A 2025 Michigan Notable Book

“Bartels perfectly meshes the stories of two women, both artists, living half a world and nearly a century-and-a-half apart. . . . Bartels’ settings and historical details are unusual and compelling; the dual time lines work perfectly, and this well-researched historical tale has the pacing of a thriller.”—Booklist starred review

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A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlives him.
A forgotten woman whose fate is forever tied to his.
And the family whose history is still being written.

Toulouse, France—1879
Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists’ pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella’s sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen.

East Lansing, Michigan—Present Day
Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella’s greatest work—a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.

This dual-timeline story takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one’s dreams.

To read the first chapter, click here.

Hear more about the book and the process of writing it on The Poisoned Pen Podcast.

Catch me over on the Bookish Flights podcast talking about art, writing dual timeline fiction, honoring the story you’re writing, and more.

I also had a great discussion about rediscovering women artists of the past with Alison of Historical Fiction: Unpacked.

I spoke with my friend Kristi Leonard on the Author Express podcast about a wide variety of subjects in just fifteen minutes, including Michigan, what I wish I knew when I was twenty, how I come up with ideas for my novels, and my artistic pursuits.

Watch my interview with Kristie Reynolds of Michigan Notable Books about The Lady with the Dark Hair:

Now available from your local independent bookstore or these online sources:

Baker Book House
Schuler Books
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Books-a-Million
ChristianBook.com