In Broken Colors, Michele Zackheim has written a rich, wonderfully engaging story of a remarkable woman whose long, eventful life takes her to the place where life and art intersect.

Born in England during the First World War, Sophie Marks has never known her mother or father. Her bohemian grandparents introduce her to the world of art—but her studies in London teach her that creativity alone cannot sustain a rewarding life.

After the Second World War sows its desperation and unimaginable loss, Sophie flees to Paris where a new life awaits. As her painting blossoms, a possibility for happiness appears in the form of Luca Bondi, a talented Italian sculptor. But when their relationship begins to crumble after years of artistic and romantic fulfillment, she realizes she must once again take flight and invent a new destiny for herself.

In a journey that takes Sophie to the American Southwest, critical acclaim and retrospectives in leading museums elevate her stature over the next two decades. She does not realize how isolated she has become, how far she has drifted from that magical intersection until she is visited by someone from her former life seeking comfort and direction. With this person’s help she decides to return to Europe, to confront the hidden memories of her childhood in England and to test the possibilities of renewed love, a passion ripened by maturity. A brilliantly realized saga of a woman in full, Broken Colors is a generously hearted novel, by turns comic, deeply affecting, and wise.

Michele Zackheim
Michele Zackheim worked as a visual artist before turning to writing. Her work has shown in numerous museums and galleries. She is also the author of Einstein’s Daughter and Violette’s Embrace. She lives with her husband in New York.