First published 1994
Fabian works at his easel in remote Newfoundland, learning the precise art of painting birds. The year is 1911, and his world consists of careful brushstrokes, the harsh coastal landscape, and his troubled family. When a striking woman enters his life, everything shifts. His parents bring their own complications, creating a web of difficult relationships that Fabian must navigate. As he develops his artistic skills, deeper emotions surface. Jealousy creeps into his thoughts. Guilt weighs on his decisions. Regret colors his memories. The young artist finds himself caught between his dedication to capturing birds on canvas and the messy realities of human connection. His brush may create beauty, but his heart struggles with the painful complexities of love and family loyalty.
Genres: fiction, art, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, family-drama, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Newfoundland
Period: 1911
289 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux