My Friends

Most people barely notice them—three small figures sitting on a pier in one of the world’s most famous paintings. Most admirers of the artwork see only the pier and the sea, but Louisa, a lonely, troubled eighteen-year-old, becomes completely captivated and decides to uncover the story behind these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a remote coastal town, a group of vulnerable teenagers discovers an abandoned pier in the harbor where they spend the entire summer. They play silly pranks, share secrets, sneak cigarettes, and cool off in the sea. Their bond gives them a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to dream, a reason to dare to love. One of them paints their first masterpiece that summer—a painting that will later be regarded as one of the great masterpieces of its time.

After a series of unlikely events, Louisa comes into possession of the world-famous painting. She embarks on a journey across the country to understand how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s origins, the more anxious she becomes about what she might discover.