Unfortunate Truths. Maxwell Family Trilogy, #1

A family in crisis on all fronts... In the years between the wars, the dynamic between a free-spirited artist and her domineering sister, broken by a past secret, causes untold heartache with implications for ensuing generations. In the 1930s, feminism isn't a word, the idea of sexual orientation doesn't exist, contraception is in the hands of men that can be bothered, whilst the impact of the suffragettes is yet to be felt.
Sex is never mentioned to women, who are expected to marry without question and comply with society's rules. Seeing people's 'colours' gives Eva's paintings a unique authority. An observer, she is unable to conform and struggles to find where she belongs. Being an artist is actively discouraged; falling in love with a fellow artist is beyond the pale. Consumed by grief, Eva's life is overshadowed by the anger she carries towards her sister and what she has done.