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The Flames

bySophie Haydock

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BEHIND EVERY PAINTING, THERE IS A STORY....

'Fascinating & compelling' Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den
'Magnificent' Katie Lowe, author of The Furies
'Utterly compelling' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
'Confident...urgent...illuminating' Sunday Times
'Full of scandal, love, betrayal, and heartache' Cosmopolitan
'Mesmerising' Good Housekeeping

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In Vienna, a new century is dawning. The beautiful city is teeming with art, music and radical ideas. In this new world, anything seems possible...

This is the story of four women and the elusive artist who changed their lives.

Daughters of a prominent Viennese family, Edith and Adele are expected to follow the rules - to marry well, and produce children. Gertrude is in thrall to her flamboyant older brother. Marked by a traumatic childhood, she envies the freedom so readily granted to him. Vally was born into poverty but is making her way in the world as a model for the eminent artist Gustav Klimt.

Fierce, passionate and determined, none of these women is quite what they seem. But their lives are set on a collision course when they become entangled with the controversial young artist Egon Schiele whose work - and private life - are sending shockwaves through society. All it will take is a single act of betrayal to set their world on fire.

DISCOVER MADAME MATISSE - THE BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL FROM SOPHIE HAYDOCK

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Readers say:

'A riveting captivating read that had me caught up in the time and the place, the life of Schiele and the muses that inspired his art, the tangled mess of passions, the love, loss, grief, the lies, poison and betrayal.'

'One of my favourite books of the year!'

'I just cannot get enough of these fresh, feminist narratives... I found myself in awe of the women who loved [Schiele]...An exquisite read.'

'I adored it. A work of art that will burn bright and stay close to my heart for a very long time'

'A fascinating story loosely based on an eccentric artist who I knew nothing about...Poignant and emotional'

'A vivid, gorgeous book... Vienna is real to the reader, and the fates of the characters will take you out of your everyday life into theirs.'

MAGNIFICENT. Feels destined to be a classic - exquisitely crafted and so absorbing. I loved it and REFUSE to accept it is a debut. It's simply too good.

Katie Lowe, author of The Furies

About Sophie Haydock

Sophie Haydock is an author, editor and journalist (Sunday Times, Financial Times, Guardian), based in Folkestone, Kent, where she is curator of Folkestone Book Festival. Her debut, The Flames – about the women who posed for the scandalous artist Egon Schiele in Vienna a century ago – was named by the Times as one of the Best Historical Fiction Books of 2022. It was longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award, and the Italian translation, Le Fiamme, won the Premio Letterario Edoardo Kihlgren for debut novels. She worked for the Sunday Times Short Story Award and is associate director of the Word Factory. Her Instagram @egonschieleswomen has 110,000 followers. Visit: sophie-haydock.com
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9781529176988
  • Length: 464 pages
  • Dimensions: 198mm x 27mm x 127mm
  • Weight: 314g
  • Price: £10.99
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