In a stunning work of feminist historical fiction for readers who loved Dawn Tripp’s Georgia and Whitney Scharer’s The Age of Light, Jude Berman brings painter Angelica Kauffman to life.
Accused of dressing as a boy to study in the prestigious galleries of eighteenth-century Italy, child prodigy Angelica Kauffman has set high goals for herself. She is determined to become a history painter, a career off-limits to women. To ensure her success, she has vowed never to marry.
When a new patron invites her to London, Angelica befriends famous artists, paints portraits of Queen Charlotte and other royalty, and becomes a founding member of the Royal Academy. While still in London, an alluring but mysterious Swedish count makes her an offer that may be too tempting to resist. Then, upon returning to Italy, she meets Wolfgang von Goethe.
Time and time again, Angelica faces the insurmountable obstacles and great personal sacrifices that come with being an independent woman. The vows she makes, big and small, are repeatedly challenged. Will she break free from the traditional male/female binary and the many oppressive social dictates of her time and learn to “paint with her soul” . . . or is a vow of a different sort necessary if she is to answer the deepest call of her heart?
2025 PenCraft Summer Book Awards Winner in Historical Fiction
2025 International Book Awards Winner in Fiction: Literary
A Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of 2024
“Intense and refreshing. A compelling story about life and art with vivid characters and an engaging setting.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED
“Berman strikes a balance that few other writers can quite as successfully match. . . . [her] narrative style is impressively fluid, skillfully balancing suspense and drama in just the right amounts to entice the reader into this beautifully written novel. The Vow is a must-read for all readers looking for an inspiring story of succeeding against the odds.”—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
“Berman’s story juggles social expectation, romance, and artistic drive in a manner that invites women to think about the impetus for independence and creation in their own lives.”—Midwest Book Review
"Berman’s background in art comes shining through in lyrical descriptions of Angelica’s creative process and her use of color and composition. An illuminating picture of the 18th-century art world and the role of women also emerges."—Historical Novels Review
“Jude Berman has created a spirited, engaging glimpse into the life of one of the most important artists of the eighteenth century. Kauffman was a true free spirit, dedicated to her art, and that is captured beautifully in this novel.”—Susanne Dunlap, author of The Portraitist: A Novel of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard
