What do you think?
Rate this book
The New Zealand Immigrant Collection
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is the soul-searching and heart-warming conclusion to ‘The Cornish Knot’
Will the secrets of the past destroy an artist’s legacy?
Matteo Borgoni is a desperate man. He must succeed if he is to free his beloved wife, held captive by her father in Melbourne. His picture framing skills establish him with the artists of Dunedin in 1863, but he has many doubts, and many more obstacles to overcome.
Fifty years on, Luciano, a rakish Italian portrait artist on the run from his past, turns up at the Invercargill branch of Borgoni Picture Framers seeking refuge. As the ravages of World War One escalate, fear is constant, but compassion brings unexpected consequences. A terrifying pandemic is the last thing they need.
Over a century later, a man recognises a portrait in an Auckland gallery, and demands it back. Amid another global pandemic, a marriage on the brink of failure, and a life and death struggle, the portrait exposes generations of family secrets and deceptions with life-changing results.
Will the secrets of the past destroy an artist’s legacy?
Matteo Borgoni is a desperate man. He must succeed if he is to free his beloved wife, held captive by her father in Melbourne. His picture framing skills establish him with the artists of Dunedin in 1863, but he has many doubts, and many more obstacles to overcome.
Fifty years on, Luciano, a rakish Italian portrait artist on the run from his past, turns up at the Invercargill branch of Borgoni Picture Framers seeking refuge. As the ravages of World War One escalate, fear is constant, but compassion brings unexpected consequences. A terrifying pandemic is the last thing they need.
Over a century later, a man recognises a portrait in an Auckland gallery, and demands it back. Amid another global pandemic, a marriage on the brink of failure, and a life and death struggle, the portrait exposes generations of family secrets and deceptions with life-changing results.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2021
23 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Vicky Adin
13 books163 followersVicky Adin is the author of the New Zealand Immigrant Collection, a set of six suspenseful family historical fiction stories about overcoming the odds and three dual-timeline family sagas about finding your roots in The Art of Secrets series.
Five of Vicky's books are recipients of the Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion - a reader's award for excellence.
https://www.bragmedallion.com/award-w...
She is a family historian in love with the past.
Like the characters in her stories, she too is an immigrant to New Zealand, arriving a century after her first protagonists, and ready to start a new life.
Born in Wales, she grew up in Cornwall until aged 12. Her family emigrated to New Zealand, a country she would call home. Vicky draws on her affinity for these places, in her writing. Fast forward a few years, and she marries a fourth-generation Kiwi bloke with Irish, Scottish and English ancestors and her passion for genealogy flourishes.
The further she digs into the past, the more she wants to record the lives of the people who were the foundations of her new country. Not just her own ancestors, but all those who braved the oceans and became pioneers in a raw new land. Her research into life as it was for those immigrants in the mid-to-late 1800s and early 1900s gave her enough material to write for many years about the land left behind and the birth of a new nation.
Her first book, The Disenchanted Soldier, is the most biographical of all her books, inspired by her husband’s great-grandfather. For the rest, while the history of the time is accurate, the characters are fictionalised to fit with the events and happenings as they occurred.
Vicky holds an MA(Hons) in English, is a lover of art, antiques, gardens, good food and red wine. She and her husband travel throughout New Zealand in their caravan and travel the world when they can. She hopes younger generations get as much enjoyment learning about the past through her stories, as she did when writing about it.
For more information, visit her website http://www.vickyadin.co.nz
If you have any questions, email vicky@vickyadin.co.nz
Five of Vicky's books are recipients of the Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion - a reader's award for excellence.
https://www.bragmedallion.com/award-w...
She is a family historian in love with the past.
Like the characters in her stories, she too is an immigrant to New Zealand, arriving a century after her first protagonists, and ready to start a new life.
Born in Wales, she grew up in Cornwall until aged 12. Her family emigrated to New Zealand, a country she would call home. Vicky draws on her affinity for these places, in her writing. Fast forward a few years, and she marries a fourth-generation Kiwi bloke with Irish, Scottish and English ancestors and her passion for genealogy flourishes.
The further she digs into the past, the more she wants to record the lives of the people who were the foundations of her new country. Not just her own ancestors, but all those who braved the oceans and became pioneers in a raw new land. Her research into life as it was for those immigrants in the mid-to-late 1800s and early 1900s gave her enough material to write for many years about the land left behind and the birth of a new nation.
Her first book, The Disenchanted Soldier, is the most biographical of all her books, inspired by her husband’s great-grandfather. For the rest, while the history of the time is accurate, the characters are fictionalised to fit with the events and happenings as they occurred.
Vicky holds an MA(Hons) in English, is a lover of art, antiques, gardens, good food and red wine. She and her husband travel throughout New Zealand in their caravan and travel the world when they can. She hopes younger generations get as much enjoyment learning about the past through her stories, as she did when writing about it.
For more information, visit her website http://www.vickyadin.co.nz
If you have any questions, email vicky@vickyadin.co.nz
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Read
December 13, 20205-star review received from a reader...
Wow'. Took me a few days to come back to domestic routines after finishing "Portrait of a Man".
Story line - moved along at a pace this 80 year old was comfortable with. Each character was introduced and developed without me having to flick back a few pages thinking "Where did they come from?" or "Why did they act/react that way?"
Descriptive details - were important to me whether in an emotional sense or a 'setting' sense; really put me in the scene, hence the few days coming back to day-to-day reality.
Reference to N.Z's history of celebrations and tragedies - kept me reminded of events I had heard about but not experienced, so was very stimulating.
Part 3 - was so up-to-date, I couldn't help wondering how you got it written/checked/published/distributed while events are still happening?
Excellent; and thank you very much.
Wow'. Took me a few days to come back to domestic routines after finishing "Portrait of a Man".
Story line - moved along at a pace this 80 year old was comfortable with. Each character was introduced and developed without me having to flick back a few pages thinking "Where did they come from?" or "Why did they act/react that way?"
Descriptive details - were important to me whether in an emotional sense or a 'setting' sense; really put me in the scene, hence the few days coming back to day-to-day reality.
Reference to N.Z's history of celebrations and tragedies - kept me reminded of events I had heard about but not experienced, so was very stimulating.
Part 3 - was so up-to-date, I couldn't help wondering how you got it written/checked/published/distributed while events are still happening?
Excellent; and thank you very much.
February 12, 2021
We are proud to announce that PORTRAIT OF A MAN by Vicky Adin is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!
July 6, 2025
Another Masterpiece
After reading many in this outstanding series, I can't decide which one I like more. Each can stand on their own but can also build on each other. Each is a masterpiece, well written, great characters, with trials and tribulations, and how they interact and deal with situations reflects on each's character.
After reading many in this outstanding series, I can't decide which one I like more. Each can stand on their own but can also build on each other. Each is a masterpiece, well written, great characters, with trials and tribulations, and how they interact and deal with situations reflects on each's character.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews