The deep and enduring friendship between Vincent and Theo Van Gogh shaped both brothers' lives. They shared everything, swapping stories of lovers and friends, successes and disappointments, dreams and ambitions. Heiligman draws on the letters Vincent wrote to Theo during his lifetime to weave a tale of two lives intertwined as Theo supported Vincent's struggles to find his path in life.

This novel casts Moore's view askance on a familiar subject and twists it into something wholly original. Famed painter Vincent van Gogh lies dead, an apparent suicide victim. Two of his painterly colleagues are not convinced that the artist truly offed himself, though, so they embark on a quest to find the truth.