The Fire Portrait

Written by Barbara Mutch

Narrated by Joanna Bending

When Englishwoman Frances McDonald sets up home in a remote South African hamlet, she is regarded with suspicion by the community. Confined by a marriage of convenience, she seeks an outlet by learning the local language and exhibiting her paintings. Soon war threatens to divide not only the country but the town itself and scupper Frances' hard-won acceptance. While her husband leaves to fight, Frances chances to meet a former love. The bright joy of that unexpected reunion is clouded by a day that will change her life. Out of the smoke and ash of a shocking fire, she is propelled on a journey that will take her from the arid veld to the bright lights of London and beyond.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soundings
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781407997155

Barbara Mutch

BARBARA MUTCH was born and raised in South Africa, the granddaughter of Irish immigrants. She is married with two sons and divides her time between Cape Town and London. THE HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER is her first novel.

Reviews for The Fire Portrait

[Pam Klette · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Frances Whittington is passionate about drawing and art from an early age and at 19 is sent to an aunt in Cape Town after the 1929 crash when her father looses his fortune. I felt uplifted and inspired by descriptions of the landscape, the flowers and the creatures, Frances’ insights into people and herself. Her determination to be an artist and true to herself are central to the novel. A gritty South African story to touch the heart, to inspire and look back at the turning tides of the early 20C. I loved the story!