???? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Indulge in a touch of magical realism in Self Portrait With Nothing: The new novel by Aimee Patwaka centers on 36-year-old Pepper Rafferty, who was abandoned as a newborn and didn’t learn the identity of her biological mother until she was 15. Pepper has been keeping her discovery a secret for almost 20 years; her mother is a recluse painter whose work has gained notoriety due to rumors that her “portraits summon their subjects’ doppelgängers from parallel universes.” While investigating the rumors, Pepper begins to wonder about what her parallel self would be like. The story that unfolds is a breezy read and a good reminder that making the most of life requires working with what we've got, flaws and all.