Paris, 1860s. For Mimi Bisset, survival is everything on the streets of Paris. She tries to forget the pain of losing her daughter Colette, who was born out of wedlock and forcibly given away to a rich family. But Mimiâs world turns upside down after a chance encounter with handsome artist Ădouard Manet. Boldly posing for portraits on Manetâs chaise longue, Mimi feels a wild freedomâand as Manet teaches her how to layer the vivid paints on canvas herself, a passion grows between them that breaks all the rules⌠At Manetâs side, Mimi gets caught up in his world. They dance all night at Parisâs new can-can clubs and drink absinthe at masked balls. But one day, strolling by the Seine on her loverâs arm, Mimi catches a glimpse of familiar green eyesâŚitâs Colette, with a family who Manet knew all along. Although sheâs reeling that the man she loved kept such a secret from her, Mimi is filled with hope sheâll finally get her daughter back. But when a terrible rumor begins to circulate about Mimi, the only place she has to go is back to the slums. Destitute, hungry and alone, can Mimi clear her name? Or will her heart shatter all over again when she loses her daughter for a second, final time? Fans of Marie Benedict and Chocolat and anyone who dreams of springtime in Paris will adore this utterly captivating novel inspired by true stories of a group of radical painters who changed the art world foreverâand the forgotten women who were their muses.