Portrait of a Man

Portrait of a Man is the soul-searching and heart-warming sequel to The Cornish Knot. Set in Dunedin, Invercargill and Auckland, New Zealand. An Italian artist, a Cornish knot and a Māori koru lead to a shocking exposé. As World War One escalates, can he keep his secrets safe? The gripping multigenerational tale of lies, lost chances and misplaced love. Will the secrets of the past destroy an artist’s legacy? Matteo Borgoni is a desperate man. He must succeed if he is to free his beloved wife, held captive by her father in Melbourne. His picture-framing skills establish him with the artists of Dunedin in 1863, but he has many doubts, and many more obstacles to overcome. In 1913, Tommaso, proprietor of the Invercargill branch of Borgoni Picture Framers, befriends a rakish Italian portrait artist on the run from his past. As the ravages of World War One escalate, fear is constant but compassion brings unexpected consequences. A terrifying pandemic is the last thing they need. Over a century later, a man recognises a portrait in an Auckland gallery and demands it back. Amid another global pandemic, a marriage on the brink of failure, and a life-and-death struggle, the portrait exposes generations of family secrets and deceptions with life-changing results. Portrait of a Man is told over three timelines through the eyes of different generations.