The Original

A Novel

By: Nell Stevens

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Matthew Spencer

In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether the man claiming to be her long-lost cousin is an impostor.

Brought to her uncle’s decaying Oxfordshire estate when she was a child, Grace has grown up on the periphery of a once-great household, an outsider in her own home. Now a self-possessed and secretive young woman, she has developed unusual predilections: for painting, particularly forgery; for deception; for other girls.

As Grace cultivates her talent as a copyist, she realizes that her uncanny ability to recreate paintings might offer her a means of escape. Secretly, she puts this skill to use as an art forger, creating fake masterpieces in candlelit corners of the estate. Saving the money she makes from her sales, she plans a new life far from the family that has never seemed to want her.

Then, a letter arrives from the South Atlantic. The writer claims to be her cousin Charles, long presumed dead at sea, who wishes to reconnect with his family. When Charles returns, Grace’s aunt welcomes him with open arms; yet fractures appear in the household. Some believe he is who he says he is. Others are convinced he’s an impostor. As a court date looms to determine his legitimacy―and his claim to the family fortune―Grace must decide what she believes, and what she’s willing to risk.

Is Charles really her cousin? An interloper? A mirror of her own ambitions? And in a house built on illusions, what does authenticity truly mean―in art, in love, and in family?

Deftly plotted and shimmering with Nell Stevens’s distinctive intelligence, style, and wit, The Original takes listeners on an unforgettable adventure through a world of forgeries, family ties, and the fluctuations in fortune that can change our fate.

©2025 Nell Stevens (P)2025 Simon & Schuster

Perfectly read, beautifully told

The 2 voices truly convey a fascinating and well written story of 2 people, actually 3, in what turns out to be a love triangle. Entwined in the narrative are comprehensive explanations of painting, paint, color, pictures, their subjects and what is often missed when viewing paintings too briefly. Ultimately, this unusual detective story has a satisfying ending - well worth the listen.

not for me

I chose this based on the narrator. I didn't care for the story really. I would not recommend.