Patrick Gale

Notes from an Exhibition is a story about family life and the tensions that at once bind it and tear it apart. Patrick Gale’s focus is sharp and this small group of characters is carefully observed and lovingly brought to vivid life…Each chapter of the book begins with an epigraph taken from the catalogue for a retrospective exhibition of Rachel’s life and work. These passages then spark a chapter which relates to the painting or the object described. Those moments described are non-sequential, making the book a kaleidoscope of pictures, sometimes comic, sometimes unutterably moving. Ultimately, Notes from an Exhibition is a rewarding read.