Synopses & Reviews
Spring 1915. On a sprawling country estate not far from London a young woman mourns her husband, fallen on the battlefields of what has been declared the first World War...
But the isolated and eerie stillness in which she grieves is shattered when her home is transformed into a bustling military hospital to serve the war's most irreparably injured. Disturbed by the intrusion of the suffering men and their caretakers, the young widow finds unexpected solace in the company of a wounded soldier whose face, concealed by bandages, she cannot see. Their affair takes an unexpected turn when fate presents her with an opportunity: to remake her lover -- with the unwitting help of a visionary surgeon and an American woman artist -- in the image of her lost husband.
Inspired by the little-known but extraordinary collaboration between artists and surgeons in the treatment of wounded men in the First World War, The Crimson Portrait peels back layers of suspense and intrigue to illuminate the abiding mysteries of identity and desire.
Review
"There's nothing uplifting in this novel, but that shouldn't keep readers away. It's beautifully presented and...shimmers with her wonderfully descriptive and poetic style." USA Today
Review
"The Crimson Portrait has much in common with Fields' earlier novel....Both are set in the early part of the 20th century. Both are based loosely on real events. And both are rich, multilayered tales exploring the porous boundaries of science, art and faith." Seattle Times
Review
"Shields' graphic descriptions remind us that 1915 was a time before sophisticated plastic surgery....Also, by concentrating her narrative on facial damage the author vividly shows how the viciousness of war can deal a fate that almost equals death: the complete transformation of a man's most identifiable physical trait and the public humiliation that often accompanies the alteration." San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Shields's second novel...constructs a complex labyrinth of jealousy, addiction, passion, and regret as it also presents a history of maxillofacial (re: plastic) surgery and the medical arts." Library Journal
Review
"Lovely writing and evocative details salvage a thin story." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
In 1915 England, a young widow, grieving over the loss of her husband on the battlefield, finds her peace shattered when her country estate is transformed into a busy military hospital, but she finds unexpected solace in the person of a young soldier whose face is concealed by bandages and whom she decides to remake in the image of her lost husband. 60,000 first printing.
Synopsis
Set in England during World War I, this haunting love story by the author of the bestselling The Fig Eater makes unforgettably real the ravages of love and war.
Synopsis
This haunting love story the magnificent new historical novel by the author of the national bestseller
The Fig Eater makes unforgettably real the ravages of love and war.
Spring 1915. On a sprawling country estate not far from London, a young woman mourns her husband, fallen on a distant battlefield. The eerie stillness in which she grieves is abruptly shattered as her home is transformed into a bustling military hospital. Recoiling from the chaos, unhinged by grief, the young widow finds unexpected refuge in a tender young soldier whose face, concealed by bandages, she cannot see. Their affair takes a fateful turn when she confronts and seizes upon the opportunity to remake her lover in the image of her lost husband.
The Crimson Portrait is a novel of glittering surfaces that belie dark truths. Its rich cast comes into focus as the novel peels back layers of suspense and intrigue to illuminate the abiding mysteries of affinity and desire.
About the Author
Jody Shields is the author of one previous novel, The Fig Eater. She lives in New York.