A missing girl, a hidden masterpiece, and the search for the truth.
1965: After escaping from anti-war turmoil and the suffocating weight of family expectations, a beautiful young couple embrace a life free of materialism and tradition by a sapphire lake in Italy. But the past does not always let go so easily…
1987: When talented art historian Wren Summers lands her dream job at the Sydney Art Museum, it seems she can finally leave her wildly unconventional background behind – until a treacherous act threatens everything she has strived for.
The revelation of a monstrous family secret sees Wren head to New York, compelled to find the missing girl who holds the key to this shocking mystery – and to make a fresh start in the glittering realm of international art auctions. As she struggles to fulfil her quest, can she navigate this new, high-stakes world of swirling temptation, romance and deceit, danger and betrayal, while staying true to what she knows is right?
The Artist’s Secret is a sweeping new saga about strong heroines and family secrets. While searching for her lost sister, art historian Wren Summers takes on the glittering world of New York’s auction houses.
Beginning her career in media and being the former editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Alexandra Joel has always had a long-term fascination with fashion and a passion for writing. Her debut novel, The Paris Model, was published in 2020 followed by The Royal Correspondent in 2021 – both bestsellers and huge hits with BR readers. With her background in fashion editorials, Joel injects glitz and glamour into each of her stories, and her latest novel The Artist’s Secret is no exception.
This novel follows Wren in 1987, who grew up in a commune in Nowra, NSW. With no father in the picture, Wren’s mother is a free-spirited, weed-smoking artist who puts all her attention into to her creative work. For Wren, this isn’t her standard for life, so she sets off to follow her own path as an art historian – a passion clearly instilled from her mother. But this path leads Wren on a journey all around the world, experiencing harsh realities and uncovering new truths – including a long-lost sister and the realisation that there’s more to her mother than meets the eye.
In 1965, Lily Summers is a college student and her boyfriend has been enlisted to fight in Vietnam. But they’re madly in love, and instead choose to flee and fight what they truly believe in. Joel seamlessly blends the dual-timelines together, overlapping themes of mystery, art and family secrets. Could the life Wren’s been trying to escape from be more content than she thinks?
Wren is a wonderful protagonist, surrounded by well-drawn and often fabulous characters, and Joel’s prose is rich and descriptive. In true Alexandra Joel fashion, there’s glamour, travel, trends and relationships. On the other hand, there are layers of workplace discrimination, crime, betrayal and the cut-throat realties behind the allure of New York’s auction houses and the art world.
The Artist’s Secret is a fast-paced, escapist read that will leave you continually guessing what turn the story will take next. Infusing her love of art, fashion, history and politics, this novel ticks every box and shows Joel has really hit her stride in the historical fiction genre.
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