The Masterpiece

Content Warning: The source text and this guide include references to addiction, abuse, domestic violence, death by suicide, and the neglect and exploitation of children.

Among the most important themes of The Masterpiece is the journey from brokenness to healing. While it is a romance novel, it is also—importantly—a novel about the journeys of personal transformation that both of its main characters take. This element of the story is so pronounced that even the story arc of Roman and Grace’s romance occasionally takes a backseat to it. Especially in the final quarter of the novel, a prolonged interruption in their relationship makes room for each character to explore aspects of personal healing—Roman in his pursuit of faith, and Grace in processing her childhood traumas with Aunt Elizabeth.

Roman and Grace both have backstories full of personal trauma, and the novel is structured to highlight those stories with its frequent flashback chapters. Roman suffered several hardships from his childhood through his teenage years, including an unstable living situation as a young boy, the death of his mother when he was seven years old, and a long cycle through foster homes while also being involved in the dangerous gang world of the San Francisco streets.