A mentally ill artist dies, leaving behind an acclaimed body of work and a dark legacy, in this bestselling Richard & Judy Book Club pick Gifted, troubled painter Rachel Kelly lived a life of manic highs and suicidal lows. When Oxford postgraduate Antony Middleton met her, she was pregnant and dangerously depressed. Her marriage to the gentle, devout Quaker became her safe haven, where she was free to create and be herself. But now, after her sudden death from a heart attack, Rachel's four adult children are about to uncover shattering truths about their enigmatic mother. Eldest son Garfield is bequeathed a letter that will reveal the truth about his paternity. Gay middle child Hedley grew up powerless to upset his mother's delicate equilibrium. Beautiful, erratic Morwenna has inherited her mother's genius-and her demons. And Petroc, the beloved youngest, once gave Rachel a precious gift that helped her through grievous loss. With each chapter headed by notes from a posthumous retrospective of Rachel's work, this extraordinary novel shifts back and forth in time and place as it moves effortlessly between characters. In its searing, indelible portrait of a woman and artist, Notes from an Exhibition offers a revealing window into the symbiotic relationship between genius and mental illness and the effects both have on maternal love, family, and the creation of enduring art.
"This stunning novel . . . poised and pitch-perfect throughout, is an engrossing portrait of a troubled and remarkable character. A fine writer at the top of his game."
The Mail on Sunday
"A warm, well-written novel about creativity and the perils of living with the creative spirit."
