After her mother’s death in 2005, Anne Summers inherits a portrait of her mother as a child. Mesmerised by this image, she finds herself drawn into the story of how the portrait was painted and eventually found its way into her family. She soon learns the artist painted another portrait of her mother; this time, as the Madonna.
In a gripping narrative that is part art history, part detective story and part meditation on the relations between mothers and daughters, Anne’s search for the Madonna painting and the mysterious Russian émigré who bought both paintings takes her down unexpected paths. Her search soon turns into a parallel quest to retrieve Constance Stokes, the artist, from obscurity, and to learn why the collector suddenly abandoned the paintings. Along the way Anne finds she must face the truth of the relationship she had with her mother. In turn hypnotic and moving, The Lost Mother is a powerful exploration of art, loss and love.
In store on Tuesday 30 June!
Anne Summers is a best selling Australian author, journalist and speaker on political and social, especially women's, issues. Anne led the Office of the Status of Women from 1983-86 and was advisor to Prime Ministers Paul Keating and Bob Hawke. She is a former editor of Good Weekend, and is a Sydney Morning Herald columnist.
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