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The Lost Mother

A Story of Art and Love

Anne Summers

A poignant narrative about Anne Summers' relationship with her mother, told through her search for a lost painting of her mother as a child.

Opinion

'The book that has resulted from this journey is richly layered, excitingly paced, and so full of amazing coincidence that, if it weren't for the research that went into it, you might well wonder if it hadn't written itself.'

-- Sarah Dowse, Canberra Times, 18 July 2009

'There are many threads to follow in this multi-faceted story, including that of Constance Stokes, once a famous Australian artist, but now largely forgotten. . . . Summers skilfully keeps these threads together to produce an original, moving, absorbing narrative.'

-- Sue Bond, Review, Bookseller and Publisher Magazine, July 2009

About this Title

My mother had just turned ten in mid-1933 when a young woman approached her as they were both leaving Mass at St Joan of Arc's in Brighton . . . The woman was an artist . . . and she would like to paint her portrait . . .

After her mother's death in 2005, Anne Summers inherits a portrait of her mother as a child. Mesmerised by this image, she finds herself drawn into the story of how the portrait was painted and eventually found its way into her family. She soon learns the artist painted another portrait of her mother; this time as the Madonna.

In a gripping narrative that is part art history, part detective story and part meditation on the relations between mothers and daughters, Anne's search for the Madonna painting and the mysterious Russian émigré collector who bought both paintings takes her down unexpected paths. Her search soon turns into a parallel quest to rescue Constance Stokes, the artist, from obscurity, and to learn why the collector suddenly abandoned the paintings. Along the way Anne finds she must face the truth of the relationship she had with her mother.

In turn hypnotic and moving, The Lost Mother is a powerful exploration of art, loss and love.

About the Author

Anne Summers is the author of Damned Whores and God's Police, Gamble for Power, Ducks on the Pond and The End of Equality, among other books. She has edited the landmark American feminist magazine Ms. and Good Weekend as well as writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review and numerous other publications. She has been an advisor to prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, chaired the Board of Greenpeace International and been Deputy President of Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. She lives in Sydney. Her website is www.annesummers.com.au

978-0-522-85635-4