Mrs Whistler

(Paperback)

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A captivating tale This novel is a delight THE TIMES
A terrific novel It springs off the page DEBORAH MOGGACH
'Vividly engaging SUNDAY TIMES
Maud could tell the whole story, but she will not

Chelsea 1876: Jimmy Whistler stands on the cusp of fame, ready to astound the London art world with his radical paintings. At his side is Maud Franklin, his muse, lover and occasional pupil, sharing his house, his dazzling social life and his grand hopes for the future.

But Jimmys rebelliousness comes at a heavy price for them both as he battles a furious patron, challenges an influential and viciously hostile critic and struggles with a dire lack of cash. Before long a fight for survival is being waged through the galleries, the drawing rooms and even the courts and Maud, Jimmys Madame and closest ally, is expected to do her part.

The Madame has problems of her own, however. Maud has fallen pregnant, and must now face the reality of what life with Jimmy entails. As the situation starts to unravel, as loyalties are sorely tested and bankruptcy looms, she has to decide what she wants. Who she is. What she is prepared to endure.

Stunning and suspenseful, this a story of one womans progress through a world of beauty and sacrifice, art and ambition; a story which asks what we will withstand for love, and what it means to reach for greatness.

Reviews

Praise for Mrs Whistler:

Matthew Plampin is heartbreakingly good Mrs Whistler is a beguiling glimpse of a fascinating world THE TIMES

A terrific novel It springs off the page, bristling with life.
A vivid and absorbing portrait of bohemian London and the love affair between Whistler and his long-suffering but spirited muse DEBORAH MOGGACH

A captivating tale This novel is a delight THE TIMES

A delightful book LITERARY REVIEW

'Should rank with the best his work possesses depth and vitality vividly engaging a novel that conjures up the Victorian art world in rich colours SUNDAY TIMES

A richly imagined historical novel, full of depth and vitality SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE

Author Bio

Matthew Plampin was born in 1975 and lives in London. He completed a PhD at the Courtauld Institute of Art and now lectures on nineteenth-century art and architecture. He is the author of two previous novels, The Street Philosopher and The Devils Acre