I am you: A sensuous and vivid story of love, art and identity for fans of The Artist - Softcover

Redel, Victoria

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1918107076 ISBN 13: 9781918107074

Publisher: Firefinch, 2026

Synopsis

At eight years old, Gerta Pieters is forced to disguise herself as a boy and sent to work for a genteel family. When their brilliant and beautiful daughter Maria sees through Gerta's ruse, she insists 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, lover. But as Gerta steps into her own talents, their relationship fractures into a complex web of obsession and rivalry, until the secrets they keep threaten to unravel everything.

About this title

About the Author

Victoria Redel has written four books of poetry, most recently Paradise; her last novel, Before Everything, was published in 2017. Her short stories, poetry and essays have appeared in Granto, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Bomb, One Story, Salmagundi, 0, and NOON among many others. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Fine Arts Work Center. She is a professor in the graduate and undergraduate creative writing programs at Sarah Lawrence College and lives in New York City.

From the Back Cover

At eight years old, Gerta Pieters is forced to disguise herself as a boy and sent to work for a genteel family. When their brilliant and beautiful daughter Maria sees through Gerta's ruse, she insists 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, lover. But as Gerta steps into her own talents, their relationship fractures into a complex web of obsession and rivalry, until the secrets they keep threaten to unravel everything.

Edition details

• Publisher: Firefinch
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1918107076
• ISBN 13: 9781918107074
• Binding: Tapa blanda
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1