"A propulsive, sensuous feast with one hell of a twist." --People In this "vibrant depiction of Amsterdam's golden age" (
The New York Times) two young women are bound by an intense rivalry of painting and power.
At eight years old, Gerta Pieters is forced to disguise herself as a boy and sent to work for a genteel Dutch family. When their brilliant and beautiful daughter Maria sees through Gerta's ruse, she insists that Gerta accompany her to Amsterdam and help her enter the elite, male-dominated art world.
While Maria rises in the ranks of society as a painting prodigy, Gerta makes herself invaluable in every way: confidante, muse, and collaborator. But as Gerta steps into her own talents, their relationship fractures into a complex web of obsession and rivalry--and the secrets they keep threaten to unravel everything.
A mesmerizing historical novel,
I Am You is a meditation on gender, an ode to artistic creation, and an unexpected friendship that reimagines the life of renowned painter Maria van Oosterwijck during the Dutch Golden Age.
"A stunning accomplishment." --Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Day and
The Hours
