Author(s): Aimee Pokwatka

Sci Fi/Fantasy

For fans of David Mitchell and Joanne Harris, Aimee Pokwatka’s Self-Portrait with Nothing reminds us that living our best life sometimes means embracing the imperfect one we already have. Fraught and deeply moving…the work of a genuinely exciting new talent. –Booker Prize winner, George Saunders. If a picture paints a thousand worlds … Abandoned as an infant on the local veterinarian’s front porch, Pepper Rafferty was raised by two loving mothers, and now, at thirty-six, is married to the stable, supportive Ike. She’s never told anyone that at fifteen she discovered the identity of her biological mother. That’s because her birth mother is Ula Frost, a reclusive painter famous for the outrageous claims that her portraits summon their subjects’ doppelgangers from parallel universes. Researching the rumors, Pepper couldn’t help but wonder: Is there a parallel universe in which she is more confident, more accomplished, better able to accept love? A universe in which Ula decided she was worth keeping? A universe in which Ula’s rejection didn’t still hurt too much to share? Combining a thrilling pan-continental race against time with an authentic and touching personal drama, Self-Portrait with Nothing is an unforgettable debut that explores what it means to be part of a family.