A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlasts him. A forgotten woman whose destiny is forever linked to hers. And the family whose history is still being written.
Toulouse, France—1879
Viviana Torrens, a Catalan orphan turned fugitive, found refuge in the house of an aging artist in the south of France. It was in her studio that she met Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sold pigments to artists. When her past catches up with her, she is forced
pretend to be Vella's sister and join him on his travels or be deported to Spain to face trial. Along the way, she will discover that the many roles she has played in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she could never have predicted.
East Lansing, Michigan – today
Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, the painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her old art history
professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella's greatest work: a portrait titled The Lady with the Black Hair.
This dual timeline story from award-winning author Erin Bartels takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where the past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one's dreams .
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