Midnight Blue

Amsterdam 1654: a dangerous secret threatens to destroy a young widow’s new life.

Following the sudden death of her husband, twenty-five year old Catrin leaves her small village and takes a job as housekeeper to the successful Van Nulandt merchant family. Amsterdam is a city at the peak of its powers: science and art are flourishing and Dutch ships bring back exotic riches from the Far East.

When a figure from her past threatens her new life, Catrin flees to Delft. There, her painting talent earns her a chance as a pottery painter. Slowly, the workshop begins to develop a new type of pottery to rival the coveted Chinese porcelain – and Delft Blue is born. But when tragedy strikes, Catrin has a hard choice to make.

Rich and engrossing, Midnight Blue is perfect for fans of Tulip Fever and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Reviews

‘A beautiful story about the fate of a seventeenth-century young woman and the early days of the blue-and-white pottery from Delft… You live and suffer with Catrijn. You recognise her dilemmas.’
Nederlands Dagblad (Netherlands Daily)

‘Van der Vlugt has immersed herself in the pottery painting of the time and weaves fact and fiction into a gripping story.’ Leidsch Dagblad (Leiden Daily)

'A clever story about a strong woman.' Leestafel

'A great historical novel, with thriller aspects and romance.' Biepmiepje

'The local colour, the fascinating story, the interesting history, definitely for me born in Delft, means you read MIDNIGHT BLUE in one sitting.' boekenbloggenderwijs.nl

About the author

Simone van der Vlugt is an acclaimed Dutch writer, whose books have sold over 2 million copies. She lives with her husband and two children in Alkmaar.