Overview

The novel is set in and around the iconic Art Students League in New York City where 20th Century stars of the art world studied and taught. Here, Bert Kossoff teaches painting when he is not cloistered in his studio. His wife Ruth defends her husband's distance and tolerates his infidelities for the sake of their daughter. Sonata at age 18, lacking purpose of her own, is drawn to the mystique of her father in his world of artists and models. There she is betrayed by her artist/lover and comes to feel used, like Irene, a nude model posing for others to take what they want. In the struggle to find her way, Sonata encounters family secrets long concealed and later, one that tears open their lives, exposing the lies that have sustained them. As each member of this shattered family finds a path to move forward, art itself-the urgency to create-is revealed as a force of its own. The terrain is confounding, where people searching for truth have learned to practice the art of illusion. Telling this story of passion in family and in art, the author, an artist herself, makes both come vibrantly alive.

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9781684335756

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Reviews

Peck has wonderful characters, excellent dialogue, a strong understanding of what makes a scene and how to pace a story. Her insight into the art world and what makes artists tick makes this novel unique. -Terri Valentine, Award winning author of twelve novels Complex and compelling. Judith Peck leads us through a family whose dominating figure is a driven artist. She is both convincing and illuminating about the heavy cost of such dedication. -Janet Burroway, Author of Writing Fiction and 8 novels including Raw Silk and Bridge of Sand

A rich depiction of the tangled ties of love, art, and family. -Kirkus Reviews Readers are easily immersed in this world of passion and hard work... -The US Review of Books Peck has wonderful characters, excellent dialogue, a strong understanding of what makes a scene and how to pace a story. Her insight into the art world and what makes artists tick makes this novel unique. -Terri Valentine, Award winning author of twelve novels Complex and compelling. Judith Peck leads us through a family whose dominating figure is a driven artist. She is both convincing and illuminating about the heavy cost of such dedication. -Janet Burroway, Author of Writing Fiction and 8 novels including Raw Silk and Bridge of Sand

Readers are easily immersed in this world of passion and hard work... -The US Review of Books Peck has wonderful characters, excellent dialogue, a strong understanding of what makes a scene and how to pace a story. Her insight into the art world and what makes artists tick makes this novel unique. -Terri Valentine, Award winning author of twelve novels Complex and compelling. Judith Peck leads us through a family whose dominating figure is a driven artist. She is both convincing and illuminating about the heavy cost of such dedication. -Janet Burroway, Author of Writing Fiction and 8 novels including Raw Silk and Bridge of Sand

Author Information

Judith Peck, professor emerita of art, is a sculptor and author with work in eighty collections, including the Yale Gallery of Art, the Ghetto Fighters Museum in Israel, libraries, universities, and cultural and religious institutions here and abroad. Dr. Peck has published 8 non-fiction books and 2 children's books and authored a story collection and screenplay. She holds a doctoral degree from New York University and two masters degrees from Columbia University. She is completing a 4th novel about an art therapist involved in a school shooting. Judith lives in Mahwah, New Jersey.

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