Deftly blending period detail and modern sensibility, Max Phillips presents here a bold, unapologetic Alma Shindler, who narrates her own provocative story from beyond the grave.

Two mysterious deaths unlock one man's past and another's future in this moving tale of art, love, and history When the wife of renowned art critic Daniel Lichtmann plunges to her death, she is not alone. Lying next to her is her suspected lover, Benjamin Wind, the very artist Daniel most championed. Tormented by questions about the circumstances of their deaths, Daniel dedicates himself to uncovering the secrets of their relationship and the inspiration behind Wind's dazzling final exhibition. What Daniel discovers is a web of mysteries leading back to pre-World War II Vienna and the magnificent life of Josef Pick, a forgotten artist who may have been the twentieth century's greatest painter of love. But the most astonishing discoveryis what connects these two artists acrosshalf a century: a remarkable woman whose response to the tragedy of her generation offers Daniel answers to the questions he never knew to ask. Ambitious, haunting, and stunningly written, The Marriage Artist tells a universal tale of a family dramatically reshaped by the quest for personal freedom in the face of inherited beliefs, public prejudices, and the unfathomable turns of history. It is at once a provocative snapshot of contemporary marriage, the recovery of a passion that history never recorded, and a fierce reminder of the way we enlist love in our perpetual search for meaning and permanence.

Grace is a sheltered daddy’s girl from a supportive middle class family when she starts college as an art major. At school, she meets Wellington Holmes, her charismatic professor, also an artist. Shockingly, they fall in love and get married. Grace didn’t know everything about her husband before their marriage, but she is soon to find out. Together, Grace and Wellington join the international art world, hobnobbing in prestigious New York art galleries and romantic cities in Europe. The cost of their fame, though, becomes both lucrative—and dangerous. Grace is up against thugs, blackmail, and betrayal as an artist’s wife and falls on God’s strong foundation to survive. Grace is indeed “fearfully and wonderfully made.” She was always aware of her need for a stronger relationship with God, but surrounded by violence and loss, she now needs Him more than ever. She rediscovers her faith with the help of angels in disguise as she struggles to overcome worldly evil and enemies. Grace is determined to survive with Wellington at her side, but she can’t do it alone.

An elegant reimagining of the life of Alma Mahler, the lovely, aristocratic fin-de-siècle composer who abandoned her own art to become the inspiration and collector of geniuses. At the turn of the century, "the most beautiful girl in Vienna" stood at the threshold of a promising musical career. But instead, she turned her considerable talents to becoming a freelance muse. Passionate, fickle, brilliant, and alcoholic, she conquered a series of difficult geniuses, including the composer Gustav Mahler (whom she sent to Freud for marriage counseling); the architect Walter Gropius, who went on to found the Bauhaus movement; the writer Franz Werfel, author of The Song of Bernadette; and the revolutionary painters Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka. Deftly bling period detail and modern sensibility, Max Phillips presents the bold, unapologetic Alma, who narrates her own provocative story, bringing to life the luminaries of her era as she tells of her triumphs in the fading elegance of Central Europe's beau monde, her flight from Hitler's Anschluss, and her exile in golden-age Hollywood. A glittering, darkly sensual novel, The Artist's Wife turns the lens of history upon the nature of inspiration, ambition, and love.

Anyone who summers in a cottage will connect with the reflections in this book. An inside look at artist's life, the creative community and the clash between the issues of a changing culture and the preservation of natural resources in a fragile ecological system. Set in Door County, WI.

Victoria University Press is enormously proud to publish a new edition of one of New Zealand?s favourite novels, published to critical acclaim here and in the UK and US, and winner of the Wattie Award in 1992. ?The promise that was evident in Girls High has been splendidly fulfilled, and now it seems only a matter of time before Wellington replaces New York as the literary capital of the world.? ?Nick Hornby, Sunday Times 'She really is world class ? her writing's like a richly detailed painting, she gets the details just right.' ?Sharon Crosbie Evening Post 'It is a testament to Anderson's style and skill as a writer that these places and decades are brought to the page with such energy, yet also with such a finely judged mix of humour and sympathy.' ?Caroline Wilder Sunday Star 'This is a moving, universal novel, a pleasure to read.' ?Sophy Kershaw Time Out 'Barbara Anderson's novel is a rarity; an unadulterated, unpretentious, enjoyable read.' ?Julie Morrice Glasgow Herald 'It is an enormously entertaining book with perceptions so true they leave you glowing in startled recognition.'?Patricia Thwaites Otago Daily Times ?A quite irresistible writer with a microscopic eye for telltale detail ? and a dazzlingly accurate ear for dialogue as it is really spoken.? ?Dirk Bogarde

This poignant debut novel in verse is a portrait of healing, as a young girl rediscovers life and the soothing power of nature after being freed from her abusive father. For most of her life, Lacey has been a prisoner without even realizing it. Her dad rarely let her, her little sister, or her mama out of his sight. But their situation changes suddenly and dramatically the day her grandparents arrive to help them leave. It’s the beginning of a different kind of life for Lacey, and at first she has a hard time letting go of her dad’s rules. Gradually though, his hold on her lessens, and her days become filled with choices she’s never had before. Now Lacey can take pleasure in sketching the world as she sees it in her nature journal. And as she spends more time outside making things grow and creating good memories with family and friends, she feels her world opening up and blossoming into something new and exciting.

The must-have business guide for visual artists, written by the leading specialist in the global art trade

A rapturous novel of star-crossed love in a time of war—from the international bestselling author of The Secret of Clouds. During the last moments of calm in prewar Prague, Lenka, a young art student, and Josef, who is studying medicine, fall in love. With the promise of a better future, they marry—only to have their dreams shattered by the imminent Nazi invasion. Like so many others, they are torn apart by the currents of war. Now a successful obstetrician in America, Josef has never forgotten the wife he believes died in the war. But in the Nazi ghetto of Terezín, Lenka survived, relying on her skills as an artist and the memories of a husband she would never see again. Then, decades later and thousands of miles away, an unexpected encounter in New York leads to an inescapable glance of recognition, and the realization that providence has given Lenka and Josef one more chance. From the glamorous ease of life in Prague before the occupation to the horrors of Nazi Europe, The Lost Wife explores the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit, and our capacity to remember.