Portraits from Paris

“With his astonishing powers of recall, Gavin Cologne-Brookes packs the schooldays sections of Portraits from Paris with insight and accurate observation. . . . An engaging and uplifting account of a life in search of liberty.” ~Richard Beard, author of The Day That Went Missing and Sad Little Men

“Cologne-Brookes has lived a remarkable life and is a gifted storyteller. The writing thrums with energy and color and humor. . . . The whole insightful performance is embedded to a quite extraordinary degree in artistic and literary lore. Stunning.” ~Jonathan Carr, author of Make Me a City

“The brutality of school opens the reader’s heart (and eyes) to the brutality that lies behind so much of the art that Cologne-Brookes observes. . . . A powerful memoir that dramatizes a dynamic interplay between art, temporality, and the self.” ~Mimi Thebo, author of Dreaming the Bear

“A beautifully written painter’s portrait of surviving boarding school and finding validation in art. This book is a touching and evocative journey that takes in some of the world’s great artworks, described with an artist’s palette.” ~Robert Verkaik, author of Posh Boys and The Traitor of Colditz