Luncheon of the Boating Party

From the bestelling author of GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE ,  "A vivid exploration of one of the most beloved Renoir paintings in the world, done with a flourish worthy of Renoir himself" ( USA Today ) With her richly textured novels, Susan Vreeland has offered pioneering portraits of artists' lives. As she did in Girl in Hyacinth Blue , Vreeland focuses on a single painting, Auguste Renoir's instantly recognizable masterpiece, which depicts a gathering of Renoir's real friends enjoying a summer Sunday on a café terrace along the Seine. Narrated by Renoir and seven of the models, the novel illuminates the gusto, hedonism, and art of the era. With a gorgeous palette of vibrant, captivating characters, Vreeland paints their lives, loves, losses, and triumphs so vividly that "the painting literally comes alive" ( The Boston Globe ).