Discipline

Debra Spark's new novel brilliantly concerns itself with the intersection of art and relationships, the ways in which works of art live in the world as lightning rods for human passion, rage, love, and loneliness, and the ways in which this dynamic quality of art shapes the lives of people who come into intense contact with it. Discipline is one of those rare books I want to tell everyone to read immediately.

--Kate Christensen, Author of Welcome Home, Stranger

A wonderfully intricate, suspenseful--at times harrowing--and provocative novel about how a trio of eerily powerful paintings alter the lives of a host of wildly different people. Discipline is the best kind of mystery: full of surprising turns, compelling characters, and web-like connections slowly revealed over time. The meditations on art add to the vibrant complexity. Debra Spark is a terrific writer.

--Suzanne Berne, Author of The Blue Window

Paced like a mystery-thriller, Discipline is a marvel to behold: its twisty plot and richly detailed characters never take a false step in this fascinating exploration of art and trauma and what happens when the legacies of each intersect. Meticulously researched and impeccably written, this is a masterful novel written by a truly gifted artist. I was almost cheering by the end.

--Liam Callanan, Author of When in Rome

Discipline, Debra Spark's propulsive new novel, held me in its grips from page one. By weaving together three storylines, each linked to a missing masterpiece and spanning nearly a century, Spark illustrates how art connects and transforms us. An immersive, insightful exploration of wealth and poverty, husbands and wives, mothers and sons, love, lies, and loneliness, Discipline is a literary page-turner that stuns with its beauty and grace.

--Jillian Medoff, Author of When We Were Bright and Beautiful