This novel follows the fortunes of three Berliners caught up in a devastating scandal of 1930s' Germany. It tells the story of Emmeline, a young art student; Julius, a middle-aged art expert; and a mysterious art dealer named Rachmann who are at the heart of Berlin at its hedonistic, politically turbulent apogee and are whipped up into excitement over the discovery of thirty-two unknown paintings by Vincent van Gogh. Based on a true story.