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Sep 9, 2015

The memory painter - Gwendolyn Womack

The memory painter - Womack, Gwendolyn

Summary: Bryan Pierce is an internationally famous artist whose paintings have dazzled the world. But there's a secret to his success: every canvas is inspired by an unusually vivid dream. When Bryan awakes, he possesses extraordinary new skills--like the ability to speak obscure languages and an inexplicable genius for chess. All his life, he's wondered if his dreams are recollections--if he's re-experiencing other people's lives. Linz Jacobs is a neurogeneticist, absorbed in decoding the genes that help the brain make memories, until she's confronted with an exact rendering of a recurring nightmare at one of Bryan's shows. She tracks down the elusive artist, and their meeting triggers Bryan's most powerful dream yet: visions of a team of scientists who, on the verge of discovering a cure for Alzheimer's, died in a lab explosion decades ago.

Booklist Reviews
When neurogeneticist Linz Jacobs spots a painting depicting a scene from her lifelong recurring nightmare, she unknowingly awakens danger hidden in her past. Bryan Pierce, the enigmatic artist who created the painting, reveals that his works are scenes from past lives relived through dreams and that he awakens gifted with the knowledge and skills revealed in the vision. Although it's impossible to reconcile with Linz's scientific training, she senses an otherworldly connection to Bryan and can't convince herself to dismiss his claims. Then Bryan recalls a more recent life as a neuroscientist who, like Linz, pioneered research to cure memory disorders and was killed with his wife when their lab exploded in 1982. Suddenly, the pair find themselves in a dangerous race to discover the secrets buried in their past lives before a malevolent killer can stop them. Well-drawn historical flashbacks, engaging characters, and a twisty ending make this thrilling blend of neuroscience, romance, and ancient worlds good bets for Da Vinci Code and Outlander fans. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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