Anne's Review

At the beginning of the 18th century many artists and scientists were recording the wonders of the natural world. Maria Merian is one of them. Her daughter Dorothea has lived her life in service to her brilliant and fated mother but she herself has never had any recognition for her input.

Maria and Dorothea both decide to go to Suriname to record the exotic plant and insect life there and ultimately ‘The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname’ becomes Marias legacy.

But what of Dorothea? When offered a chance of happiness will she have the courage to take it, at the risk of everything her mother has built? With lyricism and immaculate research this historical novel is among the best of its kind.

Publisher's Review

Another rich and sumptuously told tale based on the life of artist Dorothea Graff, from award-winning and bestselling author of The Birdman's Wife and The Bee and the Orange Tree, Melissa Ashley. Set in 1700s Amsterdam and the wilds of the South American jungle, it charts the creation of one of the most famous works by a female artist of all time: The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname.

Publishing October 10th 2023.