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Geertje Dircx faces jail after eight years in Rembrandt’s home. On 5 July 1650, officers arrest her near Amsterdam. They take her to a women’s house of correction in Gouda. She must serve twelve years there. Her crimes are theft, breach of contract and sexual misconduct. Geertje thinks Rembrandt caused the court to find her guilty.

She first came to his home to tend his son, Titus. When his wife, Saskia, died, she became his lover. The story centres on a woman whom history often leaves out.

Simone van der Vlugt blends facts from records with fiction. Her novel is set in the past. It takes a feminist view of Geertje’s life and her bond with Rembrandt. His art also gives readers a view of Amsterdam in the 1600s. The author draws on records from that time, long passed over. She seeks to clear Geertje’s name.

Van der Vlugt was born in Hoorn in 1966. At thirteen, she sent her first book draft to a publisher. Her first book came out in 1995. It was a novel about witches, set in the past. Since then, she has written thrillers and crime novels. She has also written more fiction about the past and books for children. Her crime books about detective Lois Elzinga inspired a TV series. Called Lois, it came out in 2018. Many of her books have come out in other languages.

Gheorghe Nicolaescu translated this edition from Dutch. It forms part of the Actual series.