Ostraca - by Isabell Serafin Krause (Paperback)

About the Book

When acclaimed photographer Sophie Rowe dies under mysterious circumstances, her closest friend, artist Mathéo Lee, sifts through her journal entries, letters, and emails, unraveling the tangled story of her life, love, and final days.

Book Synopsis

"I continue to think about this story days after I read it... rich and wonderful." Marcy Dermansky, author of Hot Air

Photographer Sophie Rowe dies in the year 2010, mysteriously and after a long term affair. But long before the affair, what were the events of Sophie's life that led to a relationship, which culminated in her demise - and who should be held responsible for her death?

Through the eyes of Sophie's closest friend, acclaimed painter Mathéo Lee, the reader embarks on a deeply emotional journey. As Mathéo delves into Sophie's personal journal entries, letters, and emails exchanged over the years, the story unfolds-revealing the triumphs and heartaches of two artists seeking freedom across continents: Africa, Asia, the US, and Europe. Their correspondence is filled with passionate accounts of their shared creative and emotional struggles, highlighting both the beauty and fragility of their bond.

Influenced by the poetic works of French writer Marguerite Duras and the epistolary fiction of Natalia Ginzburg, Isabell Serafin Krause weaves a narrative rich in introspection, blending her own life experiences and memoir with short fiction. Ostraca explores profound themes of love, loss, emotional vulnerability, and the delicate strength found in lasting friendship.

This is a book about re-membering not just the past, but the complexities of the human heart. Ostraca is a must-read for anyone captivated by stories of deep emotional connection and the haunting beauty of memory.

Review Quotes

"Luminous. Beautifully unmoored." David Rocklin, author of The Night Language and The Luminist

"A collection of shifting, heartfelt vignettes." Douglas A. Martin, author of Outline of My Lover and Branwell: A Novel of the Brönte Brother

"Poetic, lyrical." Billy MacKinnon, script editor of the film The Piano and former producer for Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jane Campion

"MARVELOUS. Seldom have I read a text that captured me as much as Isabell Serafin's novel. The last book I can remember being so similarly fascinating was John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Beate Wedekind, former editor of German ELLE

"I continue to think about this story days after I read it, the heart of the book is so strong, the characters and settings so vivid. . .rich and wonderful." Marcy Dermansky, author of Hot Air and The Red Car

"Having been given the privilege of reading most of the stories in Ostraca prior to its official release was such an unforgettable experience. Beautifully crafted stories in intriguing prose... Ms. Serafin's exquisite presence in these pages exudes magic. She does not disappoint." David Claessen, cinematographer, film producer, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and The Rosa Parks Story