Claude Monet captured light on the canvas in a way that changed art forever. But his own life held dark secrets.

In 1914, on the eve of World War I, Claude Monet is going blind and has given up painting. His daughter-in-law, Blanche, painter herself, has come to care for Claude after the death of his son (and her husband) and is battling her own grief and despair. Then Georges Clemenceau, former prime minister of France and one of Claude’s closest friends, challenges Claude to create a monumental series of paintings: the famous Water Lily Cycle. That same day, Blanche finds a letter accusing Claude of murdering his first wife, Camille. This sends Blanche into a tailspin: Could she have devoted her life to a murderer? She vows to discover the truth.

In 1866, Camille Doncieux models for Claude. Their love is immediate—and forbidden. When Claude’s father discovers Camille’s pregnancy, the couple is cut off and penniless. But poverty doesn’t temper Claude’s ambition, and his talent soon makes him the face of the controversial new Impressionist movement. With fame comes temptation that threatens their family, and the changing dynamics force them to make choices that could come at a terrible cost.

In the end, Blanche discovers not only the surprising truth about Camille, but also comes to understand for the first time the source of Claude Monet’s genius.