The Sunday Timeshas reviewed Victoria Redel’s novel, I Am You, and selected it as their Pick of the Month. They wrote:
“Gerta Pieters, the narrator of this compelling tale, enters the service of the van Oosterwiijck family in 1653 at the age of eight, disguised as a boy. Maria, the daughter of the house and a few years older than Gerta, sees through the masquerade, yet the two form a close bond. When Maria travels to Amsterdam, where she hopes to make her mark as a female painter, Gerta accompanies her as her maid. Together they fight for the recognition of Maria’s gifts as a still-life artist at a time when women cannot become members of the city’s Painters’ Guild. The two become secret lovers, and Gerta trains herself to become a skilled painter in her own right. However, as Maria’s fame grows, tensions and jealousies arise that threaten to undermine their relationship and to reveal what is better kept hidden. Victoria Redel’s fourth novel is not only a vivid evocation of 17th-century Amsterdam but also a powerful exploration of the nature of female creativity.“
I Am Youby Victoria Redel is the debut novel from Firefinch Books and is available now.
Kate Parkin and Margaret Stead of Firefinch are delighted to announce the acquisition of world rights all languages in a new novel by Heather Morris – author of the global phenomenon, The Tattooist of Auschwitz trilogy.
In 1942, the Nazis came for a Jewish family living in Montparnasse, occupied Paris. In the chaos, the eleven-year-old daughter ran to the only person she could trust, her piano teacher, Andrée Levallois, secretly a French Resistance operative. Andrée took her in, risking everything. But the authorities were closing in, and soon Andrée and the girl were caught in a desperate race to stay alive. Andrée was denounced, arrested, tortured and sent to the hell of Ravensbrück Women’s Concentration Camp. There, she fought for her life, determined to return and honour her promise to save the girl who had been entrusted to her care. Epic in scope, and based on true life people and events, Heather Morris has written a story of breathtaking beauty, at once gripping, heartbreaking and uplifting.
Credit Tina Smigielski
Heather Morris was born in New Zealand. Her life changed in 2003 when she met Lale Sokolov. His story formed the basis of his first novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and its follow up Cilka’s Journey. Her third novel, Three Sisters, concluded the trilogy. Heather’s books have sold over 19 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 50 languages.
Kate Parkin said ‘Once again, Heather Morris has uncovered a story of extraordinary bravery. The powerful bond between Andrée Levallois and the child she sheltered resonates down the generations as a symbol of the best of humanity in the worst of times. I defy anyone to read this and not be moved. We are honoured to be able to publish it.’
Margaret Stead said ‘Working with Heather has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. She is a wonderful writer – collaborative, creative, empathetic. The stories seem magically to find her, and this new novel is utterly spellbinding and, once again, based on real people and events. Kate and I are so lucky that Heather has decided to join the Firefinch team, and we can’t wait to share The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse with her readers across the world.’
Heather Morris said ‘I am delighted to be joining the team at Firefinch Publishing, a team I have worked with in the past, a team who contributed so much to the success of my novels. Going forward, together, we will continue to bring stories of hope, resilience, love, and incredible courage of ordinary people who lived during extraordinary times.’
The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse by Heather Morris will be published by Firefinch in autumn 2026
