The Flames
A gripping historical novel set in 1900s Vienna, featuring four fiery women
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Published:27th Apr '23
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£16.99(9780857527622)
'Fascinating & compelling. I loved all four women' ELODIE HARPER, author of THE WOLF DEN
'MAGNIFICENT...It's simply too good' KATIE LOWE, author of THE FURIES
'Utterly compelling' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of THE MERCIES
--_
Vienna, 1912. Behind every painting, there is a story...
A new century is dawning. Vienna is at its zenith, an opulent, extravagant city teeming with art, music and radical ideas. It is a place where anything seems possible...
Edith and Adele are sisters, the daughters of a wealthy bourgeois family. They are expected to follow the rules, to marry well, and produce children. Gertrude is in thrall to her flamboyant older brother. Marked by a traumatic childhood, she envies the freedom he so readily commands. Vally was born into poverty but is making her way in the world as a model for the eminent artist Gustav Klimt.
Fierce, passionate and determined, none of these women is quite what they seem. But their lives are set on a collision course when they become entangled with the controversial young artist Egon Schiele whose work - and private life - are sending shockwaves through Viennese society. All it will take is a single act of betrayal to set their world on fire...
--_
'Glorious'Guardian
'Confident...urgent...illuminating' Sunday Times
'Impressive' The Times
'Full of scandal, love, betrayal, and heartache' Cosmopolitan
'Mesmerising' Good Housekeeping
'A drama of love, loss, rivalry and betrayal. Brilliantly imagined' Saga
--
DISCOVER MADAME MATISSE - THE BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL FROM SOPHIE HAYDOCK, coming in March 2026
MAGNIFICENT. Feels destined to be a classic - exquisitely crafted and so absorbing. I loved it and REFUSE to accept it is a debut. It's simply too good. * Katie Lowe, author of The Furies *
As a feminist reworking of Schiele's story, and as an exercise in redressing historical injustice, this novel is a glorious success. Haydock ensures that these women emerge from behind Schiele's gaze, and she also uses them to illuminate a period of seismic change... an impressive and highly enjoyable debut. * GUARDIAN *
Completely convincing and utterly compelling, THE FLAMES gives vivid voice to four muses who refuse to be remembered as just that. Haydock is a writer to watch. * Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies *
Confident...urgent...illuminating: you will never again look at Schiele's vivid portraits without wondering about his subjects' lives beyond the frame. * SUNDAY TIMES *
In Sophie Haydock's impressive debut these women leap from Schiele's canvases, becoming fascinating and complex characters. * THE TIMES, 'Best historical fiction books of 2022' *
Thought provoking and illuminating and a fascinating - I so enjoyed discovering the world and the women behind works of art I adore. * Kate Sawyer, author of The Stranding *
'A reimaging of the lives of artist Egon Schiele's four female 'muses' it is both fascinating and compelling. I loved all four women...and the final scenes with Egon himself were truly extraordinary.'
* Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den *The four women who loved Schiele come back to life, combining an exquisite sense of place and era with a passion and sensuality that transcend time altogether. * Isabel Costello, author of Scent *
'I knew nothing of Egon Schiele. I'm now obsessed, and heartbroken for all four women. An unforgettable book about wanting more for ourselves than we are told we are allowed.' * Ericka Waller, author of Dog Days *
An intoxicating and evocative read full of controversy and drama. We loved it. * Woman and Home *
ISBN: 9781529176988
Dimensions: 198mm x 127mm x 27mm
Weight: 314g
464 pages