REVIEW: Johanna Porter is Not Sorry by Sara Read

Johanna Porter is Not Sorry by Sara Read: Entrapped in a moment of sheer madness which was juxtaposed with crystal clarity, Johanna Porter mid Art Gallery opening, does the unthinkable and steals off into the night with La Rosa Blanca in her possession. And whilst Johanna is in no way a thief and certainly not a criminal mastermind, her intent was a thousand percent about stealing herself back, reclaiming that which had been stolen and figuring out a way to live again.

For Johanna, the La Rosa Blanca represents both a moment when her inner fight was frozen in time, and literally the precursor to the moment she had her life destroyed by Nestor, world renowned artist and former lover 30 years her senior. And so finding refuge in her dad’s cabin on the lake, and finding a kindred spirit in neighbour Mitchell McLeary who is amidst his own painful reckoning, Johanna takes the unsteady first steps of finding a way to bring herself back again, fearful of being taken to jail and yet determined to keep what is rightfully hers; her spirit, her determination and her gifts.

Simply, this is an incredible book that speaks to the heart of resilience, grit and determination; to wield your own power and be imperfectly perfect through the acceptance of self. As a woman in her early 40s who had her career, her hopes and dreams destroyed, Johanna’s story will speak to the hearts and minds of many women who carry the burden of self-sacrifice or indeed, the grief of being manipulated when youth was both powerful and something to be converted and exploited by others.

Relevant, gritty and uncomfortable at times, this is a true love story and in clawing it’s way to a brilliant happily ever after, it’s fair to say that the love relationship a person has with themselves is key to living and loving whole heartedly.

Book Info:

Publication: 7th March 2023 | Graydon House |

Twenty years ago, Johanna Porter was a rising star in the art world. Now she’s an unknown soccer mom. When an invitation arrives for an elite gallery opening for her former lover, the great Nestor Pinedo, Johanna wants to throw it in the trash where it belongs. But with some styling help from her daughter, she makes an appearance and comes face-to-face with the woman she was before the powerful and jealous Nestor ruined her.

La Rosa Blanca is a portrait of Johanna herself, young and fierce and fearless—a masterwork with a price tag to match. When she cuts it out of its frame, rolls it up and walks out, Johanna is only taking back what was stolen from her.

Hiding out with La Rosa Blanca in a shack on the Chesapeake Bay, Johanna digs into the raw work of reviving her own skills while battling novice-thief paranoia, impostor syndrome and mom guilt. But Johanna doesn’t just want the painting—she wants to paint again. To harness her powerful talent, she must defy everyone’s expectations—most of all her own—for what a woman like her should be.