An entrancing tale that draws upon the turbulent history of Sephardic Jews in 17th century Europe, an elderly Rembrandt in Amsterdam, and the controversial false messiah of Smyrna. Ternar’s novel travels over time and space, spanning centuries to the present day — from Spain to Amsterdam, Istanbul, and Montreal. The central character of the novel, Samuel, is the man with his back to the viewer at the centre of a Rembrandt etching depicting a group of men conversing in front of a synagogue in Amsterdam’s ghetto. The author gives Samuel a face and chronicles his extraordinary life.
Rembrandt’s Model: A Novel
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