A Month in Siena

A Month in Siena is a deeply personal account of Hisham Matar's journey to rediscover his love for painting after the disappearance of his father. As a young man, Matar was captivated by the works of the Sienese School, which offered him a sense of hope during a difficult time in his life. Over the years, his feelings towards these paintings deepened, and he began to see them as a sacred place, much like Mecca or Rome.

In A Month in Siena, Matar returns to the city that inspired him all those years ago. He immerses himself in the art of the Sienese School, exploring the relationship between painting and the human experience. As he wandles through the streets of Siena, he reflects on love, grief, and the power of art to heal and transform.

Through his writing, Matar brings the city of Siena to life, capturing its beauty and history in vivid detail. He also explores the impact of his father's disappearance on his own life, as well as the wider world around him. A Month in Siena is a poignant and moving exploration of the human experience, and a celebration of the power of art to inspire and uplift us all.

The story follows the life of Matar, who was nineteen years old when his father disappeared and was believed to have been kidnapped. As an adult, he tries to make sense of what happened to his father and how it affected him and his family. Along the way, he encounters various characters who help him understand art, architecture, friendship, and loss. The book is praised for its brilliant observations on these topics and is written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Man Booker-shortlisted author.