A dazzling novel about the life of the groundbreaking artist, Paula Modersohn-Becker - a brilliant early expressionist whose work will be exhibited at the RA's Making Modernism exhibition in November 2022

'A moving and rare, heart-warming take on Paula Modersohn Becker's life' Nicholas Serota

Paula Modersohn-Becker was a pioneer of modern art in Europe, but denounced as degenerate by the Nazis after her death. Sue Hubbard draws on the artist's diaries and paintings to bring to life her singular existence, her battle to achieve independence and recognition and her intense relationship with the poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

Not only do we discover Paula's vibrant personality and rich legacy of Expressionist paintings, but also come to understand something of the corrupted ideologies of the Third Reich. Written with the eye of a painter and the soul of a poet this moving story is a meditation on love, loss, memory and, ultimately, hope.