No one knows what the future holds.

No one knows what the future holds, argues Dominic Smith in his novel The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. The future is full of unexpected twists and turns which can completely upset and change a life. Sometimes this is for the better, while other times, it is for the worst. The characters of the novel experience no shortage of such unexpected occurrences.

When readers first meet Sara de Vos, she has a happy and content life. She is a ground breaker, being the first woman artist admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke. She is happily married and has a loving daughter. However, Sara never suspects that an outing to paint a beached whale will result in the fever that kills her daughter.

As Sara struggles with her husband to find stable ground emotionally and financially, she never expects...