IN SHORT: This novel of Literary Science Fiction features a woman searching for her birth mother, a reclusive artist.

REVIEW

As an infant, Pepper Rafferty was left in a dog bed on the porch of two veterinarians. The women raised her in a loving home, and now at 36, she has a satisfying career as an anthropologist who analyzes bones. She’s married to Ike, a kind and solid man.

Pepper found out as a teenager the identity of her biological mother, but she never told anyone. Her birth mother is Ula Frost, a famous (and notoriously reclusive) artist. People who had her paint their portraits have made wild claims that those paintings summon their selves from parallel universes. Even though thousands of people had written her letters begging to have her paint them, many of those who succeeded then went on to regret having done so.

Now Ula Frost is missing. She hasn’t been seen in ages, but she does check in by phone with an assistant, and he says he hasn’t heard from her in three weeks. Ula’s disappearance sets in motion a chain of events that take Pepper on a search for her.

As Pepper travels from place to place, she learns a bit at a time about the infamous portraits and the artist. The search also gives her time to contemplate her life and who she is. In another universe, would she have been raised by Ula? Would she have married Ike? Would she be more confident in her life, more forthcoming with her husband?

When she does find what she thinks she’s looking for, the story (and her expectations) go farther afield. Up until then, the plot doesn’t include much of the fantasy/science fiction element except for people’s claims. But then it does a deep dive into it, and things get strange.

Self–Portrait with Nothing is on its face, or is billed as, a (literary) science fiction book about parallel universes, which I always find fascinating. The theory can be used as the basis for all kinds of books that go in all kinds of directions. But the science angle is mostly a hook on which to hang the main character’s ruminations on her life. It’s introspective and philosophical overall, though it has elements of sci-fi and danger/thrills. It was interesting but not quite what I was expecting.

RATING

Rated: High. Profanity includes 17 uses of strong language, around 15 instances of moderate profanity, about 10 uses of mild language, and about 10 instances of the name of Deity in vain. One character studies the history of sexuality, so there are some little mentions of interesting historical sexual behaviors and tidbits like a piece of pottery that depicts ancient Greek figures in sexual positions. Violence includes one man saying he strangled someone else; a mugging; the viewing of a burned body; a woman is held hostage and a stabbing death.

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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