This novel traces Roger Betton, a man raised among beauty and books, who seeks something more than a cultivated life in the arts. Moving from his family’s Halcyon estate to New York studios and a refined, art-centered circle, he confronts the pull between inner vision and the world outside. Across lovers, friends, and a changing sense of self, the story follows how art, memory, and longing shape a life.

Roger’s world is rich with music, painting, and the tension between devotion to beauty and the demand to live. It threads through his early sense of self, his mother Elizabeth, a mentor-like figure whose own secrets push him toward new horizons—first in Europe, then in Tokyo and beyond. The narrative moves through places where art reigns and where life presses in, from bustling cities to quiet country scenes, marked by the rhythms of painting, travel, and personal upheaval. The book invites readers to imagine how a single artist’s quest might redefine what it means to be alive.

A portrait of a gifted, self-reflective artist who weighs art against everyday life.
A journey through shifting homes and cultures, from America to Europe to Asia.
Complex relationships that reveal the pull between beauty, memory, and desire.
Vivid scenes of studios, gardens, and landscapes that anchor the mood of the novel.

Ideal for readers who enjoy literary fiction about art, identity, and the search for meaning beyond craft.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

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We first started out as ?The Paperback Exchange,? a chain of physical bookstores where we would part exchange your beloved books for new stories to transport you to faraway places. However, as shopping started to evolve to online shops and marketplaces, we bid our stores goodbye to become ?PBShop.? This transition has only allowed us to blossom as we now ship thousands of titles to book lovers across the globe. We pride ourselves in being a community of local book lovers which allows our passion and devotion to shine in everything we do. In 2020 we not only celebrated our 20th birthday but our 1st birthday as being completely employee owned after becoming an E.O.T in September 2019. We are proud to be different and embrace standing apart on a book mountain by working from a virtual inventory which allows us to provide thousands of books that may be difficult to get for your bookshelf or your studies. Working with a number of different suppliers allows us to explore other avenues such as puzzles, sheet music and even stationery so we really do have something for everyone. Life is about being versatile in all realms of existence. If this is your first visit or you are a returning customer, we would like to welcome you to the PBShop family, for there is no friend as loyal as a book. We are a company who put our customers at the centre of everything we do as we understand the importance of reading because once you learn to read, you will forever be free. There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that we are yet to explore, which is why we will forever inspire curious minds.

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