Two lovers who have travelled across time.A team of scientists at the cutting edge of memory research.A miracle drug that unlocks an ancient mystery.At once a sweeping love story and a time-travelling adventure, Gwendolyn Womacks luminous debut novel, The Memory Painter, is perfect for readers of The Time Travelers Wife, Life After Life and Winters TaleBryan Pierce is an internationally famous artist whose paintings have dazzled the world. But theres a secret to Bryans success: every canvas is inspired by an unusually vivid dream. When Bryan awakes, he possesses extraordinary new skills . like the ability to speak obscure languages, or an inexplicable genius for chess. All his life, he has wondered if his dreams are recollectionsif he is re-experiencing other peoples lives.
Linz Jacobs is a brilliant neurogeneticist, absorbed in decoding genes that help the brain make memoriesuntil she is confronted with an uncanny rendering of a recurring nightmare at one of Bryans shows. She tracks down the elusive artist, and their meeting triggers Bryans most powerful dream yet: visions of a team of scientists who, on the verge of discovering a cure for Alzheimers, died in a lab explosion decades ago.As Bryan becomes obsessed with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the scientists deaths, his dreams begin to reveal what happened at the lab, as well as a deeper mystery that may lead all the way back to ancient Egypt. As Bryan and Linz follow the trail, they slip through a kaleidoscope of livesfrom imperial Russia, to feudal Japan, to Newfoundland and aboriginal Australia. A pattern emerges: a great love, a great enemy, and the prospect of a powerful, ancient truth buried deep in the past. But the deadly foe is watching their every move, and he will stop at nothing to ensure that the past stays buried.The Memory Painterlike Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inceptionis at once a taut thriller and a deeply original love story that transcends time and space, spanning six continents and 10,000 years of history.A sweeping, mesmerizing feat of absolute magic.
A complex and utterly riveting novel that leaves you with feelings of awe and wonder. A star is born! M.J. ROSE, NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWSLayers of past and present form a rich pastry of a narrativepoignant and thoughtful, rich and suspenseful, filled with intrigue and dripping with meaning. Womacks meditation on the beautiful mystery of memory is a riveting read from cover to cover, leaving us with the breathless realization that while grief may be eternal, so is love. CHARLIE LOVETT, NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE BOOKMAN'S TALE AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS.