the Academy of Restitution, whose goal is to correct the underrepresentation of women in history. What Toniah really wants to do is study the work of Renaissance painter Antonia Uccello. Present-day teen Toni travels to China with her father, a painter specializing in copying famous works of art. And in 15th-century Italy, successful painter Paolo Uccello worries about the future of his daughter Antonia, recognizing her artistic talent but unsure how to find a way for her to exercise that talent in spite of her gender. The three story lines are loosely tied together through a work of art that survives over the centuries.
VERDICT Not particularly sf in feel despite having one narrative take place a century in the future, Philip K. Dick Award finalist Charnock's (A Calculated Life) latest is instead an intriguing look at three women in different time periods. If taken as three well-drawn character studies, the book has charms, but those hoping for more explicit connections between the time periods might be disappointed.
Reviewed by Megan M. McArdle , Dec 01, 2015
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