Venus, Vanishing

by Rebecca Birrell

Venus, Vanishing is the blisteringly passionate and page-turning debut novel from Rebecca Birrell, of desire, art, and the stories lost to the darkness of history – for readers of Sarah Waters, Yael van der Wouden, and Alice Winn.

Berlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. An artist, a runaway, she is building a new life, loving without boundaries and sketching with a cutting edge.

But the party is ending. Hannah begins a recklessly consuming affair with a powerful man’s wife and it soon threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations. People are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker. Her art could be the thing that secures her survival – or will deny her any chance of escape.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Queer, Fiction, LGBT, Historical, Adult, Lesbian

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 9, 2026

About the author

Rebecca Birrell grew up in Southport, and currently lives in Cambridge. She studied English Literature at UCL, followed by Women’s Studies at the University of Oxford. She has occupied curatorial positions at the Jewish Museum London, the Department of Prints and Drawing at the British Museum and at the Charleston Trust. In 2018 she undertook a fellowship at the Yale Centre for British Art. She recently completed her PhD at the Edinburgh College of Art. For the next year she will be Assistant Keeper of Paintings, Prints and Drawings at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Reviews

[cyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was interesting to read but I feel like it lulled at some points. The storyline was a little bit repetitive and the book felt longer than it needed to be. The historical aspect of this was super interesting to me and i am glad the ending focused more so on that. I think this book spent too much time focusing on little events and then would reserve only one sentence for huge plot points leaving the book feeling a bit disjointed. Overall I did enjoy it but this book is definitely not for anyone who wants something fast paced.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Venus, Vanishing offers readers a view into an aspect of Nazi propaganda, in the years leading up to the second world war, that I knew very little about. It specifically explores the theft of art created by Jewish women and its subsequent modification into German nationalist pieces that could be used as propaganda to promote the ideals of the Nazi state. The original artists not only had their work stolen and modified into pieces that promoted the extinguishing of their race, but they were also erased as artists, with the creation of these works then being attributed to German men, who didn’t even exist.

‘Most work by artists murdered by the regime was lost or destroyed, with a small fraction entering museum stores and private collections, hidden from public view.’

Through Hannah’s emancipation from her family, Rebecca Birrell creates this world in which Jewish artists, performers, and academics all intermingled in a bohemian lifestyle of creative expression and free love. She writes about desire and longing, intimacy and love, with such a beautiful fluency. Likewise, she conveys the dread and fear, as life began to change, and the Nazi regime asserted itself and made its intentions clear and all encompassing.

‘I was afraid, and my fear had become buoyant and persistent, it no longer subsided with sleep or reassurance as it had before.’

Theft and erasure are the key themes of this novel, and it explores them deeply and with great emotion. In the author note at the end, Rebecca Birrell expressed that she had ‘hoped to write a novel primarily about Jewish life, not Jewish death’, and I think she has achieved that. This novel serves as a counter-narrative to what is usually represented in contemporarily written historical fiction. It’s a beautifully written story, recommended to fans of literary history fiction and lovers of art history.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

4.5 ⭐️

[Lindsay Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this. The research that has gone into this is evident. I am eager to read it again, but alas, I have already promised my proof copy to somebody I hope will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender and profound novel that will stick with you

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, a heart wrenching yet hopeful (bisexual) historical fiction tale of a Jewish artist in Berlin during the rise of the Nazis.

It’s 1928 in Berlin and Hannah has runaway from home to avoid an unwanted marriage. She is building a new life for herself, devoting time to her art and falling in love. An old client from her time working as a seamstress with her mother admires her art and commissions further work from her. She becomes enamored with the woman, to the annoyance of her lovers Charlotte and Saul. But as Hannah’s time with Elke becomes more charged, she forgives more than she should, including Elke altering her paintings and displaying them under a false name. As Elke’s powerful position in the changing landscape of their country becomes clear, Hannah must take steps to ensure her safety, and the safety of the owe she loves.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a well researched story, I am particularly interested in this part of history, not just jews artists but Nazi looted works of art, having seen Woman in Gold film 2015, read woman on fire Lsa Barr and who has not watched The Monument Men 2014 film.

Hannah and her family, shows 1930s with jewish artists, actors, and eminent accademia through to the fear of the Nazi regieme.

This story tells of jewish women creating art which was stolen from them and at times changed to suit the german nationalists objects - used as proganda for Nazi gain. Jewish artists murdered and then thier work attibuted to Germans ( some fictious)

We will never know just how much was destroyed, and if any did survive we will never know who the artist was as they went into collections hidden.

It is a a really sad part of history but also fascinating also as we have seen on BBC Fake or Fortune.

Well written, well researched and a really good read.

Sadly not due for publication until July 9th 2026.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by publisher: This was a very good read, so compelling I didn’t plan on reading it so quickly.

Unlike my usual reads, the tone is heavy, it’s a sad book in a sad time.
I really loved how the rise of fascism starts in the background and becomes more present as the story goes on. The author does a great job projecting the timeless anxieties.

