Lovers & Flowers

For Ruben Truelove, looking at a beautiful picture is so moving that he feels literally drawn inside. Painting is his life’s work. Art is his solace and his escape.

When Ruben’s wife Francesca walks out on him and their introverted teenage daughter Dodie, he decides to reach out to her in the only way he knows how. He begins to talk to her about artworks, trying to convince her that they can have relevance for her, and in wonderful ways.

As father and daughter converse about art, over time they discover a newfound understanding and a tentative closeness. But both have secrets they’d rather keep hidden. Delving further into the worlds contained in artworks, and as their own relationship weaves between intimacy and estrangement, mysterious gifts addressed to Dodie begin to arrive. A third person – an impassioned boy – threatens to disturb the fragile peace they’ve built together.

Told entirely in letters and emails, Ruben recounts for Francesca the story of how Dodie learns to be enriched by pictures. In doing so, he is forced to admit that in helping their daughter uncover the truths inherent in art, he has opened up far more than simply an appreciation of all things artistic. Now, he must first explain, and then face up to, the consequences of what he's begun. (416 pages)