First published 2024
Venice, 1958. Peggy Guggenheim sits in her marble palazzo on the Grand Canal, looking back on the path that brought her here. Born into two Jewish dynasties in New York, Peggy lived a protected life until tragedy struck at fourteen. Her father died on the Titanic, shattering her world and awakening her hunger for something beyond her family's narrow expectations. She seeks passion, freedom, and art's power to transform lives. Peggy navigates the glamorous yet hostile art scenes of New York and Europe, where men court her wealth while dismissing her intelligence and vision. She faces antisemitism and sexism at every turn. The tension between family loyalty and personal liberation pulls at her constantly. Her fortune brings unexpected constraints even as it opens doors. Through relationships, betrayals, and discoveries, Peggy must forge her own identity while building something lasting in the art world.
Genres: art, historical-fiction, 20th-century, biographical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Europe, New York, Venice
Period: 1958, 20th-century
384 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: sexism