Molly & the Captain

''An intricate, moving novel... Quinn''s best book to date'' Observer

''Every sentence he produces is a joy''Metro
''Opens up timeless themes of family, success and love'' New Statesman
''Truly magnificent... this is Quinn''s masterpiece'' The Tablet
''Quinn is an intelligent analyst of the uncertainties of love and art'' Sunday Times

A celebrated artist of the Georgian era paints his two young daughters at the family home in Bath. The portrait, known as "Molly &the Captain", becomes instantly famous, its fate destined to echo down the centuries, touching many lives.

In the summer of 1889 a young man sits painting a line of elms in Kensington Gardens. One day he glimpses a mother at play with her two daughters and decides to include them in his picture. From that moment he is haunted by dreams that seem to foreshadow his doom.

A century later, in Kentish Town, a painte