Thunderclap

This text is in English. Here is the revised description: Nominated for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2024 and the prestigious winner of the Writers' Prize for Non-Fiction in the same year, this memoir pairs striking illustrations with a deeply personal narrative. It delves into the world of art, exploring the relationship between a father and daughter and the profound connections that can arise from a shared appreciation for a painting. Acclaimed individuals such as Edmund de Waal, Nina Stibbe, and India Knight have praised it as brilliant, captivating, and extraordinary. The book starts with the tragic event of October 12, 1654, when a gunpowder explosion shattered the tranquility of Delft, claiming the life of Carel Fabritius at the young age of thirty-two. His legacy, however, endured through his enigmatic work, The Goldfinch. "Thunderclap" intricately weaves together Fabritius's story before and after this calamity, alongside the lives of Laura Cumming, her artist father, and significant figures from the Dutch Golden Age of painting. Readers journey through time and place, from the 17th-century Dutch cityscape of Delft to the rugged beauty of 20th-century Scottish islands, passing through the storied studios of Rembrandt and into the realms of wartime America and modern-day London. This narrative uncovers the imaginative resonance a piece of art can hold, how it can profoundly influence one's life and mindset in an instant. Described by the Daily Telegraph as a masterpiece that opens one's eyes anew and by the Sunday Times as nearly sublime in its emotion and aesthetic charm, this book promises a rich and transformative reading experience.