Much of the novel centres around the heroine’s development as an artist and botanical illustrator. I was lucky enough to receive expert advice and a watercolour lesson from Cape Town artist Christine Thomas, who also introduced me to the possibility of charcoal as a medium. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town and the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden in Worcester provided living examples of the flora that Frances painted, while the Royal Horticultural Society’s Lindley Library Digital Collections allowed me to view the work of professional artists over the years. Heather Thomas, no relation to Christine, offered valuable creative direction in the development of the cover.
As ever, I’m indebted to my family for their support throughout the research and writing of this novel. None of this would have been possible without their enthusiasm and encouragement.
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About the Author
Barbara Mutch was born and brought up in South Africa. Before embarking on a writing career, she launched and managed a number of businesses both in South Africa and the UK. For most of the year the family lives in Surrey but spends time wherever possible at their home in Cape Town.
barbaramutch.com
By Barbara Mutch
The Girl from Simon’s Bay
The Fire Portrait
Copyright
Allison & Busby Limited
11 Wardour Mews
London W1F 8AN
allisonandbusby.com
This ebook edition published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby in 2021.
Copyright © 2021 by Barbara Mutch UK Ltd
The moral right of the author is hereby asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978–0–7490–2674–5
The Fire Portrait Page 32
