Goya's Dog by Damian Tarnopolsky

Our unforgettable anti-hero, Edward Dacres, is a pretentious misanthrope whose specialty is painting triangles. War has broken out and his fortunes in London have dwindled to nothing. So when a lucky case of mistaken identity gives him a chance to join a delegation to bring Art to the “Colonies,” Dacres naturally seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start in Canada. Little does he know that the prevailing climate of Toronto in 1939 is chillingly puritanical. Most of Toronto's good citizens have their thoughts on the war, and don't much care for his painted triangles. There is one exception, a beautiful heiress with an eye for art and the willful desire to save Dacres from himself. By turns touching and satirical, Goya's Dog is a love story about gin, selfishness, and the self-sacrifice necessary for love.