Midnight Blue

Book excerpt: 1654: Following the death of her young husband, Catrin Barentsdochter takes a job as a housekeeper in Amsterdam. The city is flourishing; and as she assists her mistress with painting lessons, she dreams of developing her own skill as an artist. But when the past catches up with her, Catrin must leave behind the comfortable security of her new home for the smaller city of Delft. There she is introduced to Evert van Nulandt, owner of a pottery factory. Working together, they dream of replicating the prized blue-and-white porcelain arriving from the Far East. And Catrin dreams of a life in which her secret stays safely buried...