First published 2025
Wyeth arrives in New York as a young Black artist trying to break into Manhattan's competitive art world. He splits studio space with friends and picks up work at galleries and with art restorers, but his portrait painting feels lifeless. He cannot breathe authenticity into his subjects. Then he encounters Keating, a white ex-priest questioning his faith. The two men appear to share little common ground, yet Keating opens Wyeth's eyes to fresh ways of seeing. As summer heat blankets the city, they attend gallery openings together and wander New York's streets while Wyeth hunts for traces of an obscure Black artist from the past. Their bond deepens, but their differences sharpen too. Wyeth and Keating face a choice about what they will sacrifice for their art and their growing connection.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, adult, adult-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, introspective, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers, opposites-attract, slow-burn
Setting: New York, Manhattan
Period: Contemporary
400 pages · Paperback · Jonathan Cape