The biggest hurdle for me was the sometimes
dreamy writing style, sometimes things were clear and literal, and other times it was less narrative more ambiance.
Warning: not a romance and doesn’t abide by the traditional HEA rules. and i’m not just talking about the poly. I was definitely drawn in with the queer and non-monogamous relationship elements that add to the emotional depth.

I didn’t mind the time skips, and the ending wrapped up a bit quickly compared to everything that came before, purposely giving us the sense of loss for those characters.

Overall, this is a really good book, just not an easy one to call a favorite on my list because of how heavy it is.

[Isobel Macleod · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐
The book starts in 1927 and follows the life of Hannah, a seamstress living in Berlin who leaves home because she does not want to marry. She pursues her talents as an artist and this leads to her life becoming entwined with three very important and interesting characters - Saul, Charlotte and Elke.
As the book progressed I felt myself becoming more and more worried as the political landscape changed heading into the late 1930s - Rebecca Birrell said in her historical note this is a novel 'primarily about Jewish life, not Jewish death' and I really felt that. From the vibrancy of Charlotte, Saul and Hannah's lives, the way their love of the arts shapes the way they live and love. Venus Vanishing really highlighted the best and worst of humanity creating a very interesting and engaging book that made me care about the characters. Birrell's writing is wonderful and I really would recommend Venus Vanishing to anyone looking for impactful historical fiction.

Many thanks to the publishers for providing me with an advanced reading copy!

[abi slade · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

pros ✅
- some really beautiful prose
- a very interesting and emotional stimulus
- the volatile atmosphere of the final third made for (intentionally) unpleasant and fearful reading
- the various reveals, sneakiness and betrayal from elke to hannah did have me gobsmacked at multiple points
- i think if i had had the time & energy to properly focus on this, i would’ve enjoyed it more. not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, just felt like a lot of effort

cons ❌
- at no point did i feel like i was into it. i never reached for it
- stodgy
- very obvious inspiration from ‘the safekeep’ and ‘the artist’
- extremely slow pacing, only felt like action kicked off in the final third. as a result, feel like the book could’ve been significantly shorter. because of how slow the book was, the expected emotional impact never properly landed

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the time period and setting of this book in the 20s and 30s. Hannah is a relatable character for me because she doesn’t follow the tradition of how a woman should live her life. I was excited at how she claimed her independence and went out into the world. The art galleries and clubs were interesting and I felt like I time traveled and was there myself. Of course Hannah’s love and appreciation of women is very admirable but nothing can go smoothly for her because of the times back then. With themes of empowerment, forbidden love, and great female characters I truly enjoyed getting lost in this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's amazing to me that this is a debut novel by this author. Will have to keep an eye out for her future work. It's a brutal story, but so beautifully told. The author has the heart of a poet. I became so connected to these characters and felt I knew them.

I've read many books about the theft of art from Jewish owners by Nazis but this is the first time I've read of how the Nazi took art from women Jewish artists, changed the name of the artist to a German name, re-painted portions to use as Nazi propaganda. This is a fascinating telling of this historical time and so very heart wrenching. These characters will live in my heart for a long time.

Most highly recommended.

I won this book on LibraryThing. Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC.

[Gergely · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Venus, Vanishing for its exploration of art through Hannah, a Jewish female artist working in 1930s Berlin whose work is stolen, reshaped, and absorbed into Nazi propaganda. Rebecca Birrell writes thoughtfully about art, ownership, and the way history distorts women’s work, and those ideas stayed with me long after finishing the book. At times, though, the novel felt repetitive and somewhat aimless, circling the same themes without enough narrative momentum. Even so, its central questions about memory, art, and appropriation made it a compelling read.

[B.J. Sikes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley.

I was very interested in the setup for this story: a Jewish queer artist in 1930s Berlin. While the historical research was obviously strong, the actual book was not written as well as I was hoping for. The first half was slow and aimless. It read like Violette Leduc fanfic, all vague yearning and sordid details. The story picked up but the MC was just not likeable so it was hard to care about her.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An art museum curator spins a hell of a toxic lesbians story about a young female Jewish painter in Berlin in the 40s, the rich official's wife she falls into a toxic relationship with as she does a nude commission for her, and how her art is then used and warped by the Nazis. It's a hell of a dark story, but our main does manage to survive, even though she has to go to some very dark places, given the location and timeframe. Gorgeous read.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow. not usually big on historical fiction, however this was a marked exception. it's clear that a lot of research went into this, and it paid off. incredibly unique, gripping, and deeply emotional. really refreshing characters, and the exploration of their love lives was a high point. highly recommend.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say? Objectively this was a good book, just maybe not the book I needed to read right now.

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 - this was very impressive, if you like The Artist, make this your next read.

[Eavan]

Just got this in the mail thanks to a LibraryThing giveaway... Thank you and yippee!

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway. I will read and review at a different time.