The Very Picture of You
A Novel
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4.3 • 37 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Where the eye sees the brushstroke, the heart sees the truth.
At thirty-five, Gabriella “Ella” Graham is a successful portrait artist in London. She captures the essential truth in each of her subjects’ faces—a tilt of the chin, a glint in the eye—and immortalizes it on canvas. But closer to home, Ella finds the truth more elusive. Her father abandoned the family when she was five, and her mother has remained silent on the subject ever since. Ella’s sister, Chloe, is engaged to Nate, an American working in London, but Ella suspects that he may not be so committed. Then, at Chloe’s behest, Ella agrees to paint Nate’s portrait.
From session to session, Ella begins to see Nate in a different light, which gives rise to conflicted feelings. In fact, through the various people she paints—including an elderly client reflecting on her life and a woman dreading the prospect of turning forty—Ella realizes that there is so much more to a person’s life than what is seen on the surface. And as her portraits of Nate and the others progress, they begin to reveal less about their subjects than about the artist herself.
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gabriella "Ella" Graham is a portrait artist in her mid-30s, living in present-day London, whose dedication to her artwork precludes her developing personal relationships, in this latest from Brit author Wolff (A Vintage Affair). Ella refuses to paint from photographs and instead requires her subjects to spend long hours sitting for portraits, so intent is she on revealing their true natures. She's also keenly aware that "I'm drawn to people who are a little bit dark who haven't had happy-ever-after sorts of lives. I like painting people who I sense are... complex." As Ella learns more about the people she paints, she allows herself to reflect on secrets that have haunted her family since she was a child. She remembers sketching her father's face when she was a little girl in order to preserve his features, but despite repeated inquiries, Ella's mother refuses to provide her daughter with much detail about the past. The powerful combination of Ella's professional success along with her sister Chloe's upcoming wedding causes Ella to turn her focus inward and face startling revelations about herself. Wolff's heroine is an excellent conduit to understanding how art can reflect the true essence of those being depicted, while the story delivers all the charm and romance readers have come to expect.
Customer Reviews
I love Isabel!!
This is the 2nd book I’ve read of Hers and it did NOT disappoint. Super charming and had me on the edge to know more with every read. So worth the read.
The Very Picture of You
This book is great! I cant believe it was only $4.99! This author has eight books published, but only three are available from Ibooks.