*4.5 stars*

In-depth, engaging biography…

Given the author’s admission that there was reportedly limited information about Mary Hiester Reid readily available, I was thrilled to see the wealth and depth of this biography. I had no idea who Mary was before picking up this book but now I feel I almost know her personally…

Mary was born and grew up in a time where women were more vocal but still had an established part to play. The United States, Canada, Europe, she lived life as a balancing act, or so it felt like as she balanced expectations and her own desires and ambitions. How she reached, and attained, her goals, navigating the norms of her day, made for fascinating reading as this (new to me) author led me through a life well-lived. While navigating the extraordinary and the mundane, Mary’s world – and her life – became vividly real with the simple daily tasks mingled with an entirely un-simple, artist’s experience. I loved the glimpses into another time and the beautiful artwork I never knew existed…

Mary’s relationships, the paths she took, the good and the bad that her life contained, made for a highly entertaining, and informative, read.

This is a wonderful biography of an artist with whom I was not familiar as well as a bit of a memoir. Mary Hiester Reid was both a dynamic artist and constrained by her sex and marriage to George, also an artist. Despite a commitment to idea the they wold live large as artists, the housekeeping fell to Mary. And when she dies, George, who was seven years younger, remarries to Mary Evelyn Grinch, one of their students. Peacock, generally known a a poet, was married to Michael Groden, a Joyce scholar who struggled with cancer over their life together; she brings echoes of their relationship to this. There are some interesting details on the making of art and I did find myself looking for more info not only on these people but also on their art. I think this would be best appreciated in hard copy as ebooks do not allow the reader to see the color and definition of the illustrations. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A thoughtful and informative read.

How have I managed not to discover such a wonderful artist until now? Thank goodness for this fascinating biography of Mary Hiester Reid, which introduced me both to her life and work. I was captivated by both. The book is a work of meticulous research and great insight, and being also a personal memoir by the author, was enhanced by offering yet another layer to an already multi-layered exploration of one woman’s life and art. Beautifully written, in a lyrical yet always accessible way, this is essential reading not only for art enthusiasts but for anyone interested in women’s lives and experiences. Many well-chosen illustrations only add to the reading pleasure.

I love reading artist biographies so I picked this up out of sheer curiosity. I did not previously know Mary Heister Reid or any of her works and it was very interesting to read about her life and her connection with art. I appreciate the way the author made connections between her own life and what could've also been a part of the life of MHR.
I have since searched more her works and I'm glad I was given the chance to read this copy. Would recommend to anyone interested in reading biographies of female artists.

Wow! As someone interested in this time era, natural science, and women's history, I am so happy with this book. I never knew about Mary and really enjoyed getting to know her and her works. This book includes many details about the time era, what a woman would be like, her daily habits, packing lists, and thoughts on many subjects. Her marriage was unlike any marriage of the time: a companionship. I liked that she embraced the fact she was a woman but fought for the cause of equal rights. Well done read!

As a lover of art and artists, I really enjoyed reading Flower Diary by Molly Peacock. Flower Diary really explores the life of Mary Heister Reid and portrays her in a way that it both relatable and empowering. I love reading stories like this and not enough are told about women. Men often take centre stage in the art world and from a Canadian and artistic perspective, the story of Mary Heister Reid is extremely important. I really enjoyed how Molly wrote this book, I only wish that I could read it again for the first time.

Having previously read and loved The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock, I was delighted to read another book about a female artist. Mary Hiester Reid is not only a fascinating woman, unusual and ambitious in her decision to become a painter, but her story, as recounted and sensitively examined by the author, is one that deserves to be better known. The reproductions of her stunning floral and domestic paintings throughout the book showcase the beauty of her work, and the Hiester Reid's story is of great interest. Molly Peacock takes the gleanings she has gathered from her life to flesh out a biography that shows how a woman born in Victorian times was both able to rise above the restrictions of her age and was forced to live within them. I found the sensitive portrayal of her companionate marriage to the better known, and also very talented, Canadian painter and architect, George Agnew Reid to be of particular interest.

Poet and nonfiction writer Molly Peacock offers a rich and thought-provoking exploration of 19th-century artist Mary Hiester Reid in Flower Diary. As she did in The Paper Garden, her book on the botanical artist Mary Delany, Peacock skillfully melds personal musings on the lives of creative women with her look at a historical life. It's both a wonder and a privilege to be able to spend time in Peacock's imagination as well as Reid's life and times.

This is a biography of an American painter born in the mid-nineteenth century who did the nearly impossible: Mary Hiester Reid received a classic education in painting. She was taught by Thomas Eakins (ok, but he was a terrific painter) and worked very hard to overcome the prejudice against female artists. She married a Canadian artist, George Reid, and moved to Canada. She was successful in her career, but also had to deal with domestic responsibilities and being the wife of a man who could have been a competitor. This is a delicious book for artists and/or those interested in successful women in another century. The author is a much-recognized poet, and in the last decade she also turned to writing biography. "Flower Diary" is a beautifully written story of an artist's life and times.

This. Was. FASCINATING! What an amazing trailblazer. I loved reading about Mary Heister Reid defying all the gendered expectations of her time. Smart, creative, strong willed, determined she is an absolute powerhouse of the kind of energy I want to embody in my own life. Her example and passion for life is inspired and inspiring. I thought this was compiled wonderfully and really compelled me to keep reading. I didn’t know anything about Reid’s life and Molly Peacock truly brought it off the page for me. Absolutely wonderful!