About the Book
Set in New York City in alternating time periods--the 1950s and the early 2000s--Pollock's Last Lover is the engrossing tale of two women whose lives collide as they contend with the art and legacy of the brilliant, tragic painter Jackson Pollock.
In 2006, Sotheby's sells a painting by Jackson Pollock for $140 million--the highest sum ever paid for a work of art. Two weeks later, an older woman named Ruth Kligman, in high heels and a dusty fascinator, contacts a smaller, less prominent auction house to announce that she was Pollock's lover, and that he gave her his last painting. She declares that it was selfish to keep it in her apartment for fifty years, and that people should see this masterpiece in galleries and museums the world over. The bidding will start at $50 million.
Gwen, an up-and-coming associate at the firm, is assigned the task of verifying the painting's authenticity. For Gwen, an ambitious woman in a field often dominated by men, it is her biggest project yet. And the company must have absolute certainty. Yet each step of the investigation raises larger questions--about Ruth's cunning climb in the art world, and even about what caused Pollock's sudden and violent death.
What follows, in alternating chapters and time periods, is a multigenerational portrait of women's ambition set against the life and work of Jackson Pollock. From smoky Greenwich Village dive bars to glitzy art auctions, from the empty studio of a man once known for his artistic stamina to the fine museums where his works hang, Ruth's controversial painting provides a window into two eras--and the ongoing struggle of women to develop power and freedom on their own terms.
About the Author :
Stephen P. Kiernan is the author of the novels The Curiosity, The Hummingbird, The Baker's Secret, Universe of Two, and The Glass Chateau. A graduate of Middlebury College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, he spent more than twenty years as a journalist, winning many awards before turning to fiction writing. He has also worked nationwide on improving end-of-life medical care through greater use of hospice. Kiernan lives in Vermont.
Review :
"Intoxicating. Kiernan's latest explores the theme of obsession - in work, in art, and in love - as well as offering a behind-the-scenes peek into the mysterious world of art valuation. He brings Jackson Pollock and Ruth Kligman vividly to life while never letting them off the hook completely, and the result is a spellbinding read that I just couldn't put down." - Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
"Throws you headfirst into the life of Jackson Pollock and the rollicking art world of 1950s New York. Fabulous talents abound, including Willem deKooning and Lee Krasner, as we take part in Jackson's struggles with the mental illness that both feeds his artistic genius and destroys his life. Told in two timelines, this exploration of love, loss and creativity is also a fast-paced page turner about whose truth is the actual truth -- and whether, in the end, it matters. Could not put it down." - B.A. Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Masterpiece and The Art Forger
"A bittersweet story of beauty...Kiernan has written a lovely, moving elegy for those who were lost, and resilient survivors who long for redemption." - Minneapolis Star Tribune on THE GLASS CHÂTEAU
"Rarely does historical fiction get everything so right as Universe of Two: compelling characters, faithful detail, a story packed with unexpected twists, and a sure, authentic voice that never wavers. In this novel of the dawn of the atomic age and its profound consequences, Stephen Kiernan leads us along a journey of conscience as complex and infinite as the science itself." - Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Our Woman in Moscow on UNIVERSE OF TWO
"Nothing is more audacious or more inspiring than the human spirit, as we well see Stephen Kiernan's luminous new novel, The Baker's Secret. With painterly precision and great heart, Kiernan gives us an intimate view of a small French village forced to endure the soul-stifling humiliations of German occupation, and Emma, the young baker and consummate survivor whose boldness and ingenuity help keep her village alive as they pray the Allies will make good on their promise of rescue. Emma is an unforgettable heroine, and Kiernan's novel will have you weeping, and then cheering. A tale beautifully, wisely, and masterfully told." - Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun on THE BAKER'S SECRET
"Like a good movie focusing on a momentous occasion -- in this case, D-Day, June 6, 1944 -- Stephen P. Kiernan's novel The Baker's Secret makes the moment personal, particular, and vivid. Almost crushed by Nazi occupation, the inhabitants of a French village have no way of knowing that liberation is imminent or of its monumental cost in American and British lives. Thematically, this novel transcends even a critical moment in history to suggest the inescapable human condition of ignorance of the future, and the absolute necessity of hope, courage, and unselfish sacrifice." - Sena Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife on THE BAKER'S SECRET
"Stephen Kiernan's The Curiosity is a true page-turner, mixing cutting edge science with an all-too-human love story, while simultaneously taking on the Big Questions. What is the true measure of a human life? Where does the line fall between legitimate science and playing God? If death could be undone, what would it mean to live? I'm green with envy for this writer's bold imagination. It's one of the most assured debuts in years, a book that will stop your heart and start it again." - Justin Cronin, bestselling author of The Passage on THE CURIOSITY
