I apologize again for my boldness, but I must tell you that you're the most beautiful girl in Oxford. Maybe in all of England. I have to put you in my painting.

W ith these words, the scandalous, wildly talented painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti changes seventeen-year-old Jane Burden's life forever. Jane's gaunt, awkward figure and grave expression have cemented her reputation as the ugliest girl in Oxford. Raised by a stableman on Holywell Street — the town's most sordid and despicable slum — Jane is nearly resigned to marry in-kind. But when she meets Rossetti at the theater, he sees beyond her worn, ill-fitting dress and unruly hair and is stirred by her unconventional beauty. The charismatic painter whisks Jane into Oxford's exclusive art scene as his muse, and during the long and intimate hours of modeling — draping and tilting, gazing and posing — Jane finds herself falling in love.

When Rossetti abruptly leaves Oxford with no plans to return, brokenhearted Jane settles for a stable, if passionless, marriage to his soft-spoken protege, William Morris — the man who would go on to become the father of the British Arts and Crafts Movement. Jane resigns herself to life as a respectable wife and mother, exchanging the slop bucket for intricate needlepoint, willing away the memories of Rossetti and what could have been.

But Rossetti and Jane are inextricably bound together by tragedy, art, and desire, and no amount of time or distance can separate them. Ultimately this complicated arrangement with which Jane, Morris, and Rossetti must learn to live threatens to undo them all. Richly textured and deftly portrayed, Elizabeth Hickey's latest is a compelling portrait of theever-changing notions of both love and beauty.

"Plain Jane Burden never expected to be an artist's model, much less the standard of pre-Raphaelite beauty, but in Hickey's second historical novel (after The Painted Kiss), Jane's looks catapult her from the Oxford slums to the drawing rooms of London. After Jane is discovered by painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, her domineering mother allows her to sit for a mural of Guinevere because of the much-needed income it brings the family. Jane relishes the few hours each week she's allowed to sit and eavesdrop on Rossetti and his clique of artists and writers, inspiring verses in their poetry and a declaration of love. But after Rossetti leaves her for his sickly fiancée, Lizzie, Jane agrees to marry his rich friend William Morris so she can stay close to him. Jane bears two children and becomes an uneasy confidante to Lizzie, but Rossetti's feelings for Jane resurface after Lizzie dies, and William can't help noticing. Hickey handles her characters with a light touch and steers them clear of brooding cliché territory. Marvelous period detail adds appeal to an alluring story." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Plain Jane Burden never expected to be an artist's model, much less the standard of pre-Raphaelite beauty, but in Hickey's second historical novel (after The Painted Kiss), Jane's looks catapult her from the Oxford slums to the drawing rooms of London. After Jane is discovered by painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, her domineering mother allows her to sit for a mural of Guinevere because of the much-needed income it brings the family. Jane relishes the few hours each week she's allowed to sit and eavesdrop on Rossetti and his clique of artists and writers, inspiring verses in their poetry and a declaration of love. But after Rossetti leaves her for his sickly fiance, Lizzie, Jane agrees to marry his rich friend William Morris so she can stay close to him. Jane bears two children and becomes an uneasy confidante to Lizzie, but Rossetti's feelings for Jane resurface after Lizzie dies, and William can't help noticing. Hickey handles her characters with a light touch and steers them clear of brooding clich territory. Marvelous period detail adds appeal to an alluring story." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"A must read for the voluptuousness of Hickey's writing and the casualties of love and desire." ArmchairInterviews.com

"Hickey writes knowledgably about the period , but her research never eclipses her graceful narrative." The Boston Globe

"Hickey, author of the well-received Painted Kiss, manages to imbue the story with real warmth and passion focusing on the relationships and the art. Haunting and lyrical; the reader will be captivated." Booklist

"Hickey's obsession with the art world has led her into a fascinating realm where she merges art and passion to explore what fires an artist's spirit and creativity, both in work and for the women who serve as inspiration. Her full-blooded characters move through the pages with verve and passion for life and their art. She traces the triumphs and tragedy of an unconventional love triangle and paints a portrait as fine as any artist's — one readers will see and feel." Romantic Times

From the critically acclaimed author of The Painted Kiss comes a rich and romantic story of the passionate love triangle between William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement; his mentor, the painter Daunt Gabriel Rossetti; and the woman they both love.

Elizabeth Hickey was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She received her B.A. in art history from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, and her M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University in New York City. Her first novel, The Painted Kiss, was published in 2005 by Atria Books. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and son.