The Fortunate Ones: A Novel

It is 1939 in Vienna, and as the specter of war darkens Europe, Rose Zimmer's parents are desperate. Unable to get out of Austria, they manage to secure passage for their young daughter on a kindertransport, and send her to live with strangers in England.When the war finally ends, Rose attempts to build a life for herself alone in London. Grief-stricken, she cannot help but search for one piece of her childhood: the Chaim Soutine painting her mother had cherished.Many years later, the painting finds its way to America. In modern-day Los Angeles, Lizzie Goldstein also carries a burden of guilt that cannot be displaced. Years ago, the Soutine painting was stolen from her childhood home, on an evening in which Lizzie's actions had unexpected but far-reaching consequences.This painting will bring Lizzie and Rose together and ignite an unexpected friendship, eventually revealing long-held secrets and painful truths. Spanning decades and unfolding in crystalline, atmospheric prose, The Fortunate Ones is a haunting story of longing, devastation, and forgiveness, and a deep examination of the bonds and desires that map our private histories.