The Friday Night Club - by Sofia Lundberg & Alyson Richman & M J Rose (Paperback)

About the Book

"While men have long been credited with producing the first abstract paintings, the true creator was actually a woman - Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, who was inspired by her mystic visions. Acclaimed authors Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and M.J. Rose bring her story to life in this groundbreaking novel. Early 1900s: The world belongs to men, and the art world in Stockholm, Sweden, is no different, until Hilma af Klint brings together a mysterious group of female painters and writers-Anna, Cornelia, Sigrid, and Mathilda-to form their own emotional and artistic support system. The members of the Friday Night Club find themselves thrust into uncharted territory when Hilma and her best friend, Anna, begin dabbling in the occult, believing that through sâeances they can channel unseen spirits to help them achieve their potential as artists. "The Five," as Hilma referred to them, was a group of immensely talented, fascinating women whose lives and work were cast into obscurity...until now. The Present: Over a century later, an associate curator at the Guggenheim Museum, Eben Elliot, brings the Hilma af Klint show to New York where he uncovers questions about the Five and how the modern day art world is funded, which puts him in a precarious position both emotionally and professionally, as he witnesses how history can be manipulated. The Friday Night Club is an illuminating historical novel that explores destiny, passion, and the threads that connect five women as they challenge artistic and societal traditions"--

Book Synopsis

An International Bestseller

While men have long been credited with producing the first abstract paintings, the true creator was actually a woman - Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, who was inspired by her mystic visions. Acclaimed authors Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and M.J. Rose bring her story to life in this groundbreaking novel.

Early 1900s: The world belongs to men, and the art world in Stockholm, Sweden, is no different, until Hilma af Klint brings together a mysterious group of female painters and writers--Anna, Cornelia, Sigrid, and Mathilda--to form their own emotional and artistic support system. The members of the Friday Night Club find themselves thrust into uncharted territory when Hilma and her best friend, Anna, begin dabbling in the occult, believing that through séances they can channel unseen spirits to help them achieve their potential as artists. "The Five," as Hilma referred to them, was a group of immensely talented, fascinating women whose lives and work were cast into obscurity...until now.

The Present: Over a century later, an associate curator at the Guggenheim Museum, Eben Elliot, brings the Hilma af Klint show to New York where he uncovers questions about the Five and how the modern day art world is funded, which puts him in a precarious position both emotionally and professionally, as he witnesses how history can be manipulated.

The Friday Night Club is an illuminating historical novel that explores destiny, passion, and the threads that connect five women as they challenge artistic and societal traditions.

Review Quotes

"In their important novel, The Friday Night Club, co-authors Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and M.J. Rose have unearthed the captivating story of the ground-breaking Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, arguably the world's first abstract artist who may well have inspired male painters like Wassily Kandinksy who typically receive credit for pioneering abstraction. This spell-binding exploration of the life and legacy of a long-forgotten woman and the circle of gifted friends who worked alongside her is a must-read."
--Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian

"The Friday Night Club has everything I love in a novel: art, history, secrets, mysteries, friendships and love--along with a propulsive narrative. Kudos to Lundberg, Richman and Rose--and many thanks to them for bringing Hilma af Klint to life and giving her the attention her art deserves."
--B.A. Shapiro, New York Times bestseller of Metropolis and The Art Forger

"[A]bsorbing and unique historical fiction... Highly recommended, and don't fail to google images of Hilma's art as you read."
--Historical Novels Review

"[A] bracing novel of female empowerment... Using lively dialogue and an engaging narrative voice, authors Lundberg, Richman, and Rose paint an intriguing and feminist-centric portrayal of af Klint and her circle, women who were ahead of their time and unafraid to channel the voices of spirits they believed were guiding af Klint's work. A lively and illuminating reimagining of an artist whose name we shouldn't forget."
--Kirkus

"A fascinating look at the process behind af Klint's pioneering vision of abstract art... A great choice for discussion that will inspire a deeper look at marginalized women artists."
--Library Journal

About the Author

Sofia Lundberg is a journalist and former magazine editor. Lundberg is the shining new star of heartwarming--and heart-wrenching--Scandinavian fiction. She lives in Stockholm with her son.

Alyson Richman is a USA Today and #1 international bestselling author. She is an accomplished painter and her novels combine her deep loves of art, historical research, and travel. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two children.

M.J. Rose is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in New York City exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park.