The Lost Wife

Josef Kohn is a successful New York obstetrician who still dreams of his first wife, Lenka, an art student he left behind in Czechoslovakia while fleeing the Nazis.

Lenka, who he believes died during the war, continues to haunt his dreams, while his second wife, Amalia, remains more of a ghost to him than is Lenka. As we follow Lenka’s journey to the ghetto of Terezin, where she is forced to draft technical drawings for the Germans and is a witness to the secret paintings of an underground group of artists involved in their own form of resistance against their captors, we see not only the endurance of the human spirit, but also of the artist, whose desire to create and document, cannot be extinguished.

From the glamourous ease of pre-War Prague, to the ensuing horror of Nazi Europe, we witness both the dawning of Lenka’s and Josef’s love affair to its tragic unravelling. Each character must forge their own path for survival and each must struggle to adapt to post-war America, while their secrets, their past, and the ghost of their first marriage, are known only to them.

The Lost Wife is a story that explores the depth — the power — of first love, the resilience of the human spirit, and our capacity to remember.

The Last Van Gogh

The Last Van Gogh recreates the impassioned final months of Vincent Van Gogh’s life and the tragic relationship with his final muse. Both a love story and a meticulously researched historical novel, The Last Van Gogh explores the complexities between patient and doctor, painter and muse.

“The Last Van Gogh” is a balanced symphony…Richman’s style is gentle and sober. With clear, undulating prose, that is both reminiscent of the quiet village [of Auvers] and the oppressive environment of Marguerite Gachet’s home, it is as evocative as one of Van Gogh’s paintings. Richman proves she can travel through time to recreate the past.” —Andy Arnts, En Route Magazine

The Rhythm Of Memory

Weaving together two stories of political exile, The Rhythm Of Memory is a sweeping saga that explores the lives of two couples whose fate and love for each other is irrevocably changed against the landscape of war and political upheaval.

“An engrossing examination of the prisons people create for themselves and the way they accustom themselves to suffering until liberation seems as painful as captivity. This is an ambitious exploration of political and personal struggles.” Publishers Weekly

“A heart-wrenching story of loss and love in the lives of people affected by war and political upheaval..” Library Journal

“Places an Ayn Rand lens on societal ethics against personal loyalty and safety…deep, thought-provoking philosophical questions on the needs of an individual and a family against the demands of deadly leadership and a nation.” Midwest Book Review

The Mask Carver’s Son

Set against the backdrop of Meiji Period Japan, this heartbreaking, beautifully written novel tells the story of a young Japanese artist who against his father’s wishes travels to Paris to study painting with the Impressionists. The Mask Carver’s Son is both the story of an artist’s journey and the story of a father and son — two men of artistic genius whose cannot reconcile their opposing passions.

“…In her first novel, Alyson Richman offers a meticulous profile of a man struggling against his native culture, his family and his own sense of responsibility. Her knowledge of Japanese political and artistic history is evident, adding nuance and depth to Kiyoki’s sad story of rebellion.” — The New York Times Book Review

“Spanning more than a hundred years, Alyson Richman’s debut novel, The Mask Carver’s Son is an ambitious tale of three generations of a Japanese family…..Richman’s novel naturally recalls Arthur Golden’s “Memoirs of a Geisha”…Like Golden, Richman has lived in and studied Japan, and her sense of Japanese culture is subtle and nuanced.” — The San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle Book Review