The author of The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Dovekeepers, and Practical Magic returns with this vivid, impressionistic life of Rachel Pomié, a French-Jewish girl who "certainly didn't follow any rules," born in 1795 on the island of St. Thomas. She first marries widower Isaac Petit for her family, then marries his nephew Frédéric Pissarro for love—and fights with her synagogue to accept the union. In the meantime she gives birth to a son, Camille, one of the founders and guiding spirits of the French Impressionists.

"[A] rhapsodic blend of keenly observed historical elements and vibrantly fabulistic invention generates an entrancing saga of sacrifice, forbidden loves, betrayals, and family tragedies endured in a world fractured by religion, class, and race, and redeemed by art and by love. [Alice] Hoffman is at her resplendent best in this trenchant and revelatory tale of a heroic woman and her world-altering artist son."—Booklist (starred review)

"Lilting prose, beautifully meted out folklore and historical references, and Hoffman's deep conviction in her characters (especially those 'willing to do anything for love') make reading this 'contes du temps passe' a total pleasure."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)